Chicago, Ill.-The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Joakim Nordstrom, defenseman Klas Dahlbeck, and goaltenders Mac Carruth and Kent Simpson on three-year contracts.
Nordstrom, 20, tallied career-highs in points (6), goals (3) and assists (3) in 47 regular-season contests with AIK of the Swedish Elite League. The Tyreso, Sweden native helped lead his country to the gold medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships where he shared second on the team with four goals, ranked third with a +6 plus/minus rating and posted five points (4G, A) in six contests.
Originally selected by the Blackhawks in the third round (90th overall) of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Nordstrom has amassed 45 points (20G, 25A) in 129 regular-season tilts split between three levels of Swedish hockey over parts of four seasons (2008-12), and tallied three points (G, 2A) in 11 career postseason contests.
Dalhbeck, 20, registered four points (2G, 2A), a +3 plus/minus rating and 20 penalty minutes in a career-high 55 games played with Linkoping HC of the Swedish Elite League. The Katrineholm, Sweden native also tallied a career-high eight assists in the 2010-11 season with Linkoping.
Originally selected by the Blackhawks in the third round (79th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Dahlbeck tallied 23 points (6G, 17A), a +20 rating and 40 PIMs in 147 career games across two levels with Linkoping, and two points (G, A) and a +4 rating in 13 postseason appearances. He represented Sweden at the 2011 World Junior Championships, tallying two assists, two PIMs and a +1 rating in six games.
Carruth, 21, shared the WHL lead with a career-high 42 wins (42-17-2) and registered a career-best 2.96 goals-against average in 63 regular-season appearances with the Portland Winterhawks. The Shorewood, Minn. native led his club to their second consecutive WHL Western Conference championship, going 15-6-1 with two shutouts and a .918 save percentage in 22 postseason appearances.
Originally selected by the Blackhawks in the seventh round (191st overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Carruth compiled a record of 87-39-3 with four shutouts and a .905 SPCT in 137 regular-season games over parts of three seasons with Portland (2009-12). He also accrued a 33-15-4 mark with three shutouts and a .914 SPCT in 54 postseason tilts, leading the Winterhawks to the WHL Finals in each of his two full seasons with the organization.
Simpson, 20, made his professional debut in 2012 with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, stopping 38-of-41 shots in a shootout loss to Charlotte on April 14. He spent most of the 2011-12 campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips, going 20-31-7 with two shutouts and a .909 save percentage in a career-high 60 regular-season appearances.
Originally selected by the Blackhawks in the second round (58th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Simpson compiled a record of 71-71-21 with six shutouts and a .911 SPCT in 175 regular-season appearances over parts of five seasons with Everett (2007-12), and also appeared in nine postseason tilts with the Silvertips.
Season Tickets for 2012-13 Now on Sale: Season ticket packages for the IceHogs 14th season of professional hockey in Rockford, including sixth as the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, are now on sale. Call (815) 847-6399 to reserve your seats or visit icehogs.com for more information.