One of the most intriguing seasons had on the Rockford IceHogs roster this last season came from goaltender Collin Delia. One of over a dozen players making their first full professional season debut with the IceHogs this season, Delia began the year with the Indy Fuel in the ECHL and spent time with teams on three different levels of the Chicago Blackhawks organization and earning a win at each level in his rookie year.
Delia Shines In Rookie Season With IceHogs
Beginning the year by signing a contract out of Rookie Prospect Camp with the Blackhawks, Delia started the year in the ECHL as the starting goalie for the Indy Fuel. It did not go as planned. Delia started off giving up four goals, four goals, and two goals in his first three starts with the Fuel before notching his first win in his fourth appearance of the season. But it would be his lone win of the season with the Fuel as he would total a 1-7-2 record with a 4.12 GAA and a .887 save-percentage in ten appearances with Indy.
In December, Delia was recalled to the Rockford IceHogs as a result of goaltender injuries piling up for the Blackhawks and IceHogs. Delia had made one appearance, a loss to the Iowa Wild, for the IceHogs in November before his long-term assignment to Rockford. Ready or not, Delia was thrust into a regular role in-between the pipes for Rockford.
Collin Delia makes a save against the San Antonio Rampage. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
While his transition from ECHL to AHL competition was going to need time and would be rocky at the beginning, 1-3-0 in four starts to begin his long-term assignment with a 3.59 GAA and a .849 save-percentage, Delia would eventually find his groove. Beginning on January 6 and spanning until the end of the regular season, he made 23 appearances for the IceHogs and racked up a 16-3-4 record with a 2.59 GAA and a .935 save-percentage over that span. All-totaled, Delia finished the season at 17-7-4 with a GAA of 2.72 and a save-percentage at .900 for his time in Rockford.
His 2017-18 season hit a high-note as the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Delia in late March and made his NHL debut on March 29 against the Winnipeg Jets in Chicago. Delia would be making his first NHL start on an emergency basis and would hold Winnipeg to just two goals before being injured in the third period and would not finish the game. He earned the win with help from emergency backup goalie Scott Foster. Delia made a second NHL start the next night against the Colorado Avalanche, making 31 saves on 36 shots faced.
His improvement from day one with the IceHogs to the end of the regular season was incredible to witness. Delia’s play on the ice and confidence in net improved and helped push the IceHogs into the Calder Cup Playoffs picture as the second-half of the season progressed. Off the ice, Delia became an ingrained member of the Rockford Community and was named the team’s ‘Man of the Year.’
Collin Delia waves to some fans before the IceHogs and Penguins game. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
Delia’s stellar-play rolled over into the Calder Cup Playoffs and was a key factor to the IceHogs being able to start their postseason run with back-to-back series sweeps of the Chicago Wolves and Manitoba Moose. Over the first two series’ of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Delia was a perfect 7-0 with a 1.65 GAA and a .947 save-percentage as the IceHogs advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in AHL franchise history.
That’s where things got dicey.
Facing the Texas Stars, Rockford dropped the next three games, giving up four goals, three goals, and six goals over that span and Rockford found themselves in a 3-0 series hole. To Delia’s credit, his play realistically had to fall off at some point as he was playing a tremendous amount of hockey from January all the way into the month of May. The IceHogs would turn to Jeff Glass to close the series in net before falling in Game Six to the Stars.
FINAL SEASON GRADE: A-
From day one to the completion of the 2017-18 season, he remained one of the most consistently improving players in the Chicago Blackhawks’ minor-league system and seems to have a bright future with the organization.
Future Outlook
While he was ever-improving through the first full pro season under his belt, Delia has a lot of more room to grow. At 23 years old (turning 24 on June 20), he’s at a point in his development where another full season as the starter at the AHL could give him the time to fully round out his game at the minor-pro level and eventually set him up for an opportunity to make the jump to the NHL level. There have been rumblings or suggestions that Delia could be the backup to Corey Crawford with the Chicago Blackhawks next season, but there is still a lot to be determined as training camp looms in August.
The California-native has a bright future with the organization and realistically could push for a spot at the NHL level next season with the uncertainty that surrounds the Blackhawks at the goaltender position, but a second year in the AHL and continued improvement can shore up those expectations by the 2019-20 season.