IceHogs Receive 10 Players from the Chicago Blackhawks Ahead of 2020-21 Season

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, received today 10 players from the NHL club including forwards Andrei Altybarmakian (ahl-tee-BAHR-MAHK-yehn), Evan Barratt (BAIR-uht), Matej Chalupa (MAW-tay huh-LOO-puh), MacKenzie Entwistle (EHN-twih-suhl), Reese Johnson, Cam Morrison, Tim Soderlund (SOH-duhr-luhnd), Michal Teply (MIGH-kuhl TEHP-lee) and defensemen Chad Krys (KRIHS) and Alec Regula (reh-GOO-lah).

Altybarmakyan, 22, scored career-highs in goals (6), assists (11) points (17), and games played (49) last season with KH Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The St. Petersburg, Russia, native was selected by the Blackhawks in the third round (70th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Barratt, 21, registered 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games during his junior season at Penn State University last year. During his sophomore campaign, the Bristol, Pennsylvania, product ranked fourth in the Big Ten conference, 13^th nationally, and had the third-highest single-season point total in program history with 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists). He was picked by the Blackhawks in the third round (90th overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Chalupa, 22, started this season with HK Hradec Kralov of the Czech Republic League, picking up two assists in six games before joining the Blackhawks training camp. Last season, the Prague, Czech Republic, native tallied a career-high 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) in 50 games with HK Hradec Kralov with his 17 assists tying the team lead and he finished fourth in team points.

Entwistle, 21, begins his second season with the IceHogs after earning the team’s Most Improved Player award last season, finishing second among IceHogs rookies and fourth in team scoring with 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 56 games.

Johnson, 22, also starts his second season in the Forest City after posting eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) in 52 games during his rookie campaign last year. His 63 penalty minutes were third-most on the team and fifth among AHL rookies.

Morrison, 22, listed a career-high 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 37 games at Notre Dame during his senior season last year. The Aurora, Ontario, native led the Fighting Irish in goals and ranked second in points. He was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round (40th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Soderlund, 22, looks to build off an impressive start to the 2020-21 season, picking up 16 points (10 goals, 6 assists) in 23 games with Almtuna IS in Sweden. In 29 games with the IceHogs last season, the Skelleftea, Sweden, product added three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 29 games and appeared in seven games with the Indy Fuel (ECHL), racking up six points (2 goals, 4 assists).

Teply, 19, enters his rookie season after spending the 2019-20 campaign with the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League, recording 63 points (29 goals, 34 assists) in 53 games. He led all WHL rookies in points and assists and tied for the top position in goals. The Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic, native was selected by the Blackhawks in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Krys, 22, skates into his sophomore season with the IceHogs after posting eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 41 games in his rookie season with the club in 2019-20. Drafted by the Blackhawks in 2016 in the second round (45th overall), the Ridgefield, Connecticut native looks to help anchor the IceHogs’ defensive efforts in 2020-21.

Regula, 20, co-captained the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League last season and recorded career-highs in points (55), goals (27), and assists (33) and ranked first among league blueliners in goals and sixth in points. In 2018-19, the West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, native was teammates with former IceHogs and current Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist.