Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton confirmed that the 2019 No. 3 pick will remain with the team for the long haul.
Well, there it is, folks. The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Wednesday afternoon that rookie forward Kirby Dach will be apart of the roster for the rest of the season. The 18-year-old has played six games with the Blackhawks so far, with one goal and one assist. Dach has looked comfortable at the NHL level and hasn't given the organization any reason to send him back to Saskatoon.
Dach has averaged 11:59 ice time through his first six NHL games, and according to Colliton, that's the exact role the Blackhawks want for their rookie. They're not going to force Dach into top-six minutes when he's not ready to handle that workload.
"He's probably played the right amount so far," Colliton said. "Even the minutes, playing 10 in the NHL is a lot more taxing than playing 20 in the Western League or 15 in the American League."
As for Dach, he seemed calm and collected as always despite just being told that he'll remain in the NHL as an 18-year-old.
"It's something I've dreamed of my whole life. I came into camp wanting to make this team and to finally get that recognition from Jeremy and the management group is awesome and I'm thrilled to be here." Dach told reporters in Los Angeles.
Dach's confidence has noticeably grown since his NHL debut, and he's been one of the Blackhawks more noticeable forwards during the last couple of weeks. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Chicago Blackhawks use Kirby Dach throughout the course of the season.
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