2011 NHL Playoffs: How 5 Defending Champion Chicago Blackhawks Have Fared

The Chicago Blackhawks defense of the Stanley Cup ended with a first round series defeat at the hands of Vancouver.  That's not exactly breaking news.

However, some of the defending champions still had an opportunity to hoist the cup in a different sweater.

Ten of last season's Stanley Cup winners found themselves on new teams in the course of the 2010-11 campaign.  Five of those skaters found themselves on playoff teams.

Let's see how these defending champions have done in this year's playoffs.

Brent Sopel

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MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 21: Brent Sopel #55 of the Montreal Canadiens turns up ice with the puck in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 21, 2011

Sopel started the season down in Atlanta, having been sent there with Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager and Andrew Ladd in two separate trades this past summer.

He had two goals, five assists and was a plus-seven in 59 games for the Thrashers before being dealt to Montreal, where he played in 12 regular season games.

Sopel saw action in all seven games of the Canadiens first round series loss to Boston.  He scored a goal in Montreal's Game 4 overtime loss.

Kris Versteeg & Nick Boynton

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BOSTON, MA - MAY 06: Kris Versteeg #10 of the Philadelphia Flyers gets a shot past Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 6, 2011 in Boston, Massa

Versteeg also saw time with two teams in 2010-11.  He started the season with Toronto, moving to Philadelphia in mid-February.

Versteeg's regular season numbers (21 G, 25 A, 46 points, minus-9) were nearly identical to his production with the 'Hawks.  He had five assists in the Flyers' first-round series win against Buffalo.

Friday night the Bruins completed a sweep of the Flyers in the Eastern Conference semis.  Versteeg tallied his only goal of the playoffs, a second-period backhanded shot that tied the contest before Boston pulled away to end Philadelphia's season.

Boynton, who was waived by the 'Hawks just before the trade deadline, was picked up by the Flyers and skated him in 10 games.  He did not dress for the playoffs.

Ben Eager

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PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 23: Ben Eager #55 of the San Jose Sharks during the NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on February 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Sharks defeated the Penguins 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by

Eager also started the season in Atlanta, where he player 34 games before going to San Jose midseason.  He played in 34 more games for the Sharks, finishing the regular season with seven goals and 10 assists.

Eager has dressed in six postseason contests in the Sharks' playoff run.  His most memorable moment so far has been his trip with Todd Bertuzzi into the Detroit bench midway through San Jose's 2-1 Game 2 victory.

Eager dropped the gloves when they came out of the box, but was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty when Bertuzzi did not respond to the challenge.

Antti Niemi

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DETROIT - MAY 4: Goaltender Antti Niemi #31 of the San Jose Sharks takes a breather against the Detroit Red Wings in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 4, 2011 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mic

Niemi, who signed a one-year deal with San Jose this summer, had an up and down year but righted himself to have an impressive season.  He signed a four year, $15.2 million extension with the Sharks, whom he has helped to reach the doorstep of the Western Conference Finals.

Niemi has started all 12 games for San Jose in the playoffs.  Despite losses to Detroit Friday and Sunday nights, Niemi and the Sharks hold a 3-2 series advantage.

Could last year's playoff hero hoist a second cup in a different sweater?  Niemi and Eager are the only remaining Blackhawks with a shot to repeat.