On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks organization announced the team had signed forward MacKenzie Entwistle to an entry-level contract. Entwistle’s deal is a standard three-year entry-level deal through 2020-2021 with an AAV of $925,000.
Blackhawks Sign MacKenzie Entwistle
A part of the return from the Arizona Coyotes in the Marian Hossa trade, MacKenzie Entwistle received a vote of confidence from the Blackhawks organization on Tuesday, signing his first professional contract at the maximum average annual value on an entry-level deal.
Signed on!
Forward MacKenzie Entwistle has signed a 3-year entry-level contract that runs through the 2020-21 season ($925,000/AAV). #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/4bswYBF2uQ
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2018
Entwistle was drafted in the third round (69th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes out of the Ontario Hockey League. Playing the last three seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Entwistle has skated in 163 games and tallied 77 points in the OHL. This season, Entwistle has notched seven points through the first nine games of the season with the Bulldogs. He also played for Team Canada at the U18 World Juniors in 2017, scoring seven points in five games. Entwistle this season with Hamilton has already tallied seven points through nine games (four goals, three assists).
https://twitter.com/NoHuddleNHL/status/1052211832537210880
His goal against the Red Wings in the preseason turned heads, showing off his scoring touch off the rush and led to him sticking with the Blackhawks later into training camp than some expected. At six-foot-three and 190-pounds, Entwistle is an emerging power-forward within the Blackhawks system that made an immediate impression on the front office after coming over in the Hossa trade.
Through prospect camp and the Blackhawks’ training camp, Entwistle used his size to his advantage and showed that he is a player willing to throw his weight around. Aside from just being a big-body, his skating ability has shown through as being above average, at least for a player of his size.
Signing Entwistle gives the Blackhawks a second player under contract in the OHL, joining 2018 top draft pick Adam Boqvist of the London Knights.