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Bryan Bickell

Bryan Bickell Signs One-Day Contract With Chicago, Retires As Blackhawk

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As the end to one of the most emotional stories in recent hockey history, Bryan Bickell has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in order to retire as part of the organization. Bickell released a statement regarding his retirement:

Bryan BickellAs any professional athlete will tell you, stepping away from the game is extremely difficult especially given my circumstances. I’m honored to be retiring a Chicago Blackhawk-a team that has given me and my family so many great memories.

At the start of last season, Bickell was told by doctors that he had multiple sclerosis and would likely need to end his hockey career. It was a devastating diagnosis for a player who was only 30-years old and just heading into the next chapter of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes. Bickell was not fazed though, and would work as hard as he could with the Hurricanes’ medical staff to return later in the season. He would be cleared to play just a few months later, and suit up for the Hurricanes in early March.

In his final game as an NHL player, Bickell would score in the shootout in front of his cheering family, and be congratulated by the entire roster on both sides. Everyone took a moment to forget the outcome of the game and respect the work he’d done to get back on the ice. He announced that he would retire from the game after that, and is now returning home to do so.

Bickell was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round back in 2004, and was part of three Stanley Cup runs during his time there. Though he was never an outstanding offensive player, most fans will remember his incredible 2013 postseason, in which he scored 17 points in 23 games, second on the team only to Patrick Kane. He was a huge part of the win that year, and will end his career with 39 points in 75 career playoff games, well above his regular season rate.

He and wife Amanda now run a foundation to help neglected or abandoned dogs, rehabbing some of them into therapy dogs for others with MS or various other debilitating diseases. Check out their work at the Bryan & Amanda Bickell Foundation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Evening Snapshots: Zaitsev, Polak, Bickell

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Nikita Zaitsev suffered an injury tonight in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus captain Nick Foligno hit Zaitsev just as time expired in the first period, and Zaitsev left the ice awkwardly. The young defenseman tried to return in the second before leaving again. The Leafs hope the injury is not serious as they are close to signing Zaitsev to a seven-year deal.
  • Making matters worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Roman Polak also went down with an injury tonight. Polak collided with Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner in front of the Toronto net and labored back to the bench. He soon after left the bench and went to the dressing room. Polak’s injury leaves Toronto with only four defensemen for the rest of the game. And while this game has no impact for the Blue Jackets, the Maple Leafs’ playoff position depends on whether they gain a point tonight. One point will move the team to 3rd in the Atlantic and set to face the Ottawa Senators. If Toronto fails to gain a point, they will play the Washington Capitals as the second wild card seed.
  • Carolina Hurricanes forward Bryan Bickell plays his last NHL game tonight as the Hurricanes take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Bickell was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and just recently made his return last week. He announced yesterday that he will retire at season’s end. Bickell will finish his career with 66G and 70A in 394 games, and three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Bryan Bickell To Retire After This Season

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Bryan Bickell will retire from the NHL after this season.

He has only played in nine games this season after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in November. After playing 10 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Bickell returned to the Hurricanes’ lineup two games ago, and will play the final two games of his career this weekend.

Bickell told NHL.com of his decision on Saturday morning. Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters was close to tears when asked about his player’s decision. Peters coached Bickell when the two were with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate from 2008-2010. Peters called Bickell “a man’s man” and “a pro’s pro,” as well as “unbelievably brave.”

The Hurricanes will wear “29” stickers on their helmets to honor Bickell this weekend. Bickell will be in the starting lineup and on the first unit power-play. His teammates also surprised him this morning by attending a fundraising walk with “Bickell Brave” t-shirts on.

Bickell played parts of nine seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups. He’s perhaps most-known for his incredible run during the 2013 playoffs, where he scored nine goals and 17 points in 23 games. That included the game-tying goal in Game Six of the Finals, followed by Dave Bolland’s Cup-winner just 17 seconds later.

Everyone at Pro Hockey Rumors wishes Bickell the best in his post-NHL days.

Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Teravainen, Zibanejad, Werenski

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The Washington Capitals pulled off perhaps the biggest acquisition of the recent trade deadline, reeling in mobile, puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from St. Louis, further bolstering their offensive attack while also preventing one of their Eastern Conference rivals -notably Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers – from adding the skilled blue liner to their lineup. While often times it takes time for a player to adjust to his new surroundings following a mid-season trade, Shattenkirk has fit in well with Washington registering 13 points in 17 games since the deal. As Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post writes, the trade has so far been a big success for the Capitals. But unless Shattenkirk helps Washington embark on a deep playoff run, one that culminates in a berth in the Eastern Conference Final at the very least, it will be hard to consider the deal a win for the Caps.

Though GM Brian McLellan was hesitant to disrupt the team’s chemistry by making a headline move at the deadline, Shattenkirk was the one player he was willing to roll the dice on, according to Khurshudyan. In today’s game you can seemingly never have enough puck-moving ability on the back end and McLellan, recognizing that, didn’t shy away from acquiring the skilled right-handed defender. The GM also benefited from first-hand information as to how Shattenkirk would fit in as both T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik have been teammates of the blue liner at some point in their respective careers.

Of course this season, and consequently this trade, will hinge entirely on the success achieved in the postseason. Despite having one of the league’s best players in Alex Ovechkin piloting the ship, the Capitals have failed to advance further than the second round of the playoffs since the 1997-98 campaign, when the team surprisingly made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Should the Capitals bow out again before the Eastern Conference Final, there will be no escaping the conclusion that this was yet another disappointing campaign in Washington.

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • After a stellar postseason which saw the then 20-year-old winger tally 10 points in 18 games for Chicago during the Blackhawks Stanley Cup run in 2015, Teuvo Teravainen was expected to develop into a star player in this league. Following a mediocre 2015-16, Teravainen was dealt to Carolina along with veteran winger Bryan Bickell in a deal designed to create precious cap space for Chicago. With a fresh start in a new city, it was thought that Teravainen, now 22, would start to realize his vast potential yet that hasn’t proven to be the case. The 5-foot-11 winger has bested his offensive output from a year ago – 41 points to 35 – yet more was expected from the skilled Finn. But, as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, Teravainen has a plan to get better this offseaon. The native of Helsinki, Finland plans to add more muscle this summer in the hopes that improves his board play and ability to win one-on-one battles. For Teravainen, who will be a RFA this summer and most likely in line for a bridge contract, the 2017-18 campaign will help determine whether he can take the next step in the NHL and become a high-end scoring forward or whether he will settle in as a middle-six winger who leaves you wanting more.
  • Mika Zibenajad, who returns to Ottawa for the first time since last summer’s trade to New York, could be a big key for the Rangers in the playoffs, writes Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Zibanejad started strong this season with 15 points in his first 19 games but suffered a broken fibula during a November game against Florida and has struggled with consistency since returning. As Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault noted, Zibanejad’s skating is perhaps his best asset and it’s taken time to fully heal after the injury. Still, as Brooks reports, Vigneault sees Zibanejad as “a good playmaker with good speed,” who has a chance to develop into a “top-notch player and top-notch centerman,” heading into the playoffs. Derick Brassard, who went to Ottawa in the Zibanejad trade, was a big time performer in the playoffs for New York and there will be pressure on the former Senator to produce for his new club when it matters most.
  • Good news for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who could use some while in the midst of a five-game losing streak, as the team is confident that rookie blue liner Zach Werenski will be ready to play in the postseason. Both GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach John Tortorella have expressed that belief, tweets Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Werenski, who has 11 goals and 47 points in 78 games as a 19-year-old rookie, was injured by a high but legal hit from Alex Ovechkin in a recent game against the Capitals and has missed the last three games, including today’s tilt against Philadelphia. Werenski is an important player for the Jackets and their odds of upsetting the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins improve dramatically if he is 100% and ready to play in game one of their first round playoff match-up.

Snapshots: Hughes, Hurricanes, Ekman-Larsson

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It’s not a name that you may be familiar with just yet, but Jack Hughes is one to remember. The 15-year old was captain of the Toronto Marlboros, one of the best midget teams in the country and expected to go first overall in the upcoming OHL draft to the Barrie Colts. Eligible for the 2019 NHL entry draft, Hughes is an early (very early) favorite for the top few picks.

Instead, Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that Hughes—born in Orlando, Florida—will sign with the US National Development Team for the next part of his hockey career. As Dreger says, it will be interesting now to see how far he falls in the OHL draft as there have been examples before of players telling the league they would be heading somewhere else, only to sign with a stronger team (see: London Knights) after falling in the draft. Regardless of where he plays, Hughes is a phenom that deserves attention even at a young age.

  • In addition to recalling Bryan Bickell less than five months after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought up Andrew Poturalski from Charlotte and sent Lucas Wallmark and Phillip Di Giuseppe to the AHL. Poturalski went undrafted and signed with the Hurricanes last spring out of the University of New Hampshire. He has shown immense promise in his rookie AHL season, scoring 48 points in 69 games.
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s season has come to an end early, as the team granted him early release to head home and deal with the death of his mother. She had been fighting a battle with cancer all season, something that has weighed on Ekman-Larsson throughout the year. “This has been a very difficult year for me personally,” said Ekman-Larsson in a statement on the team website. “I’d like to thank the Coyotes organization and all of my teammates for their incredible support all season long. I’m sorry that I’ll miss our last three games but family comes first.”
  • The Coyotes won’t be the only team without a top defender for the last few games, as the Florida Panthers will likely shut down Aaron Ekblad for the remainder of the season according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. Ekblad returned from a concussion on March 21st—a move that seemed reckless at the time—only to suffer headaches immediately after the game, causing coach Tom Rowe to admit his mistake. For the Panthers, who are eliminated from playoff contention, protecting your superstar defenseman is more important than winning some meaningless games down the stretch.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Bryan Bickell

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In one of the more inspiring stories in the league this season, Bryan Bickell is on his way back to the NHL. The Carolina Hurricanes have called up the three-time Stanley Cup champion on Monday morning. Bickell had been playing with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he had four points in ten games while maintaining that he’d be back in the NHL this season. Bryan Bickell

Bickell was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in November, which immediately put a halt to his NHL career as he and his family determined how to go about his future. Though he obviously had new challenges to overcome, he was cleared to return to professional hockey in February and cleared waivers in order to play longer than a normal conditioning stint in the minors. At the time, Bickell said that he still planned on making an NHL return this season and Hurricanes’ head coach Bill Peters said to “not bet against him.”

The Hurricanes acquired Bickell along with Teuvo Teravainen last summer from the Chicago Blackhawks in what was basically a salary dump, but have hoped for some contribution from the big winger. Capable of scoring 10-15 goals while providing a physical presence, he is a nice supplementary piece if overpriced at $4MM. While he is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer, it might not be out of the question for the Hurricanes to bring him back at a discounted rate as they look to compete next season. They will be looking for some help for their young talented forwards, and have been extremely supportive to Bickell and his family throughout the diagnosis and treatment.

Even if it’s just for a handful of games before hitting the open market, it will be nice to see Bickell back in an NHL rink. Whatever you may think of him as a player, it is tough to see a young person in what should be the prime of their athletic career be taken away from their passion. PHR welcomes you back ’Bicks’, and hopes the return goes as smoothly as possible.

Jeff Glass, Seth Helgeson Placed On Waivers; Bryan Bickell Clears

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According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, Jeff Glass and Seth Helgeson have been placed on waivers today. Bryan Bickell, the only player on waivers yesterday has cleared.

Glass was signed to a contract just yesterday by the Chicago Blackhawks, and would need waivers in order to remain in Rockford where he is currently playing. Similar to the situation Adam Pardy went through earlier this year, Glass is not expected to spend much time in the NHL this season unless the Blackhawks decide to move Scott Darling at the deadline.

Helgeson has played in nine games with the Devils this season after they brought him up in December. He hasn’t seen game action in almost two weeks, and even then had been playing just over 13 minutes a night. The former fourth-round pick will likely clear, as other defensemen who are more established than him have done so in weeks past.

Bickell was placed on waivers in order to extend his stay with the Charlotte Checkers as he continues to work back from his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis earlier this year. The road has been long for the three-time Stanley Cup winner, but he’s determined to make it back to the NHL this season. The entire hockey world is rooting for him, whether you’ve hated playing against him in the past.

Bryan Bickell Cleared To Return To Professional Hockey

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After what has been a long and tough road back for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bryan Bickell, he has finally been cleared to play and set to the Charlotte Checkers for a conditioning stint. He’s also been placed on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sporstnet because he will need longer than the two-weeks allowed on a normal loan. Bickell was diagnosed with Multiple Scleroris back in November, and immediately announced that he wanted to play hockey again and would work to find a way to continue his career. Now, just a few months later he is returning in what is one of the feel-good stories of the year.

Bickell was traded to Carolina as part of a salary dump this summer along with Teuvo Teravainen, the latest victims of the Chicago Blackhawks cap crunches. Bickell was part of all three Stanley Cup winning teams, though he played a small role as a 23-year old in 2010. Known for his high compete level and relentless forecheck, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer says that his goal is to play in the NHL again this season. Coach Bill Peters told Alexander to “not bet against him” in his quest.

For the Hurricanes, this is great news after a morning that saw one of their key players shipped off to Pittsburgh to pursue a Stanley Cup. Ron Hainsey was sent out which will likely leave a leadership hole on the team, one that Bickell could fill admirably. Everyone here at PHR wishes him well in his recovery and hopes to see him on the ice again in the NHL soon.

Bryan Bickell Nearing Return For Carolina

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Carolina Hurricanes winger Bryan Bickell, out since late October with what was later revealed to be Multiple Sclerosis, plans to be ready to return following the team’s bye week, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The ’Canes begin a five-game homestand on February 17th and barring a setback, Bickell could be in the lineup for Carolina when they host the Colorado Avalanche.

As Gulitti writes, Bickell has made tremendous progress since starting treatments of Tysarbi, a drug given monthly to “limit the debilitating effects of MS.” He began taking the medication in December and has been skating since early January.

“I feel good,” Bickell said after a conditioning skate at Verizon Center, where the Hurricanes face the Washington Capitals on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET: CSN-DC, FS-CR, NHL.TV). “I obviously don’t feel good right now, I just got skated pretty hard, but it’s going to help me down the long run. I think we’re getting there and getting close to getting back in the rotation. We’re shooting for probably after the bye week and then kind of day by day from there.”

Of course just because Bickell may be cleared for action doesn’t mean the Hurricanes will insert the veteran winger into the lineup. As the player himself notes, much of the decision will have to do with how other players are performing.

“It all depends too on what other guys are doing if they’re going on a huge streak,” Bickell said. “I like to see them win. If they need me, I’m sure an extra week of me skating is not going to hurt me. We’re just going to wait until after the next treatment and after the bye week and go from there.”

It’s also possible the team will seek to send Bickell down to Charlotte of the AHL on a conditioning assignment to help prepare him to return to the lineup.

Bickell was acquired last summer in a trade with Chicago that also brought winger Teuvo Teravainen to Raleigh in exchange for draft picks. The Blackhawks were forced to part with the talented, young Teravainen as a means to extricate themselves from the final year of Bickell’s $4MM cap charge.

With 58 points, the Hurricanes are currently on the outside looking in at a playoff berth but are just four points behind Philadelphia for the second wild card spot and have three games in hand on the Flyers. Carolina will likely hold onto their prospects but if the right opportunity arises, they could find themselves buying at the deadline. However, if Bickell returns and is effective, it reduces the team’s need to add.

Snapshots: NHL Three Stars, Toews, Bickell, Maple Leafs

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Nicklas Backstrom, Brad Marchand, and Brock McGinn have been named the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week.

Backstrom had three goals and 10 points in four games as the Capitals continued their nine-game winning streak. He has 13 points on that winning streak, and is currently on a six-game point streak. Backstrom is 10th in NHL scoring with 42 points in 43 games.

Marchand had the second-most points in the last week (behind only the aforementioned first star of the week) with 4-4-8 in three games. He had a three-point game in the Bruins’ win over the Blues before being held pointless in a loss to Nashville. He finished off the week with a career-high five-point night in a 6-3 win over Philadelphia. Marchand is seventh in NHL scoring with 43 points in 46 games.

McGinn had seven points in three games as the Hurricanes continued their four-game winning streak. Carolina is now one point out of a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. McGinn has 12 points on the season in 28 games this season, with seven coming in the last week.

  • Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews may want to remember the old Mark Twain quote which says that “reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated.” On his morning appearance on TSN 1260, Bob McKenzie talked about Toews’ struggles and suggested that “a lot of people are writing obituaries on Toews’ career right now,” which McKenzie believes is “real premature.” Toews has 21 points in 37 games this season, which puts him on pace for 41 points in 73 games. That would be a career-low at a time when offensive players ought to be in their prime; even in the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, Toews scored 48 points in 47 games. Prior to this season, Toews has scored at 0.88 PPG. That’s fallen year-over-year since 12-13, and is now at 0.57. If the Blackhawks want to capitalize on the final year of a cheap Artemi Panarin, they’ll need their captain to kick it into a higher gear.
  • Some very good news out of Carolina on Monday, as veteran winger Bryan Bickell practiced for the second time in the last week, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Bickell has not played since the end of October, when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Bickell was acquired by the Hurricanes in the summer in a salary-dump trade from Chicago, where he won three Stanley Cups.
  • Over at Maple Leafs practice, Martin Marincin and Frankie Corrado are both on the ice. Marincin is wearing a red non-contact jersey as he returns to practice one month after suffering an injury that was expected to keep him out of the lineup between 4-6 weeks. Meanwhile, Corrado returns to the NHL after a two-week conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies where he had three assists in seven games. He’s appeared in just one NHL game this season.

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