According to multiple reports overnight, the Chicago Blackhawks will not be releasing rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist to play for Team Sweden at the upcoming World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. The news comes off the heels of the Blackhawks also preventing Kirby Dach from being released to Team Canada earlier this week.
Boqvist to stay with Blackhawks
It was speculated that the Blackhawks, given their current status in the NHL standings, might have been open to releasing both Boqvist and Dach to their respective countries to play in the upcoming World Junior Championships. Chicago allowed defenseman Henri Jokiharju to leave the team last year and play for Finland, where he went on to win a Gold Medal. But both Dach and now Boqvist will be staying with the Blackhawks through the tournament, which runs from December 26 to January 5. Chicago currently sits in 28th place in the NHL with a 12-15-6 record for 30 points through 33 games this season.
With the multitude of injuries the Blackhawks are currently dealing with, it makes sense that the team is in an ‘all hands on deck’ mode and needs both rookies to fill roles in the depleted lineup.
#Blackhawks will not be releasing Adam Boqvist to play for Sweden at the upcoming #WJC per @Trekronorse #NHL #HockeyTwitter
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 15, 2019
Boqvist, the Blackhawks’ eighth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has played in nine games with the Blackhawks this season, tallying a goal and an assist. He has also skated in 15 games with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL this season, with one goal and five assists.