CHL to NHL: 70-goal man Lardis debuts with Chicago

Former Peterborough Petes and Brantford Bulldogs forward Nick Lardis made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night.

In a 4-0 loss to Detroit, Lardis played 15:32 and tallied two shots, one block and five hits.

The sixth overall pick in the 2021 OHL Draft by the Petes, Lardis played 99 games for the club before he was traded to Brantford at the OHL trade deadline in 2023. As a member of the Bulldogs, he starred where in 102 games, he had 100 goals and 167 points.

Lardis’ final OHL season in 2024-25 was one of the best in league history as he became just the eighth player to crack the 70-goal plateau as he finished the campaign with 71 goals. Additionally, he set a Bulldogs franchise record with 117 points while his 100 career goals for the club are the most in team history.

Ahead of his NHL debut, Lardis had made 23 appearances with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs where he had 13 goals and 26 points.

The 20-year-old was the 67th overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft.

welcome to the NHL, Nick Lardis‼️👏 pic.twitter.com/TKB08SmUWr

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 14, 2025