The Chicago Blackhawks have a load of talent on defense. Most importantly, they built up their defensive core throughout the rebuild, and it’s finally coming together as the light at the end of the tunnel becomes brighter. One thing that was unexpected when he was drafted, though, was Louis Crevier becoming as important a piece as he has.
Crevier’s Background
Crevier was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by former general manager Stan Bowman’s camp. Coming into his draft year, he had 21 points in 59 games and a plus-18 rating. Crevier’s 6-foot-8 frame was one of the major deciding factors in him getting drafted, especially being in the seventh round; his height was attractive enough to just go ahead and select him. He bounced around the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, playing for two different teams for the next two seasons after being drafted, putting up an impressive 50 points in 88 games.
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In the 2022-23 season, Crevier got his first shot within the Blackhawks organization, playing a full season with the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League (AHL). Unfortunately, that didn’t go well, as he only had five assists in 62 games, and was a minus-6. There weren’t any grand expectations for him at that point. Despite the rough season in Rockford, his name was called to get his first taste of NHL play with the Blackhawks. Going from a seventh-round pick to making your NHL debut is impressive enough as it is.
Crevier spent half of the season with the Blackhawks, until he was sent back down to the IceHogs to finish the campaign. Crevier excelled this time down in the AHL and got the call back up in the 2024-25 season. That’s when he really found his stride.
Crevier’s Current Role With the Blackhawks
This season, Crevier has five goals and 12 assists for 17 points through 67 games coming off a freshly inked two-year, $1.8 million deal. At 24 years old now, he has improved a lot on both sides of the ice. Right now, Crevier is logging the majority of his minutes with Alex Vlasic, who is 6-foot-6. The two of them back there are like towers.
Defensively, Crevier’s height and being 228 pounds lets him be a physical force. He can push a winger out wide and pin them against the boards, or can use his long stick to poke a puck off of an attacker or disrupt a pass entering the slot. Crevier is also useful on the penalty kill for the same reasons — he’s one of the few left of the once best penalty kill in the league since Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson were traded to the Edmonton Oilers.
Offensively, Crevier is a shoot-first defenseman, and his shot is as lethal as it gets from the point. He will fire the puck from anywhere on the ice, and it will somehow find the goalie and force him to make a save, if he can see it. Crevier’s fifth goal of the season put him at the top of the leaderboard for the hardest shot so far in 2025-26, hitting the radar at 102.5 miles per hour. Crevier is smart with the puck, too, though. He won’t force anything too ambitious and will always look for the easy play.
Overall, Crevier is a sound defenseman who can fire the puck and get a sneaky goal as well. While isn’t the flashiest defenseman by any means, he doesn’t need to be. He has found his role on the third defensive pairing, and his big body and physicality make him exactly the guy the Blackhawks will want to have when they’re competing for a Stanley Cup again.
