About fourteen years ago (February 15, 2010, to be exact), I was invited by a friend to visit the Rockford Metro Centre. There, we watched the IceHogs take on the Grand Rapids Griffins. The IceHogs had been the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks for nearly three years, though I hadn’t been a regular patron of the team. This prompted my friend to give me his rundown of the upcoming matchup, including Rockford’s outstanding starting goalie.
Following an impressive hype job, the game began. Grand Rapids first shot got past the goalie and gave the Griffins a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the contest. I slowly turned to my friend, who moments before had been singing the goalie’s praises.
“Never mind that,” he said. “He’ll be better.”
It’s safe to say that he did. Starting immediately after that shot. The goalie, 26-year-old Corey Crawford, stopped the next 25 offerings, allowing the IceHogs to win the game in overtime.
Saturday night, Rockford honored Crawford in that same arena, now dubbed the BMO Center. A capacity crowd arrived early to watch the IceHogs add his name to the team’s newly created ring of honor. They also sent number 29, Crawford’s number with Rockford, to the rafters.
Letting Crawford Cook
After playing for the Hogs from 2007-2010, Crawford went on to backstop the Blackhawks to a pair of Stanley Cups. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie team in 2010-11. Crawford made two NHL All-Star teams and was also awarded Jennings Trophies in 2013 and 2015. He finished his NHL career in 2020 with a 260-162-53 record, a 2.45 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage.
The Blackhawks selected Crawford in the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft. What they eventually got was their number-one goalie for ten seasons. However, the organization had to have patience, which isn’t always afforded to a top prospect.
Crawford played two more seasons in juniors before starting his pro career in the AHL with the Hawks affiliate in Norfolk. There, he learned on the job. Crawford appeared in 48 games in that 2005-06 campaign, going 22-23-1 with a 2.94 GAA and an .898 save percentage.
With no need to rush a net prospect, Crawford put in his time in the AHL. There was an occasional NHL call up, including a relief appearance in the 2008-09 playoffs that was his only action with Chicago that season. The Blackhawks let Crawford work on his game in Norfolk and, starting in 2007, in Rockford.
How long did he work on his game in the minors? Five seasons.
Yes, five seasons. Crawford played 255 regular-season games (plus 25 playoff appearances) in the AHL, compiling a record of 135-98-13 with a 2.78 GAA and a .908 save percentage. In his first season with the IceHogs in 2007-08, Crawford played in 67 games between the regular season and the playoffs.
See? Patience Can Pay Off
At age 26, Crawford was ready for the NHL. So much so that the Blackhawks let their 2010 Stanley Cup-winning goalie, Antti Niemi (IceHogs teammates with Crawford in 2008-09), walk that summer. Crawford quickly outplayed veteran Cristobal Huet during the 2010-11 campaign, played in 57 games in the regular season, and never looked back.
The Blackhawks organization has not displayed the same patience in developing goalies since hitting a home run with the drafting and development of Crawford. Most of Crawford’s backups were veterans (Ray Emery) European pick-ups (Antti Raanta), or reclamation projects (Scott Darling).
Chicago has drafted three goalies in the second round of the draft since Crawford. Kent Simpson (2010, 58th overall) got all of one full season and 34 games before the Blackhawks sent him to the Rangers in 2014. Adam Gajan (2023, 35th overall) will be headed to college for the next couple of years following the end of his junior career with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.
Drew Commesso (2020, 46th overall) was at the BMO Saturday night, wearing a Crawford jersey in warmups before watching Rockford’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Wolves as the evening’s backup.
Handling With Care?
Commesso, the highly-lauded goalie prospect arrived in town after three seasons at Boston University. He has played in 22 games for the IceHogs so far this season. In those games, he has an 8-10-4 mark, a 2.85 GAA, and a .896 save percentage. The way Rockford is alternating him with Jaxson Stauber, it would appear that Commesso will have 35-40 starts under his belt in his rookie year.
How much patience are the Blackhawks going to display in Commesso’s development? Chicago signed Petr Mrazek for two more seasons, presumably to give Commesso the chance to morph into the Blackhawks starting goalie of the future.
I’m guessing by that time, the organization will be expecting him to step into such a role. That would be three seasons of AHL development and somewhere in the neighborhood of 125 starts in Rockford. Will Commesso get even that much AHL seasoning before Chicago presses him into service? Or, will the organization move on, pinning its expectations on Gajan or another prospect?
Letting a draft pick take five full AHL seasons to bear NHL fruit is certainly not the norm these days. Arvid Soderblom was a free-agent signing out of Europe that Chicago hoped would grow into an NHL role. He played 71 games in Rockford the previous two seasons. He is currently struggling mightily with the Blackhawks.
How much rope will Commesso eventually receive? Based on all the celebration of Crawford’s storied career, a little more slack may go a long way.
