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December 23
BLACKHAWKS DRAFT RECAP
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks completed the 2018 National Hockey League Draft by selecting six players on Saturday; forward Jake Wise (69th overall), forward Niklas Nordgren (NIHK-luhs NOHRD-grehn) (74th overall), forward Philipp Kurashev (fihl-EEP KUHR-uh-shehv) (120th overall), forward Mikael Hakkarainen (mih-KIGH-ehl hock-uh-RIGH-nuhn) (139th overall), goaltender Alexis Gravel (al-EHK-see gra-VEHL) (162nd overall) and forward Josiah Slavin (joh-SIGH-uh SLAY-vihn) (193rd overall).
They join defenseman Adam Boqvist (Adam BOH-kwihst) from Brynäs IF J20 of the SuperElit League (8th overall) and defenseman Nicolas Beaudin (NIH-koh-la boh-DEHN) from the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (27th overall) who were drafted in the first round on Friday evening.
Blackhawks Draft Pick Bios:
Boqvist, 17, notched 24 points (14G, 10A) in 25 games with Brynäs IF J20 during the 2017-18 season. His 14 goals led all blueliners in the SuperElit League. He also appeared in 15 games with Brynäs IF of the SHL, recording one assist in 15 games and played in seven games with Almtuna IS in the Allsvenskan League, recording two assists.
Beaudin, 18, recorded 69 points (12G, 57A) in 68 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs during the 2017-18 season and was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star team. His 69 points paced the Voltigeurs and shared second among defensemen in the QMJHL during the year while his 57 assists shared third among league skaters. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound defenseman posted a career-high five-point game (1G, 4A) on Nov. 11, 2017.
Wise, 18, tallied 11 goals and 32 helpers in 38 games for the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 team during the 2017-18 campaign. Additionally, he had 28 points (9G, 19A) in 18 United States Hockey League contests with the USNTDP last year. The North Andover, Massachusetts, native helped Team USA to a Silver Medal at the 2018 U-18 World Championship, compiling five points (1G, 4A) during the tournament. He is committed to attend Boston University for the 2018-19 season.
Nordgren, 18, competed for HIFK U-18, HIFK U-20 and HIFK of the Finnish Elite League over the course of the 2017-18 season. He registered 42 points (13G, 29A) in 28 regular-season games and added 10 points (6G, 4A) in 10 postseason games for the U-20 club. Nordgren had three assists in 15 Liiga games. The Helsinki, Finland, native led his country to a Gold Medal at the 2018 U-18 World Championship where he led the tournament with eight goals and was named to the tournament’s all-star team.
Kurashev, 18, registered 60 points (19G, 41A) in 59 games for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League during the 2017-18 season. He also recorded five points (1G, 4A) in six postseason appearances. His 60 regular-season points for Quebec ranked second on the team this season after pacing the club with 54 points (21G, 33A) in 65 games during the 2016-17 campaign. The Munsingen, Switzerland, native competed for his country in the 2018 U-20 World Championship tallying three points (1G, 2A) in five contests.
Hakkarainen, 20, competed in the United States Hockey League for the last two seasons, splitting time between the Chicago Steel and Muskegon Lumberjacks. He played in 36 games for Muskegon in the 2017-18 season, tallying 46 points (15G, 31A) to share third on the team. During the 2016-17 campaign, he notched 14 points (9G, 5A) in 32 appearances for Muskegon and 4 points (4A) in 16 games for Chicago. The native of Espoo, Finland, is committed to play for Providence College of the NCAA during the 2018-19 campaign.
Gravel, 18, appeared in 39 games for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League during the 2017-18 season. The native of Berlin, Germany, posted a 3.38 goals-against average and a save percentage of .890 in the regular-season in addition to recording a 2.70 GAA and .917 SV% in eight playoff games for the Mooseheads. During the 2016-17 campaign, the 6-foot-3, 223-pound goaltender appeared in 50 regular season games with Halifax, registering a 3.36 GAA and .894 SV%. In his six playoff games, he tallied a 2.92 GAA and .924 SV%.
Slavin, 19, skated in 60 games for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League during the 2017-18 season. His 23 goals led the team while his 42 points (23G, 19A) ranked second for the club. The Erie, Colo., native spent the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, posting 14 points (6G, 8A) in 49 contests. The 6-foot, 161-pound forward is committed to play for Colorado College of the NCAA for the 2018-19 season.
