Russian hockey hasn’t historically been kind to the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks have drafted 27 players, including 12 in the first three rounds, from Russia since 1990. Eight of those players appeared in NHL games for the Blackhawks. Just one played in more than 57 games.
The Blackhawks hope the future is much different.
The Blackhawks have invested resources into scouting Russia under general manager Stan Bowman and amateur scouting vice president Mark Kelley, and they haven’t been shy about drafting players from there. The Blackhawks have selected four Russian players, including two in the first three rounds, since 2011.