CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have officially placed seasoned forward Craig Smith on injured reserve due to a persistent back injury.

Smith has been absent from the ice since he logged over 10 minutes of play in a 3-1 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on January 8. Prior to this, he was on injured reserve with a similar back issue from December 20 to December 31.

At 35 years old, Smith has contributed six goals and five assists in 30 games during his inaugural season with the Blackhawks.

In other roster moves, the last-place Blackhawks recalled Ethan Del Mastro from their Rockford affiliate and sent defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to the AHL.

Del Mastro, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft and made his league debut in April, where he participated in two games with the team.

Under the leadership of interim coach Anders Sorensen, who took over in December, the Blackhawks have recorded a 7-12-2 record. They are set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.

Additionally, the team announced on Thursday that they signed forward AJ Spellacy to a three-year contract that will last through the 2026-27 season. This entry-level contract comes with a salary cap impact of $975,000.

Spellacy, who is only 18 years old, showcased his skills during training camp after being drafted in the third round last year. This season, he has been performing well in the Ontario Hockey League, boasting 11 goals and 14 assists in 40 games with the Windsor Spitfires.