NHL notebook: Bickell signs contract to retire as member of Blackhawks
Bryan Bickell pulled a Chicago Blackhawks jersey down over his broad shoulders once again. He smiled as he posed for pictures with his wife, two daughters and parents. It was exactly what he wanted for the last day of his NHL career.
Bickell signed a one-day contract Wednesday to retire with the Blackhawks, returning to the city where he made his debut and rose to prominence as part of three Stanley Cup championships.
“We have so much history here and I didn’t want it any other way,” he said.
Bickell was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2004 draft and spent his first nine seasons with the Blackhawks. He was traded to Carolina in June 2016.
The 31-year-old was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last November and played in just 11 games with the Hurricanes. He announced his retirement in April and scored a memorable shootout goal in his final game.
“Every day, every month’s getting better,” Bickell said of his health. “There’s good days, there’s bad days, but there’s more good than bad. Things are going the right way. The technology and the treatments they come out with every month, every year, it’s outstanding. Hopefully, one day we could find a cure and hopefully help out to do that.”
Bickell appeared in four playoff games when Chicago won it all in 2010, but none in the final against Philadelphia. He played a key role in the 2013 championship and made 18 playoff appearances in the 2015 Cup run.
Bickell had 65 goals in the regular season with the Blackhawks and 20 more in the playoffs, but he will go down in team history for one in particular. Bickell and Dave Bolland scored 17 seconds apart late in the third period of Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup, lifting Chicago to a title-clinching, 3-2 victory in Boston.
WINNIK WINS OVER WILD: The Minnesota Wild signed left wing Daniel Winnik to a one-year, $660,000 (U.S.) contract.
Winnik was in training camp on a tryout basis. He was a free agent after a career-high 12 goals in 72 games last season for Washington.
The 32-year-old Winnik became more valuable to the Wild with a back injury limiting left wing Zach Parise, and Winnik was rewarded Wednesday with a contract. He’s been on the fourth line with centre Matt Cullen and right wing Tyler Ennis.
The Wild will be his eighth NHL team. SABRES, HABS DEAL: The Buffalo Sabres acquired defenceman Zach Redmond in a trade that sent forward Nicolas Deslauriers to the Montreal Canadiens.
The move involving two minor leaguers was made on Wednesday, a day before Buffalo opens the season by hosting Montreal.
Redmond is listed at six-foot-two and 212 pounds and was selected in the seventh round of 2008 draft by the then-Atlanta Thrashers. He has nine goals and 29 assists in 130 NHL games split between Montreal, Colorado and Winnipeg.
The Sabres announced Redmond will report to Rochester, their American Hockey League affiliate.
Deslauriers is a hard-hitting forward, who spent the past four seasons in Buffalo. He was demoted to Rochester last month after being the odd-man out once Buffalo claimed Jordan Nolan off waivers.