BLACKHAWKS RECALL SEVEN FROM ROCKFORD

Chicago, Ill.-The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forwards Brandon Bollig, Marcus Kruger, Brandon Pirri, Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw, and defensemen Nick Leddy and Ryan Stanton from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs.

Bollig, 25, tied a career high with nine points and netted a career-most five goals in 35 regular-season games with the IceHogs. The St. Charles, Mo., native ranked third in the AHL with a team-high 157 penalty minutes. Last season, Bollig skated in 18 regular-season games with the Blackhawks in his NHL debut and ranked third on the club and sixth among league rookies with 58 penalty minutes. He netted one goal in four postseason games with Chicago.

Kruger, 22, ranked fifth on the IceHogs with 22 points (8G, 14A) and fourth with 14 assists in 34 regular-season games in his AHL debut. The Stockholm, Sweden, native established NHL career highs in nearly every statistical category in 71 regular-season games with Chicago last season. His 26 points (9G, 17A) ranked 11th among league rookies, while he shared eighth among NHL freshmen with a +11 plus/minus rating. The Blackhawks’ fifth-round selection (149th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Kruger appeared in six postseason tilts in the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals and led conference first-years with 284 faceoff wins. In 78 career NHL regular-season games, Kruger has tallied 26 points (9G, 17A) and a +7 rating, in addition to one assist in 11 postseason appearances.

Leddy, 21, ranked second among club defensemen with an AHL career-high 16 points (3G, 13A) in 31 regular-season games with Rockford. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native ranked second among Blackhawks blueliners last season with 37 points (3G, 34A) and was the only defenseman to appear in all 82 regular-season games. Originally selected with the 16th overall pick by Minnesota in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Leddy shared second on the club with a postseason career-high three points (G, 2A) in six 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinal tilts. Leddy has posted 44 career NHL points (7G, 37A) in 128 regular-season games and notched three points (G, 2A) in 13 postseason appearances.

Pirri, 21, ranked third on the club with 26 points (10G, 16A) in 38 regular-season games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. The Toronto native paced the club with 103 shots on goal and ranked third on the team with 16 assists. The Blackhawks’ second-round selection (59th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Pirri tallied two assists and a +2 plus/minus rating in five contests with Chicago during the 2011-12 regular season and paced the club with four goals and five points in four games during the 2011 preseason. Pirri has notched two assists and a +1 rating in six career NHL regular-season games.

Saad, 20, posted 20 points (8G, 12A) in 31 regular-season games with Rockford in his AHL debut. Selected by Chicago in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Saad appeared in two regular-season games and two postseason tilts with Chicago last season, notching his first NHL point with an assist in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Gibsonia, Penn., native led the Ontario Hockey League with 1.73 points per game over 44 regular-season tilts with the Saginaw Spirit in 2011-12. He ranked second on the team with a career-high 34 goals and 76 points, sixth in the OHL with a team-high +35 plus/minus rating and seventh in the league with six shorthanded markers.

Shaw, 21, posted 14 points (8G, 6A) in 28 regular-season games with the IceHogs and ranked third on the club with 84 penalty minutes. The Blackhawks’ fifth-round selection (139th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Shaw notched 23 points (12G, 11A) and ranked 10th among league rookies with 12 goals in 37 regular-season tilts with Chicago last season in his NHL debut. Shaw ranked fifth on the club with 82 hits and tallied 50 PIM. The Belleville, Ontario, native made his NHL postseason debut in the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals, recording 15 penalty minutes in three games.

Stanton, 23, registered nine assists and ranked second among club blueliners with a +7 plus/minus rating in 38 regular-season games with the IceHogs. The St. Albert, Alberta, native matched career highs in goals (3), assists (14) and points (17) with the IceHogs last year and was named the team's Top Defenseman for the 2011-12 season. Stanton’s career-most 130 penalty minutes ranked second on the club, and the blueliner was the only IceHogs skater to appear in all 76 regular-season tilts. He has registered 44 career AHL points (6G, 38A) and 284 PIM in 188 regular-season games across parts of four seasons with Rockford.

Next Home Game: Friday, Jan. 18 vs. Peoria Rivermen. Beginning at 7:05 p.m. the IceHogs and Rivermen meet in a Illinois Lottery Cup Matchup and for the first time since Nov. 21 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. It marks the fourth of twelve meetings between the two foes on the campaign.