From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 22 looks at unheralded winger Bryan Bickell.
Bryan Bickell was born on March 9th, 1986, in Bowmanville, Ontario. He began his playing career at age fourteen in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, playing with the Toronto Red Wings in the 2000-2001 season. Here he had twenty-four goals and twenty-six assists in sixty-eight games. Bickell stepped it up in the 2001-2002 season, playing in sixty-five games and recording thirty-one goals and forty-one assists. Bickell then joined the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's in the 2002-2003 season, potting seven goals and ten assists in fifty regular season games, followed by five goals and three assists in twenty-postseason games. Remaining with the 67's in the 2003-2004 season, Bickell potted twenty goals and sixteen assists in fifty-nine games, followed by a postseason with three goals in seven games. In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks. He continued to improve in the 2004-2005 season, notching twenty-two goals and thirty-two assists in sixty-six games for the 67's, and then he had five goals and twelve assists in twenty-one postseason games. The 67's were the runners-up in the OHL, but since the Memorial Cup host team had defeated them, they were selected to represent the OHL as well. He had one assist in four games in the tournament, which saw Ottawa finish third. Bickell took his game to another level in 2005-2006, recording twenty-eight goals and twenty-two assists for the 67's before being traded to the Windsor Spitfires to play in another twenty-six games, where he had seventeen goals and sixteen assists. In the playoffs, he had five goals and five assists in seven games. Bickell was then assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate of the time for the Blackhawks, the Norfolk Admirals, for the 2006-2007 season. Here, he notched ten goals and fifteen assists in forty-eight games, and went pointless in two playoff games before a promotion to the NHL. With the Blackhawks, he scored two goals in three games. The Blackhawks changed AHL affiliates for the 2007-2008 season, meaning Bickell was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs instead of the Admirals, and with Rockford he had nineteen goals and twenty assists in seventy-three games, before adding another two goals and three assists in twelve playoff games. He again was called to the NHL, but went without a point in four games. Bickell's 2008-2009 season was cut short with injuries, but in his forty-two games with the IceHogs, he posted a line of six goals and eight assists, followed by a postseason of two assists in four games. He split time in 2009-2010 between Rockford and Chicago, playing in sixty-five games with the IceHogs to the tune of sixteen goals and fifteen assists before a promotion during the stretch run. In the NHL, he supplied a modest three goals and one assist in sixteen games. He also dressed in four playoff games, recording a single assist. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup mostly without him, and they gave him a championship ring despite him not having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. Bickell stuck with the Blackhawks full time in 2010-2011, playing seventy-eight games with a line of seventeen goals and twenty assists, followed by two goals and two assists in five playoff games. He struggled a bit in 2011-2012, playing in seventy-one games with just nine goals and fifteen assists, as well as two goals in six postseason games. Bickell did not play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for forty-seven games in the truncated 2013 season, posting similar numbers in nine goals and fourteen assists in significantly less game time. More importantly, over twenty-three playoff games, Bickell notched nine goals and eight assists. The most notable of these goals came in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, as Bickell put one past Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask with less than two minutes left in regulation, tying the game. Seventeen seconds later, the Blackhawks took the lead and about a minute later, they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years, with Bickell having taken center stage this time in helping them to the championship. Bickell was rewarded with a four-year, $16 million contract before free agency began. However, his contract meant the departure of Dave Bolland and Michael Frolik to save salary cap space.
Bryan Bickell was born on March 9th, 1986, in Bowmanville, Ontario. He began his playing career at age fourteen in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, playing with the Toronto Red Wings in the 2000-2001 season. Here he had twenty-four goals and twenty-six assists in sixty-eight games. Bickell stepped it up in the 2001-2002 season, playing in sixty-five games and recording thirty-one goals and forty-one assists. Bickell then joined the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's in the 2002-2003 season, potting seven goals and ten assists in fifty regular season games, followed by five goals and three assists in twenty-postseason games. Remaining with the 67's in the 2003-2004 season, Bickell potted twenty goals and sixteen assists in fifty-nine games, followed by a postseason with three goals in seven games. In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks. He continued to improve in the 2004-2005 season, notching twenty-two goals and thirty-two assists in sixty-six games for the 67's, and then he had five goals and twelve assists in twenty-one postseason games. The 67's were the runners-up in the OHL, but since the Memorial Cup host team had defeated them, they were selected to represent the OHL as well. He had one assist in four games in the tournament, which saw Ottawa finish third. Bickell took his game to another level in 2005-2006, recording twenty-eight goals and twenty-two assists for the 67's before being traded to the Windsor Spitfires to play in another twenty-six games, where he had seventeen goals and sixteen assists. In the playoffs, he had five goals and five assists in seven games. Bickell was then assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate of the time for the Blackhawks, the Norfolk Admirals, for the 2006-2007 season. Here, he notched ten goals and fifteen assists in forty-eight games, and went pointless in two playoff games before a promotion to the NHL. With the Blackhawks, he scored two goals in three games. The Blackhawks changed AHL affiliates for the 2007-2008 season, meaning Bickell was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs instead of the Admirals, and with Rockford he had nineteen goals and twenty assists in seventy-three games, before adding another two goals and three assists in twelve playoff games. He again was called to the NHL, but went without a point in four games. Bickell's 2008-2009 season was cut short with injuries, but in his forty-two games with the IceHogs, he posted a line of six goals and eight assists, followed by a postseason of two assists in four games. He split time in 2009-2010 between Rockford and Chicago, playing in sixty-five games with the IceHogs to the tune of sixteen goals and fifteen assists before a promotion during the stretch run. In the NHL, he supplied a modest three goals and one assist in sixteen games. He also dressed in four playoff games, recording a single assist. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup mostly without him, and they gave him a championship ring despite him not having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. Bickell stuck with the Blackhawks full time in 2010-2011, playing seventy-eight games with a line of seventeen goals and twenty assists, followed by two goals and two assists in five playoff games. He struggled a bit in 2011-2012, playing in seventy-one games with just nine goals and fifteen assists, as well as two goals in six postseason games. Bickell did not play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for forty-seven games in the truncated 2013 season, posting similar numbers in nine goals and fourteen assists in significantly less game time. More importantly, over twenty-three playoff games, Bickell notched nine goals and eight assists. The most notable of these goals came in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, as Bickell put one past Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask with less than two minutes left in regulation, tying the game. Seventeen seconds later, the Blackhawks took the lead and about a minute later, they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years, with Bickell having taken center stage this time in helping them to the championship. Bickell was rewarded with a four-year, $16 million contract before free agency began. However, his contract meant the departure of Dave Bolland and Michael Frolik to save salary cap space.
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