Brandon Hagel’s time in the Swiss NLA has come to an end as NHL.com’s Brandon Cain notes (Twitter link) that the Blackhawks have recalled the winger from HC Thurgau. He is expected to spend the holiday season back home before making the trip to Chicago for training camp as things stand.
The 22-year-old opted to head overseas back in late September and it certainly was a good decision as he picked up eight goals and seven assists in 14 games to put him second on the team in scoring. It’s a step up offensively from his production in the minors last season (in terms of points per game) when he had 19 goals and 12 assists in 59 games with AHL Rockford. He did well enough to earn one game with the big club right before the pandemic shut down the rest of the season.
Hagel will soon head to training camp with an eye on trying to earn one of the final spots on the roster but at this point, it seems more likely that he’ll wind up back with the IceHogs or perhaps on the taxi squad if those plans get finalized. He’s entering the final year of his entry-level contract so a lot will be at stake in this shortened season.
Hmmmm I don’t recall him