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Trade gives Dano mentor in Hossa

Buffalo Sabres v Columbus Blue Jackets

Marko Dano

Getty Images

When the Chicago Blackhawks acquired the 20-year-old Marko Dano he found himself suddenly united with perhaps his ideal mentor.

Dano has plenty of connections to Marian Hossa, from the city they live in (Trencin, Slovakia), to the fact that the elder forward has played internationally with Dano’s father, to their similar style of play.

“But he’s at a different level,” Dano told CSN Chicago. “So I’m trying to catch him with that.”

Hossa should be willing to help him there. He reached out to Dano after the trade and they plan to meet for lunch in the near future.

“He’s a great player,” Dano said. “He’s played so many years here, so there are a lot of things I can learn from him.”

Chicago got Dano from Columbus as part of the Brandon Saad trade. He was taken with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and had 21 points in 35 contests as a rookie in 2014-15.

He’s participating in prospect camp and will have to earn his spot with Chicago. However, he’s a clear candidate to secure a third line role next season and down the road his duties might expand substantially.

Related: Dano ‘an exciting player’ for Blackhawks

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