The 2014 first-round pick had two goals and three assists in 33 games across three seasons for the New Jersey Devils.
Early on Sunday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward John Quenneville from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. With Brandon Saad placed on injured reserve with a right ankle injury, the Blackhawks had room for another forward on the roster.
The Blackhawks acquired the 23-year-old Quenneville this summer from New Jersey in exchange for John Hayden. It was a change-of-scenery move for both sides, as both Quenneville and Hayden were struggling with their respected teams. Interestingly enough, Quenneville is slated to make his Blackhawks debut on Monday night against his former team, and Hayden is expected to be in the lineup for the Devils as well.
For Quenneville, this is his fourth call-up to the NHL. The first three with New Jersey didn’t result in much success, which led to the former first-round pick being reassigned to the AHL each occasion. Quenneville remains confident in his abilities despite being unable to crack an NHL lineup consistently so far in his career.
“I’m just trying to stick in the NHL,” Quenneville told reporters during the team’s morning skate. “I think I’ve got the skillset and the ability to do it.”
Things haven’t gone as planned for Quenneville in the NHL, but his career numbers at the AHL level have been phenomenal. In three seasons for the Albany Devils, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward tallied 46 goals and 73 assists for 119 points in 138 games. Quenneville also has eight goals and five assists in 19 games for the IceHogs this year. Much like Dylan Sikura, the next step for Quenneville is translating that success into consistency with the Blackhawks.
With a last name like Quenneville in Chicago, expect all eyes to follow John naturally in his team debut. Of course, John is the cousin of Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, who was behind the Blackhawks’ bench for many historic moments in the last decade.
“I was talking to Joel in the summer, just giving me a heads up about the whole Chicago scene…It’s definitely interesting. Can’t believe this is the team I got traded to.”
Quenneville will likely skate on the Blackhawks fourth line Monday vs. New Jersey, but the left-handed winger has the offensive upside to play up and down the lineup. Quenneville’s yet to show it in the NHL, but he’s undeniably talented and too skilled for the AHL. It’s now just a matter of putting it all together to be effective at the highest level.
Here’s to hoping for a long and successful tenure for John Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks.
For more Blackhawks news and updates, follow the author (@JackBushman2) on Twitter. Make sure to check out the author’s podcast, Talkin’ Hawkey, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Twitter (@TalkinHawkey).
