Blackhawks Sign Alex Vlasic to 6-year Contract Extension

The 22-year-old Vlasic played his first full NHL season with the Blackhawks in 2023-24, scoring two goals and 14 assists for 16 points in 76 games. However, it was his play away from the puck that stood out to both the coaches and fans of the team, and he became the Blackhawks’ top shutdown defender through the second half of the season.

“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson said in a team statement. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex established himself as an important piece of our young core, and we’re excited to have him with us for the next six years.”

Vlasic finished the season with a team-leading 148 blocked shots, and the second-highest average ice time with 21:29. He also finished with the second-highest average ice time on the penalty kill, logging 2:19 per night.

“I would love to be here as long as possible,” Vlasic said to the media on April 20. “It’s amazing being able to play for my hometown team, the same city I grew up in, so I’m not really looking to go anywhere else. I want to be here as long as possible and he knows that.”

THW Blackhawks reporters Brooke LoFurno and Gail Kauchak wrote their defensive grades on the 2023-24 season, giving Vlasic their highest grade, an A.

“It’s really been impressive to watch Vlasic do so consistently well all season long. He’s just so good at using his size and long reach to break up plays,” Kauchak said. “(H)e’s smart, almost always in the right position … I don’t believe in giving perfect marks because there’s always room for improvement. But Vlasic was pretty damn close, considering this was just his first full NHL season.”

Blackhawks Drafted Vlasic in 2019

Vlasic was taken in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and spent three years at Boston University, becoming one of the preeminent shutdown defenders in college hockey. He led the team in blocked shots in his senior season and earned Hockey East All-Star honors.

In 82 games through three college seasons, he scored four goals and 16 assists for 20 points. He served as an alternate captain in his junior season.

The native of Wilmette, IL, signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Blackhawks in March 2022, appearing in 15 games with the club towards the end of the season. He spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rockford IceHogs, scoring two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 56 games.

The 6-foot-6 defender represented the U.S. at the U18 World Championship in 2019, earning a bronze medal.