Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Raddysh: 5 Quick Facts

When the Chicago Blackhawks traded Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, and two first-round picks, expectations were high for the acquired players. They say you don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and those two have certainly made a great impression, but none more so than Raddysh. The 24-year-old has five points in eight games since joining the team on March 19. He is playing in his first NHL season and could be a steal of a pickup. This pleasant surprise has fans wanting to get to know the newcomer better. With that, here are five things to know about him.

1. Multi-Sport Threat

As fans are coming to realize, Raddysh looks like he will have a promising career as an NHL forward, but you may be surprised to learn that he is also a dynamic lacrosse player. Dylan Strome, who is a good friend of Raddysh’s, gave some insight into his lacrosse history, stating, “He’s a better lacrosse player than he is a hockey player. He was probably one of the best players in Canada for his age for lacrosse. It’s funny because he’s from Georgetown (Ontario), and he played for the Halton Hills Bulldogs, and they always beat the crap out of us in lacrosse every time” (From ‘childhood to the minors to the NHL, new Chicago Blackhawks Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk have a special bond’, Chicago Tribune, 4/1/22).

Raddysh said lacrosse was a sport he grew up playing as his father, Dwayne, encouraged him to play as he told him it would help with the physicality that hockey brings. He was able to play up a few age groups with his brother Darren, and he was on the all-star team in Ontario for a two-week tournament. If you’re wondering why Raddysh decided to continue down the path of hockey instead of lacrosse, his answer was golden, stating, “Actually, I was pretty good at lacrosse. Kind of gave up on that when I was 14. Just hated running.” Something tells me that with quotes like that, he will be a fun player to listen to behind the mic.

2. Brotherhood Bond with Boris Katchouk

When players are acquired in a trade package together, like Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, I believe it piques fans’ interest in their friendship on their last team, just like when Strome and Brendan Perlini were acquired together by the Blackhawks from the Arizona Coyotes. Raddysh and Katchouk have a long history together that goes beyond Tampa Bay.

The 26-year-old defenseman recorded 48 points in 120 games with the Icehogs. The Blackhawks ended up trading him to the New York Rangers in Feb. 2019, and as of right now, he is a member of the Lightning organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the team back in July.

5. Good Vibes Only in Chicago

Even with a successful start to his Blackhawks career, Raddysh could not be happier in his new home. When speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times, he stated, “I’m excited. Tampa was kind of a tough situation with how good of a team they had, and they had a lot of guys that I was behind and kind of lower on the minutes and in and out of the lineup. I’m excited to be here and to get a good opportunity to play and show myself and be able to prove myself out there.” He ended the interview in a similar fashion stating, “If I can fit in wherever I fit in, just to be able to get more minutes, that’s obviously an exciting part,’’ Raddysh said. “You get to play more, more things happen, you get more confidence and you start playing better. That’s kind of my main reason I’m very excited to be here” (from ‘Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk have differing views of trade to Blackhawks’, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/20/22).

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Raddysh seems like a perfect fit for the Blackhawks so far. Besides his chemistry with DeBrincat and Strome, he also appears to have some with Jonathan Toews as well. Of course, he still has more to prove for the remainder of April, but you couldn’t ask for a better debut. He is excited to be with the Blackhawks, and fans are excited to have him too.