Chicago Blackhawks: Rockford IceHogs sign Kris Versteeg
The Chicago Blackhawks organization adds a former player that is ready to have yet another stint with the team that he is familiar with the most.
The Chicago Blackhawks had some great players during its run. They won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. That of course was on the back of some Hall of Fame players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook. Of course, there would also be no championships without great role players.
Kris Versteeg is one of the role players that were key to all of the success they had. He was a great player for the team that did a lot of winning. That also came in two separate stints. The team let him go after winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, but they brought him back later on in 2014-15 for a second stint with the team. He missed the 2013 championship but made it back in time to be a part of the team winning the cup for the third time in six years.
It was announced on Monday that Versteeg would sign a contract with the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate for the Chicago Blackhawks. It is a one-way AHL contract, and it is not moveable to the NHL without him signing a new NHL contract. The only way that would happen is if the Blackhawks decided they want to add his services to their roster mid-season. If he has an outstanding start to the AHL season, nothing is really impossible.
The Blackhawks have a third overall pick coming their way and it will likely be a forward, so it may be even harder to crack the lineup for forwards like Versteeg. Then again, a guy like Chris Kunitz was semi-regularly in the lineup for the Blackhawks last season so anything is possible.
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In parts of five seasons for the Blackhawks, Versteeg played in 294 games. In those 294 games, he had 68 goals and 96 assists for 164 points. Not exactly bad production for a “depth forward”. He played a big role in winning the first and third cup in that six-year run. It is nice to see him get an opportunity in the organization that he had the most success with.