The Chicago Blackhawks affiliate in the AHL, the Rockford IceHogs, are home to a bevy of recent draft picks hoping to find their way to the NHL someday. Two players from the 'Hawks 2011 draft class, Mark McNeill and Klas Dahlbeck, are stepping up their games in the early going of the 2013-14 campaign.
Chicago's top pick from that 2011 draft, McNeill, is enjoying success in his first full season with the IceHogs. After not showing much in two brief tryouts at the end of Rockford's previous two seasons, McNeill has made his presence felt on the offensive end.
McNeill, who was drafted as a center, is playing a lot of wing in Rockford and is flourishing to the tune of seven goals and three assists in his first 13 games. By way of comparison, McNeill had failed to register a point in 12 AHL games before this season.
McNeill had a three-game goal streak snapped Sunday in a 3-1 loss to Grand Rapids, but his play so far this season is cause for optimism.
Dahlbeck, a 6'2", 192-pound defenseman from Sweden, is showing a lot of improvement on both sides of the ice in his second season in Rockford. A third-round selection in 2011, ...
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Article written by Jon Fromi
Chicago Blackhawks Farm Report: Klas Dahlbeck and Mark McNeill Stepping Up
November 4th, 2013 by Jon Fromi Leave a reply »
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