The Blackhawks’ goaltending situation has been a main point of their nearly completed rebuild for much of this past offseason and even last year. There’s no question Chicago’s pipeline is full of talent between the pipes, with Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan expected to both be long-term answers in net at the NHL level someday. The Blackhawks beefed up their otherwise thin NHL ranks by signing top backup Laurent Brossoit this summer, so they should be set for at least the next few years.
A new sense of stability beyond a true No. 1 will be a breath of fresh air for a franchise that has endlessly cycled through backup netminders for much of the past decade. Those players have ranged from placeholders to solid second options, but none have stuck around for long. Corey Crawford has been the only mainstay since 2010.
This week, two of those names announced they would be hanging up their professional skates. The former Blackhawks goaltenders won’t be returning to the NHL, but both will be pursuing other opportunities in hockey.
Antti Raanta
On Sunday, Raanta announced he would be calling it a career, at least on this side of the pond. The 35-year-old veteran didn’t attract much NHL interest this summer, so he plans to head back to Europe to seek another playing opportunity. He certainly had his fair share of success over there, enjoying a successful career in the Finnish Elite League before being picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Blackhawks.
Raanta was excellent in his 2013-14 rookie season, being recalled from Rockford due to an injury to backup netminder Nikolai Khabibulin. He went 13-5-4 from then on, posting a GAA of 2.71 and earning Rookie of the Month honors before being signed to an extension the following summer. The next year, Raanta was swapped back and forth multiple times with rookie Scott Darling and ultimately stayed on the roster for Chicago’s Stanley Cup run, earning a ring despite not dressing for any playoff games. He was traded to the Rangers in the summer of 2015.
Alex Stalock
Stalock’s time in Chicago likely won’t be remembered as vividly as Raanta’s due to his limited time with the franchise. Stalock was signed in the summer of 2022 to back up Petr Mrazek and was part of an interesting Blackhawks team for one season before signing with the Ducks in free agency the following summer. After playing a few games with the AHL-affiliate San Diego Gulls last season, he announced this week that he would be leaving the ice to join the Sharks’ broadcast team as a rotating color commentator.
Stalock’s numbers in his time with Chicago weren’t exactly pretty, but he was a true highlight of the Blackhawks’ lineup in each of his 27 games. His .908 save percentage was a miracle with the defense the Blackhawks put in front of him, and he saved a ton of difficult shots in each outing.
The aspect of Stalock’s time with the Blackhawks that Chicago will remember most is his presence off the ice. He was named a finalist for the Masterton Trophy in 2023 because of his ability to overcome issues like myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle making it more difficult to pump) as well as multiple concussions and oculomotor dysfunction to get back on the ice. Stalock was a great asset in the locker room as well, with his teammates raving about his energy and positivity throughout his time in Chicago, so there’s no question he’ll be a great addition to the broadcast booth.
