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On Thursday morning the Blackhawks announced that they had signed 19-year-old defenseman Shawn LaLonde to a new three-year contract extension.
LaLonde, one of the organization’s top prospects, is currently second on the Belleville Bulls in scoring with 26 (8G, 18A) points in 27 games. In 217 regular season games in the Ontario Hockey League, LaLonde has scored 137 points (42 G, 95 A) and served 256 penalty minutes.
The 6'1" 195 lb. Ottawa native was the Blackhawks second pick (68th overall) in the 2008 draft, and was one of the last players cut from Canada’s Junior World Championships roster.
Could this be the tea leaves beginning to align?
The Blackhawks will obviously be cutting payroll this coming summer, and this commitment to LaLonde appears to be an obvious move to secure the blue line if/when changes occur. LaLonde is not ready to debut with the Blackhawks during this season, but this contract likely points to a coming end of someone’s Chicago career among the current Hawks defensemen.
Given LaLonde’s off ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by TAB BAMFORD
Shawn LaLonde: Chicago Blackhawks Give Top Prospect Three-Year Deal
December 31st, 2009 by TAB BAMFORD Leave a reply »
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