Bowman defends prospect Beach

Rookie left wing Kyle Beach finished prospects camp with three fights, two of which raised eyebrows.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Beach twice fought 5-10, 176-pound Mathis Olimb on Sunday, leaving some to wonder why and if it was necessary.

A report out of Norway on Monday claimed Olimb suffered a shoulder injury in one of the fights that will require surgery.

The Blackhawks had no official comment on Olimb's injury, but general manager Stan Bowman was asked if he was concerned about Beach's maturity level.

Beach, the Hawks' first-round draft pick in 2008, has a history of questionable behavior.

"I don't look at it as a maturity level, I think that's part of his game," Bowman said. "That's actually what sets him apart from a lot of guys. He scored 52 goals last year, which was a great year. A guy that can do that as well as be tough to play against, you don't want him to lose that edge.

"That's a part of his game that's made him what he is so we don't want to discourage it. You have to do it at the right time, which I guess is something you can talk to him about. He's certainly proven himself to be a multi-faceted player and we're going to need that down the road."

While Beach has a chance to make the roster in the fall, his $1.17 million cap hit as a first-round draft pick won't help his chances with the cash-strapped Hawks.

Coaching change: When Hawks coach Joel Quenneville went looking for a replacement for John Torchetti on his staff, he turned to an old friend in Mike Kitchen.

Kitchen joined the Hawks as an assistant coach Monday reuniting with Quenneville, who had Kitchen as one of his assistants with the St. Louis Blues from 1998-2003.

Kitchen was head coach of the Blues for parts of three seasons from 2003-06 and spent the last three years as an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers.

"It's been a while since we've been together, but there's a lot of experience, a lot excitement and enthusiasm in the way he coaches the game," Quenneville said "He's been around it for a long time and I'm familiar with what he can bring to our team."

Torchetti left to become associate coach in Atlanta after three seasons with the Hawks.

"We appreciate what he did here in Chicago," Quenneville said. "It was fun being around Torch for two years and I'm happy we won a Cup together."

The Hawks also signed assistant coach Mike Haviland to a contract extension.

Kitchen and Quenneville were teammates in Colorado and New Jersey from 1979-83.