Darren Raddysh had a huge year for OHL Erie, and now the 21-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate in Rockford.
From the release:
Raddysh spent the last five seasons playing for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League, where he was teammates with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat.
Raddysh, 21, had an award-winning season with Erie in 2016-17, finishing the season with 16g-65a-81pts in 62 regular season games. He led all OHL defenders in points, was second in assists and fifth in goals while being awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. His efforts also earned him Leo Lalonde Trophy as the OHL Overage Player of the Year (age 20 at the start of the season).
Raddysh was never drafted, and his skating remains a question mark for some observers. But all those points are hard to ignore.
“I take not getting drafted and roll with it,” he told the Canadian Press in May. “I look at this year like another draft year.”
Raddysh is the older brother of Tampa Bay prospect Taylor Raddysh,