Preseason auditions kick into high gear

The real auditions start Wednesday night when the Blackhawks open their eight-game exhibition schedule against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Winnipeg.

"It's a great opportunity to find things out," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

Rookies Igor Makarov and Jermey Morin will be in the lineup trying to pick up where they left off in the training-camp scrimmages. Kyle Beach is making the trip to Winnipeg as well.

Morin had 2 goals Tuesday in the camp title game as his team, led by Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Marty Turco, was a 7-5 winner.

Beach had 2 more goals in a losing cause, giving him 5 for the tournament. Morin finished with 2 goals and Makarov 3.

"We've got some young kids who maybe are further along than we envisioned," Quenneville said.

Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith all were born in Winnipeg and will be in Quenneville's lineup along with Turco, who is starting and splitting the game with Hannu Toivonen.

Toews' return home to Winnipeg will be the big story in a city trying to bring back NHL hockey. Winnipeg lost the Jets to Phoenix in 1996 but now has a new arena that is home to the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose.

"It's going to be fun to go back to Winnipeg," Toews said. "I can't remember the last time I played a real game at home."

Keith was born in Winnipeg but later moved to British Columbia. Sharp's family moved from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Eye openers: Some of the rookies in camp, such as winger Igor Makarov and defenseman Nick Leddy, are catching the eye of the veterans.

"I think Makarov looks good," Duncan Keith said. "He's got good speed and I just like his tenacity."

Leddy was paired with Keith in the four days of scrimmages.

"He looked smooth," Keith said.

"I like Leddy," Patrick Sharp said. "He's really poised for a young kind like that."

Leddy, 19, is a former No. 1 draft of the Minnesota Wild who was acquired in the Cam Barker trade last season.

Roster cuts: The Hawks returned six players to their junior clubs Tuesday, including forwards Rob Flick, Byron Froese, Mirko Hoefflin, Phillipe Paradis and goalie Kent Simpson.

Goalie Joe Palmer was assigned to Rockford; while forward Steele Boomer and defenseman Dallas Jackson were released.

The training camp roster now sits at 48.