Blackhawks sign former Oilers’ 2nd-round pick to free agent contract for post-Olympic action originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Blackhawks have signed a new goalie for the stretch run.
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Chicago announced the signing of goaltender Olivier Rodrigue to a two-way contract.
Rodrigue was originally a second-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2018 NHL Draft.
He has played two games at the NHL level, both in 2024-25, with a 3.10 goals against average and an 86.2 save percentage in the small sample size.
Other than that, Rodrigue spent his time in the minor leagues with both AHL Bakersfield and ECHL Wichita.
Last season at Bakersfield, Rodrigue had a 3.12 goals against average and an 89.7 save percentage.
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Rodrigue was a free agent in the summer, and he ended up signing in the KHL with Barys Astana.
He was hurt early into his stint there and didn’t actually play a game in the KHL. Rodrigue must be healthy now, though, to earn this contract.
The Blackhawks recently had AHL goalie Stanislav Berezhnoy suspended for 20 games for violating the league’s Performance Enhancing Substance Program.
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They needed a goalie, and Rodrigue fit the bill. He’ll likely be the backup in the AHL, assuming he successfully passes through waivers to be assigned to that level.
This is a good chance for Rodrigue to impress a coaching staff and potentially work toward yet another contract for next season.
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