Chicago Blackhawks Farm Report: Joakim Nordstrom Joins Hot Rockford IceHogs

The Chicago Blackhawks announced Sunday morning that forward Joakim Nordstrom had been assigned to the club's AHL affiliate in Rockford. Nordstrom, who had a goal and was a plus-one in eight games in Chicago, will be joining up with an IceHogs team that logged a pair of victories over the weekend.

A big 5-3 win in Chicago over the Wolves, coupled with a thrilling rally in Rockford's home opener against Grand Rapids, have the IceHogs at the top of the AHL's Midwest Division. Rockford is currently 4-2 after sweeping the weekend, good for eight points and a tie for second in the Western Conference.

Saturday's game at the BMO Center saw the IceHogs rally twice from two-goal deficits. Down 4-2 with just over two minutes to play, Brad Winchester and Phillip Danault scored their first goals of the season a minute apart.

Rockford went on to beat Grand Rapids, the defending AHL champs, 5-4 via the shootout.

Red-Hot Morin a Candidate For a Call-Up

Jeremy Morin played a big part in Rockford's success this weekend with two-point games on both Friday and Saturday. Morin also hit twine in Saturday's shootout to help complete the comeback.

Morin is certainly making a case for the Blackhawks to bring him up to the NHL roster. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in six games. The IceHogs have won each of the four games in which Morin has scored.

There was no corresponding roster move with Nordstrom being reassigned. However, Morin is a likely candidate to be called up if the need arises.

Svedberg Signs Entry-Level Deal

Defenseman Viktor Svedberg, who started the season on an AHL contract, was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract by the Blackhawks, the team announced Saturday.

Svedberg, a 22-year-old native of Sweden, has a goal and an assist so far this season for Rockford. He celebrated his new deal with a shootout goal to ended Saturday's contest.

At 6'8", Svedberg is an intriguing prospect for the Blackhawks. His impressive size comes along with some decent puck-handling skills. The Blackhawks have apparently seen enough to invest a couple of seasons in the hopes of developing an NHL blue-liner.

Busy Week Ahead

Rockford goes back to the road again to start this week with a pair of games in Ontario. The IceHogs are in Hamilton Tuesday and play in Toronto the following night. Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Rockford plays host to Charlotte and Texas, respectively.