Following the signings of Cole Smith and Ian Cole, the Chicago Blackhawks also inked Dylan Anhorn to a one-year, $850,000 contract on Wednesday. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news.
Anhorn, a 27-year-old defenseman, spent the last two seasons playing entirely at the AHL level for the Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Jets’ minor-league affiliate. The 6-foot, 195-pound left-hander tallied 33 points (6G, 27A) in 93 combined games with Manitoba in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Anhorn also chipped in for three points (1G, 2A) in seven Calder Cup playoff games this past spring.
With Cole and Bowen Byram, two fellow left-handed defensemen, being brought in by the Blackhawks over the last eight days, not to mention both Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro (two more LHDs) receiving qualifying offers on Monday, signing Anhorn is clearly nothing more than a minor-league depth addition for the Rockford IceHogs next season.
After the Blackhawks decided not to tender qualifying offers to IceHogs defensemen Ryan Mast and Dmitry Kuzmin, there was a need for more defensive depth behind the likes of Derrick Pouliot, Taige Harding, and Jake Furlong. Anhorn fills an open spot in Rockford’s blue line for 2026-27.
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The post Depth Signing: Blackhawks Ink AHL-Level Defender To One-Year Deal appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now.
