On Monday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward John Hayden to the Rockford IceHogs and recalled forward Tomas Jurco. This marks the first NHL action for Jurco this season and Hayden’s first AHL action of his professional career. Additionally, the Blackhawks placed defenseman Cody Franson on waivers.
Jurco Heads To Blackhawks, Hayden Assigned To IceHogs
This season with the IceHogs, Jurco has tallied 25 points (13G, 12A) in 36 games played, good for second on the team in scoring. After joining the Blackhawks organization in February of last season, Jurco played in 13 games and scored one goal. He did not suit up for Chicago during the playoffs and was sent to Rockford coming out of training camp in the fall. In his NHL career, Jurco has played 172 games and has 40 points (16G, 24A) with 10 games of playoff experience since being a second-round draft pick in 2011 by the Detroit Red Wings.
For Hayden, his rookie season started off with a good amount of promise, playing in a fourth-line role mainly with Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma. Recently, Hayden’s production has taken a hit and his ice-time has been limited. The assignment to Rockford will be Hayden’s first playing experience in the AHL. Hayden was a third-round draft pick by the Blackhakws in 2013 and joined the team late last season after four years at Yale University. In his NHL career, Hayden has played in 51 games with 15 points (4G, 11A) and one game of playoff experience.
The move should benefit both players, giving Jurco an opportunity to make an impact at the NHL level, like fellow IceHogs recalls Jeff Glass, David Kampf, and Vince Hinostroza have in recent weeks. For Hayden, the chance to play significant minutes with Rockford and play in a more skill-oriented role should give him an opportunity to find confidence in his game and ultimately be better for the Blackhawks, much like the time for Nick Schmaltz with the IceHogs did last season.
Franson Placed On Waivers
In addition to the Jurco-Hayden transaction, the Blackhawks also placed veteran defenseman Cody Franson on waivers. This season Franson has made 23 appearances for the Blackhawks with seven points (1G, 6A), but has been out with an injury for the last few weeks. Franson joined the Blackhawks as a free agent out of training camp and had been a solid blue-line addition when his time began with Chicago. But Franson’s play before his injury had started to slump and the Blackhawks have too many slower defensemen to carry in their regular lineup to keep a place for Franson.
In his NHL career, Franson has 550 games played with 212 points (43G, 169A) and 28 playoff games experience with stints in Nashville, Toronto, and Buffalo before joining the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks return to action on Wednesday night as they host the Minnesota Wild, while the IceHogs get back on the ice on Wednesday as well, travelling to face the Ontario Reign.