Blackhawks Magazine Excerpt: Thinking Big

The following is excerpted from the January 2018 issue of Blackhawks Magazine, which focuses on Alex DeBrincat's transition to the NHL. Pick up a copy at the next Blackhawks home game, or by calling the Blackhawks Store at 312-759-0079.
In late November, you registered a hat trick-or 'Cat Trick'-and were the second-youngest Blackhawk ever to do so, just four days older than Jeremy Roenick.
That was one of those nights where the puck was just kind of ending up on my stick. Schmaltzy (Nick Schmaltz) made a great pass to me on the first one. We had a good cycle going on the second, and I had a wide-open net after Hartzy (Ryan Hartman) made a play. Third one, Kaner passed to me on a 2-on-1. You knew he would. Got to credit the guys I was playing with. One of those nights. I didn't think it would happen so quickly.
You appear to be confident, but not cocky. Are you at all surprised that you've made it to the NHL?
You never have it made. You can't get too comfortable. I went into training camp with the mindset that anything could happen. My goal obviously was to make the Blackhawks, but I was ready to go to their minor-league team in Rockford if I needed to. Honestly, I was kind of planning in the back of my mind to be in Rockford this year. But I showed up at camp ready to give it my best effort and work hard every day. I didn't want to get my hopes too high, because there are guys who could be up here instead of me.

You still think that?
I do. For sure, there are guys in Rockford who are as good as me.
Well, then why do you think you're here?
(Laugh.) You'll have to ask Q (Head Coach Joel Quenneville).
He says you have a tremendous upside and a chance to be a really "special" player. He said he not only likes the way you play hockey, but the way you think hockey. Among your early goals were two empty-netters. That means somebody trusted a 19-year-old rookie to be on the ice at crunch time.
Honestly, I never thought I would be put in some of those situations. I think Q trusts me. I hope so. To be out there in the last minute or so of a close game, I didn't expect that. I appreciate the confidence he shows in me, but that doesn't mean you stop working.
Was there a point this season when it struck you that, yes, I belong here with the Blackhawks and in the NHL?
Maybe about the eight- or 10-game mark, I thought to myself that I can do this for sure. Then I was told to get out of the hotel and find a place to live. That helps the confidence. And I started to feel better with the puck, judging the timing of things, the pace of the games here. There are ups and downs, and everybody has them. I am pretty hard on myself and I try to learn from failure.