Why Blackhawks sent Cole Guttman to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs

Why Blackhawks sent Cole Guttman to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs


originally appeared on

NBC Sports Chicago

The

Chicago Blackhawks

have sent forward Cole Guttman to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) ahead of their home opener. Guttman, 24, scored one goal in three games during the recent five-game road trip, but his ice time averaged only 9 minutes and 48 seconds. Furthermore, he was a healthy scratch for the last two contests.

The Blackhawks made this decision with the intent of giving Guttman significant playing time in Rockford. As Colin Blackwell and Philipp Kurashev recover from their injuries, the team didn’t want Guttman to serve as an extra forward. Instead, they want him to develop and hone his skills by getting ample minutes on the ice in Rockford.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson expressed his support for this move, stating, “It’s good for him to get back and play all situations down in Rockford because he’s going to be probably their top player. If he can do that, when he comes back, when it’s his opportunity here, instead of being in and out — it’s hard to keep your confidence level up in the NHL doing that — then he’ll be in that same boat he was last year when he came up. He was playing all situations, he was doing great in the AHL, and he’ll be ready for any situation that we need him for up here.”

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