From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 21

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 21 looks at clutch defenseman Brent Seabrook. 

Brent Seabrook was born on April 20th, 1985, in Richmond, British Columbia. He began his playing career at age fifteen in the PIJHL with the Delta Ice Hawks in the 2000-2001 season, where he scored sixteen goals and twenty-six assists in forty-two games played. He was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL Bantam Draft and joined then near the end of 2000-2001, playing in four games and going without a point. He remained with the Hurricanes in 2001-2002, and recorded six goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-seven games during the regular season, before registering another goal and assist in four playoff games. Seabrook posted similar number in the 2002-2003 season, notching nine goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-nine games. His play earned him a chance to represent Canada in the World U18 Championships in 2003, where he had three goals and three assists in seven games, helping Canada win the gold medal. Seabrook was on the radar to be drafted in the NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks made it happen by picking him fourteenth overall in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Returning to Lethbridge in 2003-2004, Seabrook notched twelve goals and twenty-nine assists in sixty-one games. He was again selected to play for the Canadian National Team, this time at the World Junior Championships, where he posted one goal and two assists in six games as Canada claimed the silver medal. Seabrook played his final season in Lethbridge in 2004-2005, with a line of twelve goals and forty-two assists in sixty-three games, as well as a goal and two assists in five postseason games. The Blackhawks elected to assign Seabrook their American Hockey League affiliate at that time, the Norfolk Admirals, for the end of their season. Seabrook was without a point in three regular season games, and recorded just one assist in six games in the playoffs. He again represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, passing three assists in five games as Canada again took the gold medal. In 2005-2006, Seabrook finally arrived in the NHL, and had five goals and twenty-seven assists in sixty-nine games for the Blackhawks, an impressive debut that made him an essential part of the new core of players. Seabrook was selected to represent Canada in the 2006 World Championships, but he went without a point in eight games. He slumped a bit in 2006-2007, playing in eighty-one games but only posting a line of four goals and twenty assists. In 2007-2008, he was united with the Blackhawks' other star defenseman, Duncan Keith, on the top pairing, and responded with nine goals and twenty-three assists while playing in all eighty-two games. Seabrook notched eight goals and eighteen assists in 2008-2009, and the Blackhawks finally made the playoffs, where he added a goal and eleven assists in seventeen games, showing his ability to produce when it was most necessary. The 2009-2010 season was especially impressive for Seabrook, as he tallied four goals and twenty-six assists in just seventy-eight games during the regular season. He had also been called to represent Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and while he did not receive hefty playing time, he had one assist in seven games and was on the gold medal winning host team. Then, in the playoffs, Seabrook provided four goals and seven assists over twenty-two games as the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and he was on the ice for the winning goal. Seabrook found new riches in the 2010-2011 season, posting nine goals and thirty-nine assists for a career high forty-eight points in eighty-two games, which earned him a five-year, $30 million contract mid-season. In the playoffs, he added one assist in five games. Seabrook posted nine goals and twenty-five assists in seventy-eight games for the 2011-2012 season, as well as one goal and two assists in six playoff games. He elected not to play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the truncated 2013 season by appearing in forty-seven games for the Blackhawks, notching eight goals and twelve assists. In the postseason, he added three goals and one assist in twenty-three games, but the most important one game in overtime of Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Having had a goal waved off due to a questionable offsetting minors penalty call in the dying minutes of the third period, the Blackhawks came out with a chip on their shoulder against their bitter rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Just over three and a half minutes into the extra time, Seabrook fired a shot from the left point that beat Jimmy Howard and sent the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Finals. This was as close as they had been to elimination in the postseason, and a month later they came out as Stanley Cup Champions for the second time in four years, with a lot of credit on Seabrook's season saving goal as their turning point.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 20

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 20 looks at rookie winger Brandon Saad.

Brandon Saad was born on October 27th, 1992, in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He began playing in the MWEHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets at the age of fifteen in the 2007-2008 season. In twenty-six games, he had eleven goals and nineteen assists. He joined the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League for the 2008-2009 season, scoring twenty-nine goals and eighteen assists in forty-seven games. For his performance that season, he was named a First Team All-Star and Rookie of the Year in the NAHL. Saad then played for the United States National Team Development Program in a World U17 tournament, scoring six goals and five assists in seven games, earning him a spot on the Tournament All-Star team. He remained in the development program in 2009-2010, playing for their team in the United States Hockey League, where he posted twelve goals and fourteen assists in twenty-four games, leading the USHL in goals and points. In another thirty-nine U18 games with the Program, Saad recorded seventeen goals and fifteen assists. He was named to the U18 National team to play in the World U18 Championships, where the United States won the gold medal. Saad contributed three goals and three assists in seven games. Saad joined the junior ranks in 2010-2011, playing with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League in fifty-nine games, scoring at a pace of twenty-seven goals and twenty-eight assists. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and nine assists in twelve games. Saad was drafted in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as a second round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Saad returned to Saginaw in 2011-2012, appearing in forty-four games while putting up monster numbers of thirty-four goals and forty-two assists. In the playoffs, he played in twelve games with eight goals and nine assists. For his performance in the OHL, Saad was named First Team All-Star and received the William Hanley Trophy for most sportsmanlike player. He also earned a late-season promotion to the Blackhawks, and went without a point in two regular season games. In the playoffs, he played in two more games and had a single assist. Due to the lockout in 2012, Saad was assigned to play in the American Hockey League with the Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate. Here he had eight goals and twelve assists in thirty-one games before the end of the lockout. Saad made the Blackhawks out of the shortened training camp and played in forty-six games of the truncated 2013 season, scoring ten goals and dishing seventeen assists. Saad also played in every postseason game, notching one goal and five assists in twenty-three contests. Saad was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, was nominated as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year, and at the end of the playoffs won the greatest prize of all, the Stanley Cup. In doing so, the Syrian-American Saad became the first Arab-American to win the Stanley Cup. Not too bad for his first full season in the NHL.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 19

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 19 looks at forward Patrick Sharp. 

Patrick Sharp was born on December 27th, 1981, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He began playing hockey at age seventeen in the 1998-1999 season with the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League. He had nineteen goals and twenty-four assists in fifty-five games that season. He also had one goal and one assist in three playoff games. The next season, 1999-2000, Sharp scored twenty goals and passed thirty-five assists in fifty-six games played. Sharp elected to play college hockey in 2000-2001, playing for the University of Vermont. He recorded twelve goals and fifteen assists in thirty-four games. Sharp was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers that season as well, being picked in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Sharp elected to continue playing at the University of Vermont for his sophomore season in 2001-2002, and posted a line of thirteen goals and thirteen assists in thirty-one games. Sharp joined the professional ranks in 2002-2003, splitting time between the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League and the Flyers in the NHL. With the Phantoms, he had fourteen goals and nineteen assists in fifty-three games, while he went without a point in three games in the NHL. He again played with the Phantoms and Flyers in 2003-2004, scoring to the tune of fifteen goals and fourteen assists in thirty-five games in the AHL and five goals and two assists in forty-one games with the Flyers. In the playoffs for the Phantoms, Sharp had two goals in a single game, while he had one goal in twelve postseason games for the Flyers. Due to the lockout and the cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season, Sharp was forced to play the full year with the Phantoms, and scored twenty-three goals and twenty-nine assists in seventy-five games, followed by eight goals and thirteen assists in twenty-one playoff games, en route to a Calder Cup victory as champions of the AHL. Sharp split the 2005-2006 season between two teams as well, but this time they were both NHL teams. He began the campaign with the Flyers, notching five goals and three assists in twenty-two games. On December 5th, 2005, Sharp was traded by the Flyers with Eric Meloche to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matt Ellison and Chicago's third round pick, which was later traded to Montreal, who then selected Ryan White. Closing out the season with the Blackhawks, Sharp recorded nine goals and fourteen assists in fifty games. Sharp finally got a stable season in 2006-2007, playing in eighty games with the Blackhawks and scoring twenty goals while supplying fifteen assists. He finally stepped into the spotlight in 2007-2008, playing in eighty games while scoring thirty-six goals and dishing twenty-six assists. Sharp was signed to a four-year contract extension with the Blackhawks in the earlier parts of 2008. He also made his first representation of Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships, scoring three goals in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. In 2008-2009, Sharp maintained his level of play over sixty-one games, as injuries shortened his season. He was named an alternate captain before the season and responded with twenty-six goals and eighteen assists, followed by seven goals and four assists in seventeen playoff games. Sharp was fully healthy in 2009-2010, playing in all eighty-two games and recording twenty-five goals and forty-one assists during the regular season. In the postseason, Sharp supplied another eleven goals and eleven assists in twenty-two games to help guide the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup. Sharp survived the salary cap purge the Blackhawks had at the end of the season, making him one of the members of the Blackhawks' core players. In 2010-2011, Sharp notched thirty-four goals and thirty-seven assists in seventy-four games, followed by a postseason of three goals and two assists in seven games. He was named to the All-Star Game in 2011, and responded with a goal and two assists to take home MVP honors for the game. In 2011-2012, Sharp missed time due to an emergency appendectomy, but still played seventy-four games and scored thirty-three goals and thirty-six assists, followed by one goal in six postseason games. Sharp did not play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the 2013 season to begin his five-year, $29.5 million contract, playing in an injury-riddled twenty-eight games with six goals and fourteen assists. He was ready for the playoffs though, and played in all twenty-three games while leading the NHL in goals with ten and passing another six assists. Sharp's high volume of goals helped the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in four years, and again he will return as a vital member of the core players the Blackhawks have found success with.

Take the next three days off everybody! I will be out of town, so From Cradle to Cup will resume on July 23rd.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 18

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 18 talks about award-winning defenseman Duncan Keith. 

Duncan Keith was born on July 16th, 1983 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He first played with the Penticton Predators at age fifteen in the British Columbia Minor Hockey League during the 1998-1999 season, scoring fifty-one goals and fifty-seven assists in only forty-four games. He was promoted to the regular British Columbia Hockey League to play with Penticton in 1999-2000, scoring nine goals and twenty-seven assists in fifty-nine games. He improved in the following season, 2000-2001, to a line of eighteen goals and sixty-four assists in sixty games, followed by four goals and six assists in nine playoff games. Keith elected to play college hockey in 2001-2002, and was recruited to play at Michigan State with the Spartans. In his first season there, he had three goals and twelve assists in forty-one games.  Keith was drafted in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft in 2002 as a selection by the Chicago Blackhawks. He only played fifteen games in his sophomore season, with three goals and six assists before electing to return to Canada to play in Major Junior hockey. He played his junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League, and in 2002-2003, he had eleven goals and thirty-five assists in thirty-seven games. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and eleven assists in nineteen games to help guide the Rockets into the Memorial Cup. Here, Keith only managed one goal in four games, and the Rockets were unable to win the Memorial Cup. In 2003-2004, the Blackhawks assigned Keith to their American Hockey League affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, and he played to a line of seven goals and eighteen assists in seventy-five games. He also had one goal and one assist in eight playoff games. Keith remained with the Admirals in 2004-2005 as the NHL cancelled the season, and he posted similar statistics including nine goals and seventeen assists in seventy-nine games. He went pointless in six postseason games. Keith finally arrived in the NHL in 2005-2006, and appeared in eighty-one games, with nine goals and twelve assists as a modest contribution from the blue line. Keith blossomed to a bigger role in 2006-2007, scoring at a pace of two goals and twenty-nine assists while playing all eighty-two regular season games for the first time in his career. Keith continued to develop well in 2007-2008, playing again in all eighty-two games and scoring twelve goals and twenty assists, earning him a mid-season All-Star Game nomination. He also represented Canada in the World Championships in 2008, registering two assists in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. Keith was named an alternate captain prior to the 2008-2009 season and responded to the honor by playing in his NHL career-low seventy-seven games for a full season, but upping his point totals to eight goals and thirty-six assists. The 2009-2010 season proved to be busy for Keith, as he played a full eighty-two game season for the third time in four years with the Blackhawks, notching fourteen goals and fifty-five assists. He also played in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, passing six assists in seven games to help Canada secure the gold medal. Then, in the playoffs, Keith played in all twenty-two games and supplied two goals and fifteen assists to play a premier role in helping the Blackhawks secure the Stanley Cup. In addition to the gold medal and Stanley Cup, Keith was named an NHL First Team All-Star and received the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenseman in his starmaking season. Keith had previously been financially rewarded during the season, receiving a massive thirteen year worth $72 million at age twenty-six, essentially meaning he would be a career Blackhawk. The 2010-2011 season did not go as smoothly for Keith, as he saw his point production drop to seven goals and thirty-eight assists in the full eighty-two games, his fourth full season. In the playoffs, he managed four goals and two assists in seven games. Despite the downturn in production, he was named to the mid-season All-Star Game for the second time in his career. Keith lost time in 2011-2012 due to injury and suspension, playing in only seventy-four games and recording four goals and thirty-six assists. Five of his eight missed games came on a suspension received near the end of the season on a hit to the head of Daniel Sedin, deemed reckless and dangerous. Keith did not play overseas during the 2012 lockout, and played in forty-seven of forty-eight games during the truncated 2013 season, with point totals reaching three goals and twenty-four assists. He served a one-game suspension in the Western Conference Finals for a high stick on Jeff Carter, and in the other twenty-two games produced two goals and eleven assists while providing solid defense to help guide the Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup in four years. Keith still has nine years left on his contract, which is very good for both him and the team as he continues to be one of the best defensemen in the league.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 17

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 17 describes the illustrious career of star winger Marian Hossa. 

Marian Hossa was born on January 12th, 1979, in Stara Lubovna, Czechoslovakia. He began playing in his age seventeen season of 1995-1996 with Dukla Trencin's junior level team in the Slovak Junior Extraliga. In fifty-three games, he had forty-two goals and forty-nine assists. He also represented Slovakia for the first time internationally, in the European Junior Championships. During five games, he had one goal and three assists. Hossa was promoted to the Dukla Trencin parent team in the Slovak Extraliga for the 1996-1997 season, appearing in forty-six games and registering twenty-five goals and nineteen assists in the regular season. During the playoffs, Hossa played in seven games and had five goals and five assists. Hossa then played in three international tournaments for Slovakia, scoring five goals and two assists in six games during the World Junior Championships, two assists in eight games in the World Championships, and three goals in two games in the European Junior Championship. Hossa was drafted in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft as the twelfth overall selection in the first round, selected by the Ottawa Senators. He came to North America for the 1997-1998 season, and immediately joined the Senators for seven games, with only one assist, before going to the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League to play junior hockey. In fifty-three games with Portland, Hossa scored forty-five goals and dished forty assists, followed by thirteen goals and six assists in sixteen postseason games, leading the Winter Hawks to a WHL championship. This earned them a spot in the Memorial Cup tournament, and Hossa supplied another five goals and four assists in four games to capture the Memorial Cup. Other notable players on the Portland Memorial Cup champion teams include Andrew Ference (now of the Oilers), Jason LaBarbera (Oilers), Brenden Morrow (free agent), and Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who was the third goalie. Hossa had many personal awards in 1998, including WHL West First All-Star Team, Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year, Canadian Hockey Leagues First Team All-Star, a WHL Championship, the Memorial Cup, and a nomination to the Memorial Cup tournament All-Star team. Hossa also played in the World Junior Championship, appearing in six games with four goals and four assists for Slovakia. Hossa managed to stick in the NHL in 1998-1999, appearing in sixty games for the Senators in a season riddled with injuries, and scoring fifteen goals and fifteen assists, followed by two assists in four postseason games. Hossa also played in the World Championships, scoring five goals and two assists in six games. Hossa developed well in 1999-2000, appearing in seventy-eight games and recording twenty-nine goals and twenty-seven assists, although the playoffs still gave him trouble and he had no points in six games. Durability was less of a question in 2000-2001, where Hossa played in eighty-one games in the regular season and scored to the tune of thirty-two goals and forty-three assists, followed by one goal and one assist in four playoff games. This performance led him to be selected for the All-Star Game in Denver, his first nomination. Representing Slovakia in the 2001 World Championships, Hossa had one goal and two assists in six games. Unhappy with contract negotiations in 2001, Hossa took his game back to Dukla Trencin for eight games, scoring three goals and four assists before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Senators, worth $8.5 million. In eighty games for the 2001-2002 season, he had thirty-one goals and thirty-five assists, a dip in production that may be attributed to a rough offseason and the pressure of the new contract, but he rebounded nicely with four goals and six assists in twelve playoff games. Hossa represented Slovakia in Salt Lake City at the Olympic Games mid-season in 2002, and played in two games with four goals and two assists. In 2002-2003, Hossa hit one point-per-game by playing in eighty games with forty-five goals and thirty-five assists in a rebound year, which also saw him named to his second All-Star Game, in Sunrise. He then added five goals and eleven assists in eighteen postseason games. Hossa maintained strong production in the final year of his contract, scoring thirty-six goals and passing forty-six assists in eighty-one games for 2003-2004, followed by three goals and an assist in seven playoff games. He also had the opportunity to represent Slovakia twice in 2004, playing in nine games at the World Championships, with two goals and five assists, followed by one goal in four games during the World Cup of Hockey, which has not been played since 2004. The NHL locked out the players for the 2004-2005 season, which was cancelled completely. This afforded Hossa the chance to return to Europe. He began in the Swedish Elitserien, playing for Mora IK in twenty-four games, potting eighteen goals and supplying fourteen assists. Then he moved back to Dukla Trencin for twenty-five games, and had twenty-two goals as well as twenty assists in the regular season. During the playoffs, he added four goals and five assists in five games. Slovakia brought him on for the 2005 World Championships, where he had four goals and three assists in seven games. Hossa was promptly signed by the Senators on August 23rd, 2005 to a three-year and $18 million contract, and was then traded with Greg de Vries to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for troubled fellow superstar winger Dany Heatley. If he didn't already have a bright star in the NHL, playing alongside Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta certainly upped the wattage a bit. In eighty games during 2005-2006, Hossa notched thirty-nine goals and fifty-three assists for the Thrashers. In 2006, Hossa represented Slovakia in the Turin Olympics, with five goals and five assists in six games, as well as one goal and six assists in five games later that year at the World Championships. He stepped it up even more in 2006-2007, helping the Thrashers clinch a playoff spot and division title for the first time in their existence by scoring forty-three goals and fifty-seven assists, an even one hundred points. He was rewarded with his third nomination to the All-Star Game, played in Dallas. He had only one assist in four postseason games as the Thrashers were swept out. In the 2007 World Championships, Hossa potted two goals and four assists in six games for Slovakia. He was well on his way to another strong season for Atlanta in 2007-2008, playing in sixty games with twenty-six goals and thirty assists and being named to his fourth All-Star Game to represent the host city, Atlanta, before having things get shaken up. With the Thrashers looking well out of the playoff picture, Hossa and Pascal Dupuis were traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, and Pittsburgh's first round selection in 2008, which the Thrashers used to select Daultan Leveille. In twelve games with the Penguins, Hossa supplied three goals and seven assists, before going on a tear in the playoffs to the tune of twelve goals and fourteen assists in twenty games, shaking once and for all the label of playoff slacker. Despite his best efforts, the Penguins lost the Stanley Cup in six games to the Detroit Red Wings. Coming off his last contract as a free agent, Hossa elected to sign a one-year deal with the Red Wings for $7.45 million. Hossa scored forty goals and thirty-one assists in seventy-four regular season games with Detroit in 2008-2009, and then helped them to a rematch with the Penguins in the Stanley Cup with six goals and nine assists in twenty-three playoff games, but once again Hossa was forced to watch the opponent lift the Stanley Cup as the Penguins won in seven games. This confirmed the media hype surrounding the Hossa Hex, meaning that despite his best efforts, he could not win the Stanley Cup and was a curse to the team he played for. This did not deter the Blackhawks from signing the thirty-year-old Hossa to a salary-cap circumventing twelve-year contract worth $62.8 million in the offseason. Contracts like this led to new provisions in the CBA signed in 2013 (more about that situation soon). Struggling with injuries to begin the year, Hossa played only fifty-seven regular season games in 2009-2010 for the Blackhawks, and had twenty-four goals and twenty-seven assists. He also represented Slovakia in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, playing in seven games with three goals and six assists to his credit. In the postseason, Hossa had three goals and twelve assists in twenty-two games, and also proved the cliché "third time's the charm" right as he was finally on a Stanley Cup winning team in his third trip to the finals. Hossa again struggled with injury in 2010-2011, playing just sixty-five games and scoring at a pace of twenty-five goals and thirty-two assists in the regular season for Chicago. In the playoffs, he had two goals and four assists in seven games, as the Blackhawks had a very short defense of their championship. He then made his most recent international appearance for Slovakia, playing in five games at the World Championships, but scoring just one goal and one assist. Hossa returned to full health in 2011-2012, playing in eighty-one games with twenty-nine goals and forty-eight assists during the regular season, but the health did not last in the playoffs. Hossa made only three postseason appearances, the last one shortened due to a brutal open-ice hit by Raffi Torres (then of the Phoenix Coyotes) that resulted in a landmark twenty-five game suspension, which was later appealed down to twenty-one games. Hossa was pointless in his playoff games that season. Hossa recovered from his concussion during the 2012 lockout, and was able to play in forty games during the truncated season, with seventeen goals and fourteen assists in the regular season. During the playoffs, Hossa made twenty-two appearances, missing just one game in the Stanley Cup Finals, and he had seven goals and nine assists as a vital part of the offense, which was enough to help the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in four years. At this rate, the Blackhawks are not regretting gambling on the Hossa Hex, and they have eight more years of him. At the pace they are on, 2016 looks like another good year for the Blackhawks.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.

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 16 talks about shutdown defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. 

Niklas "Hammer" Hjalmarsson was born on June 6th, 1987 in Eksjo, Sweden. He began his playing career in the 2003-2004 season in the Swedish Junior league with HV 71 Jonkoping's junior team, playing in fifteen games with one goal and three assists. He was also pointless in four postseason games. He joined their U18 team for part of the 2004-2005 season, playing in three games with just two assists before rejoining the junior team for another thirty-one games, where he recorded four goals and eleven assists. He was drafted in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft as a fourth round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Then he received a promotion to the Elitserien squad, but he went without a point in fourteen games. Hjalmarsson was riddled with injury in 2005-2006, playing in just seven games with the junior team, scoring three goals and adding two assists, followed by four games with a single goal and two assists at the Elitserien level. He also had one assist in twelve postseason games for the parent squad. Hjalmarsson was all over the place in 2006-2007, playing for the junior team in seven games with only two assists, followed by a stint in the second-tier Swedish league for eight games with IK Oskarshamn in which he had a goal and two assists, and finally closing out the season with HV 71 for thirty-seven games, scoring only two goals. Then, he represented Sweden in the World Junior Championships, scoring at a pace of two goals and one assist in seven games. In 2007-2008, Hjalmarsson came to North America and played for the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Here he appeared in forty-seven regular season games with four goals and nine assists to his credit, followed by twelve postseason games where he had four assists. Hjalmarsson was promoted to the NHL after the Blackhawks traded away James Wisniewski, and he played in thirteen games with just one assist. In 2008-2009, Hjalmarsson again began the season in Rockford, playing to a line of two goals and sixteen assists in fifty-two games before playing another twenty-one games with the Blackhawks, which saw him produce one goal and two assists. He became a full-time player in the 2009-2010, where his shutdown defense and occasional offense were finally put in the spotlight. He scored two goals and fifteen assists in seventy-seven regular season games, and then in the postseason, he made twenty-two appearances with one goal and seven assists, providing scoring from the blue line to help the Blackhawks win the 2010 Stanley Cup. His performance attracted the attention of the San Jose Sharks, who signed him to an offer sheet in the 2010 offseason, worth $14 million over four years. The Blackhawks matched the offer sheet to retain Hjalmarsson's rights. The move cost them goaltender Antti Niemi, a critical part of the Stanley Cup run, who went to those same Sharks that provided the offer sheet. In 2010-2011, Hjalmarsson played in eighty games and scored only three goals and seven assists in the regular season, followed by just two assists in seven postseason games. He bounced back a bit in 2011-2012, playing in just sixty-nine games but upping his production to one goal and fourteen assists during the regular season. In the playoffs, he had one assist in six games. During the lockout of 2012, Hjalmarsson took his talents to Italy, playing in their Serie A for hockey and scoring six goals and sixteen assists in sixteen games before returning to North America. He played forty-six games in the truncated season for the Blackhawks, scoring two goals and eight assists. In the postseason, Hjalmarsson was part of a smothering defense for twenty-three games, and his five assists were a modest contribution to his and the Blackhawks' second Stanley Cup victory in four years. He is the first of nine players to be profiled that were on both Cup winning teams.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 15

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 15 looks at the defenseman with the best name, Johnny Oduya.

Johnny Oduya was born on October 1st, 1981, in Stockholm, Sweden. At age fifteen during the 1996-1997 season, Oduya played for the Hammarby IF Stockholm Junior level team in the Swedish junior league, going without a point in thirteen games. In 1997-1998, he remained in the same organization, and appeared in twenty-six games, while notching three goals and eleven assists, as well as establishing a tough guy reputation with seventy penalty minutes. He continued to play in the junior league in 1998-1999, and scored fourteen goals and thirty-one assists in thirty-eight games. Oduya regressed a bit in 1999-2000, scoring just three goals and passing only eighteen assists in thirty-two games in the regular season, and then he had one goal and two assists in six playoff games. He did earn a promotion to Hammarby's professional squad in the second-tier Swedish league, but was pointless in two games. Oduya made his first trip to North America for the 2000-2001 season, joining the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Moncton Wildcats for forty-four games. He scored eleven goals and thirty-eight assists before moving to the Victoriaville Tigres, playing in twenty-four games with three goals and sixteen assists in the regular season. In the playoffs, Oduya supplied another four goals and nine assists in thirteen games. He was also a seventh round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. They retained his rights when he returned to Sweden in 2001-2002, rejoining Hammarby IF for forty-six games, to the tune of eleven goals and fourteen assists. In the playoffs, he had a single goal in two games. Oduya was far peskier in 2002-2003, scoring fifteen goals, dishing twenty-five assists, and accumulating 200 penalty minutes in only forty-eight games. He was promoted to play for Djurgardens IF Stockholm in the Swedish Elitserien  for the 2003-2004 season, and he struggled to produce offense with only four goals and four assists in forty-two games, followed by four pointless playoff games. His intangibles were much more valuable though, as he played shutdown defense, had good puck control, and agitated opponents to a line of 173 penalty minutes. Oduya stayed with Djurgardens in 2004-2005, and registered two goals, four assists, and 139 penalty minutes in the regular season, appearing in forty-nine games. In twelve postseason games, he had two assists. In 2005-2006, Oduya played for Frolunda HC Goteberg, appearing in forty-seven games and recording eight goals and eleven assists while cutting his penalty minutes again to ninety-five. In the playoffs, he had one goal and two assists in seventeen games. On July 24th, 2006, Oduya was signed by the New Jersey Devils to play in the 2006-2007 season, since his affiliation with the Capitals organization had expired. While expected to play in the American Hockey League or be a healthy scratch, injuries necessitated Oduya to play in the NHL, and he performed well in having two goals and nine assists in seventy-six games as a lower-pairing defenseman. He had only one assist in six playoff games that year. Oduya developed more in 2007-2008, playing in seventy-five games with six goals and twenty assists, followed by another assist in five playoff games. He also recorded a +27 on his plus/minus rating, good for ninth in the league. Oduya remained with the Devils in 2008-2009, playing to a line of seven goals and twenty-two assists while appearing in all eighty-two games, but he went without a point in seven playoff games. He was selected to represent Sweden in the 2009 World Championships, playing in five games and scoring three goals and an assist. In 2009-2010, Oduya played in forty games for New Jersey, scoring two goals and two assists in what appeared to be a down year. Then, Oduya was included in a move that shook up the hockey world. On February 4th, 2010, Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and the Devils' first round and second round picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft were traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ilya Kovalchuk, Anssi Salmela, and the Thrashers' second round pick in a blockbuster trade. The Thrashers traded both picks they received to Chicago in a separate deal, and the Blackhawks picked Kevin Hayes with the first round choice and Justin Holl in the second round. The Devils later selected Jonathon Merrill with the pick they received. Bergfors and Salmela have busted in the NHL and gone to Russia to play in the KHL since then, while Cormier has bounced between the NHL and AHL. The centerpiece of the deal, Kovalchuk, famously had his seventeen-year contract with New Jersey terminated, which resulted in hefty penalties both financially and for play development before they agreed on a fifteen-year contract with Kovalchuk. Just days before this post, Kovalchuk nullified the remaining twelve years on his contract and later signed on with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, making Oduya the only full-time NHL player left from the trade. Around the same time, Oduya was selected to play in the Winter Olympics for Sweden, but he went pointless in four games. In twenty-seven games with the Thrashers after the trade, Oduya recorded one goal and eight assists. He remained in Atlanta for 2010-2011, playing in the full eighty-two game season and scoring two goals and adding fifteen assists. The Thrashers were struggling with ownership during Oduya's tenure there, and on June 21st, 2011, the team was relocated to Winnipeg and rebranded as the Jets. Oduya played a partial season in Winnipeg, appearing in sixty-three games with two goals and eleven assists before being traded again, this time going to the Chicago Blackhawks for their second and third round selections in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft on February 27th, 2012. In eighteen games with Chicago, Oduya recorded one goal and four assists, followed by three assists in six playoff games. Part of the 2013 season was erased due to a lockout in 2012, and Oduya entered the shortened season at age thirty-one, but played in all forty-eight games to the tune of three goals and nine assists. He also appeared in all twenty-three postseason games for the Blackhawks, scoring three goals and adding five assists as Chicago marched to the Stanley Cup. Interestingly enough, the picks that he had been traded with from New Jersey to Atlanta ended up with the Blackhawks when they had a salary purge after their 2010 Stanley Cup victory, and Oduya too worked his way there in time to win a Stanley Cup. The prospects from the Kovalchuk deal have yet to develop as NHL players, but the veterans have made a lasting impact on the teams they have played for.