FEATURE: Stalock Felt Established Following Season with Blackhawks

Before Alex Stalock made his Blackhawks debut, his time in the NHL was limited due to different medical conditions that made him question whether he could ever play as a professional hockey player again.

When Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson gave the goaltender a call during free agency last year, Stalock didn't know how the season would unfold for him after playing only one NHL game since 2020. Following his return, he felt he proved that he could compete in the league once again.

"Personally, it was good to be able to come back," Stalock said. "Chicago gave me a chance to come back and play and establish myself and feel like I can play in this league again. I think I proved that."

This season, Stalock played in 27 matchups with 24 starts producing a 9-15-2 record, a 3.01 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. As he continued to make his starts throughout the season, Blackhawks fans got to witness his heart-stopping moments when he came out of the net to make a save or make a play with the puck.

With his unusual goaltender antics, Jason Dickinson noted that it made it fun to play in front of Stalock back on April 6 when he made a save to keep the score against the Vancouver Canucks at 1-0. When the players saw the Minnesota native playing strong, it gave the team a boost of energy.

"You love watching it," Dickinson said. "He goes out there and he has fun doing what he does. So, it gives us energy to go out there and do our thing."

After Stalock made his second return to the team following a concussion setback, head coach Luke Richardson described the unique presence that he brought to the bench that the team missed while he was away back on March 6.

"He's such a personality," Richardson said. "You see him chattering at the other team's bench, and not sure if they're laughing or they're mad at him, but it gets everybody going and just kind of draws everybody into the fight with him and that's unique for a goaltender."

While he surprised himself with his performance, he also battled some tough injuries throughout the season ranging from concussions to oculomotor dysfunction, a vision problem that affects the central nervous system and interferes with the brain's ability to allow eye movement with accuracy and control. The netminder missed a little over two months this year following the scary moments in November and January.

He described the challenges he faced outside of the rink while trying to maintain his strength but also being a present dad. As he continued to struggle throughout the years with different medical conditions and competing in different leagues, he is always grateful for his family sticking by his side and taking in Blackhawks hockey with him.

"There were some hard days [where I thought] like, 'are you going to be able to play again,'" Stalock said. "It wasn't an easy couple of years and to be able to be back and have the family here and enjoy Blackhawks hockey, it was pretty special for them."

Since joining the team, the 35-year-old netminder couldn't have asked for a better experience with the organization despite facing his setbacks.

"Since day one, the day Kyle called me last summer, it's been nothing but good things here," Stalock said. "If there's an opportunity, obviously, it's something I would think about."