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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Czech Defenseman Michal Kempny

By Ryan Ritchie

Apr 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks bench reacts to a goal scored by center Artem Anisimov (not pictured) during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks bench reacts to a goal scored by center Artem Anisimov (not pictured) during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Czech Defenseman Michal Kempny to 3-Year Entry Level Contract

After several weeks of speculation linking the two parties, an official announcement was made on Monday night as the Chicago Blackhawks have signed Czech defenseman Michal Kempny.

Contract length/salary has not yet been disclosed, but considering his age (25 years old), which is similar to Sharks recent signing Tim Heed, it’s most likely a short one or two year deal.

The original announcement was made via twitter by Scott Powers of the Athletic, confirmed by Craig Custance of ESPN.

Chicago Blackhawks were one of several teams rumored to be interested in the Czech defenseman. Standing 6’0 194lbs, Michal Kempny is best described as an offensive-minded two-way defenseman – meaning he can create a lot of offense from the back end, likes to join the rush, but he also plays a tight defensive game.

Stan Bowman via Sportsnet,

“He’s a mobile defenceman,” said Bowman. “He’s got that mixture of offence and defence. I would call him a really well-rounded guy. He can defend well in his own end. Mobility; he’s a good skater.”

“He can transition the puck. He can sort of play a well-rounded game, which I think as a defenceman, you’ve seen our team play a lot, you have to be able to defend for our coaches to be able to rely on you. He’s got that ability to sort of play both ways.”

Michal Kempny wore the “A” for Team Czech Republic, who dominated the competition in the group round-robin format at the World Hockey Championship.

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They unfortunately dropped a surprise quarter-final game to the Americans. He had two assists in eight games with a plus/minus rating of plus-7 (+7).

Playing in Czech junior leagues as a teenager, Kempny represented his home country on the International stage on several occasions. He played for the U18 squad back in 2007-08, and U20 team the following two seasons.

Ultimately going undrafted, Kempny began his progression through the Czech ranks bouncing through several leagues each year. It wasn’t until 2011-12 when he finally settled into the top Czech men’s league playing for HC Kometa Brno.

Three years later (2013-14), he dawned the “A” on his jersey, and saw his point total nearly double from 15 points the previous season to 29.

The breakout season caught the attention of the KHL as Avangard Omsk came calling for his services in 2015-16. In 59 KHL games, Kempny scored five goals, 16 assists (21 points) with a plus-18 (+18) rating.

Next: NHL Mock Draft 5.5: 7 Rounds of Prospect Analysis

With the Chicago Blackhawks likely facing more tough decisions this summer in order to make room for both Andrew Shaw (RFA) and Brent Seabrook’s hefty new cap hit. Don’t be surprised if Chicago is hoping Michal Kempny can step in immediately and log significant minutes – he may have to with more contracts expected to be shipped out.

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