Antoine Vermette Proves Worthy of Taking a Gamble On

This player was the one the Chicago Blackhawks figured they would get when they gave up a prospect and a pick in the first round prior to the trade deadline to get him.

Antoine Vermette did struggle mightily following his trade to Chicago, even being scratched on three occasions earlier in the playoffs. However, his three game winning goals over the past two rounds of the postseason, show that the gamble to pick him up was worth it for Chicago.

Joel Quenneville the Chicago head coach said Vermette has gotten better with each game. That came after Saturday’s 2-1 win that put the Blackhawks one win from its third Stanley Cup in the past six seasons. Quenneville called Vermette’s goal very timely and added that he won important faceoffs and played well at both ends of the ice.

It was the player on the ice Saturday that the Arizona Coyotes had known for years. They were very surprised when their former teammate looked so lost early on with Chicago. One former Arizona teammate said the players were very happy for Vermette as he called him a great teammate who cares deeply about getting wins and is known to come up big when it counts.

However, it took time for Vermette to convince his new teammates and coaches how important he could be for them. He was the top dog at center in Arizona but when he arrived in Chicago, it was a whole new reality.

Vermette himself admitted that it was not the same in Chicago and he had to make adjustments that took time to get used to. His ice time and the role he has on the team have been reduced but he knows what a great opportunity he has to play for a team like this year’s Chicago Blackhawks.

Kris Versteeg his linemate who was instrumental in Vermette scoring his winning goal early in the third period, has talked to his new teammate about how to make adjustments and play on a team like Chicago. After all, this is Versteeg’s second time with the Hawks so he should be aware about how things work on the team.

Marian Hossa a star winger for the Blackhawks added about Vermette that after he learned the system in Chicago he figured out his role and grew into it very well scoring some very big goals for the team.

All is current teammates have one common denominator about Vermette, they are finally seeing the player over the past four weeks that they had been used to competing against out west in Arizona.

With only one win left to win the Stanley Cup, Vermette and his teammates hope the center can come up with another big play to cap of a trying, yet very fulfilling season for the veteran center and bring another Stanley Cup to the Windy City.