Chicago's No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft will make his NHL debut tonight against the Capitals. Kirby Dach, who missed the entire preseason slate while in concussion protocol, played three games on a conditioning stint with the Rockford IceHogs over the last week and after being recalled on Friday night, will slot into the Blackhawks lineup for the very first time.
"For me to get this opportunity now, I'm speechless and at a loss for words," said Dach, who found out when he arrived to the United Center Sunday morning that he was in line for his debut. "I've just got to go out there and play my game and focus on the little things that the coaching staff wants me to do."
While in Rockford, Dach was unable to find the scoresheet for his first professional point, but took seven shots and had a -1 rating as the IceHogs went 1-2-0 in his three appearances. Regardless, it was a good stepping stone for not only the level of play, but the first competitive action the forward had seen in almost a month's time since September's Traverse City Prospect Tournament.
"It's good for me to go down there and play against bigger and stronger competition," he said. "It's not going to be at the same level that the NHL is, but coming from juniors where there's still young young kids there and guys trying to mature that way, for me to go down there and play against pro hockey players was a good experience."
"I think a lot of the things he was doing in those games in Rockford will transfer," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "We liked his skating, he was competing, he was on the puck (and) won a lot of puck battles. He wasn't able to come through offensively but he very well could've with the plays he made and creating chances. He's going to be excited and have some energy and I hope we see that tonight."
