ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Chicago Blackhawks today announced they have recalled goaltender Collin Delia from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, and assigned goaltender J.F. Berube to Rockford.
Berube, 26, has split the 2017-18 season between the IceHogs and Blackhawks. He began the year with the IceHogs and amassed a 7-8-0 record with a 2.37 GAA, .920 save percentage and two shutouts in 15 AHL appearances. The netminder posted a 32-save shutout in his team debut on Oct. 7 at Cleveland and went unbeaten through his first five starts with a 1.38 GAA and .950 save percentage.
The native of Repentigny, Quebec has also skated in 11 NHL games with Chicago this season, posting a 2-5-1 record with a 3.93 GAA and .891 save percentage. He won his first start with the Blackhawks with 42 saves on Feb. 23 vs. the San Jose Sharks and earned his second victory of 2017-18 with a 33-save effort on March 6 vs. the Colorado Avalanche.
Overall, Berube has now combined for an 8-9-4 record with a 3.42 GAA and .896 save percentage in 32 career NHL games, and a 78-38-4 record with a 2.30 GAA and .914 save percentage in 125 career AHL appearances.
Delia, 23, made his professional debut this season with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel, combining for a 1-7-2 record with a 4.12 GAA and .887 save percentage in 10 appearances. He has since spent the majority of the 2017-18 campaign with the IceHogs, and including making his AHL debut on Nov. 9 at Iowa, has compiled a 14-6-4 record with a 2.68 GAA and .904 save percentage in 24 appearances with Rockford.
The native of Rancho Cucamonga, California currently leads the team and ranks sixth among AHL rookie goaltenders in wins, and is seventh among rookies in GAA. He also became Rockford’s first skater to be named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week since 2015-16 when he combined to turn away 72 of 73 shots and post a .050 GAA and .986 save percentage over two starts for the period ending on March 4. Delia backstopped the Hogs to a pair of wins during that stretch, and posted his first professional shutout with 34 saves on March 3 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
At the time of today’s recall to the Blackhawks, Delia has gone unbeaten in regulation over his last nine AHL appearances. The netminder is 7-0-1-1 in that span with a 2.07 GAA and .926 save percentage dating back to Feb. 18.
Delia was originally signed by Chicago as an undrafted free agent on July 28, 2017. If he makes his NHL debut with the Blackhawks, he will have played at each level in Chicago’s system during his first professional hockey season.
Next Home Game: Saturday, March 31 vs. San Jose | 6 p.m.
The IceHogs host Hawaiian Night as they take on the San Jose Barracuda at 6 p.m. at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The event will feature tropical-themed jerseys, live Hawaiian music, a luau with hula dancers, pig roast and orange hibiscus flowers imprinted on the ice. In addition, Hogs alumni Brian Bickell will be on-hand for the festivities. Tickets can be purchased at IceHogs.com, by calling (815) 968-5222 or in-person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.