Chicago Blackhawks Throwback Thursday: Dave Bolland

It’d be hard to forget former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland

In today’s edition of Throwback Thursday, I do not venture too far back with Dave Bolland. Bolland is garnering headlines today as he was traded from the Florida Panthers to Arizona. Bolland was a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004. He was the 32nd pick in the draft.

Bolland was a member of the vaunted London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He spent four years with the Knights, appearing in 254 games and recording 135 goals and 164 assists.

Bolland would move up to the Blackhawks’ AHL team, the Norfolk Admirals in 2006-07. He would only spent two seasons in the AHL between the Admirals and the Rockford IceHogs. In two seasons he appeared in 81 games, scoring 23 goals and recording 36 assists.

Bolland’s career in Chicago had some high notes

Bolland cracked the Blackhawks’ roster in 2008-09. He would appear in 81 games, the most in his NHL career, during that season. He recorded 19 goals and 28 assist for 47 points career highs.

Bolland has not exceed 40 points since the 2008-09. He would earn the nickname the “The Rat” and coin the phrase the “Sedin Sisters” in reference to Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin around this time as well.

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Bolland would be a key Cog in the Blackhawks’ first Stanley Cup championship run in the current era. After only appearing in 39 regular-season games, he would appear in 22 playoffs games recording 16 points with eight goals and eight assists.

Bolland would play 61 games in 2010-11 after the Stanley Cup firesale. He would put up 37 points in 2010-11. The very next year he would post 37 points in 76 games as the Blackhawks were once again bounced from the playoffs in the first round.

In the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Bolland appeared in 29 regular-season games and 18 playoff games. He helped the Blackhawks win their second Stanley championship in the Joel Quenneville era, scoring the Cup Final-clinching goal against Boston.

Bolland’s post-Blackhawks career has been a struggle

The Blackhawks traded Bolland to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second-round pick shortly after the 2013 Cup win. He was projected as their second-line center. He would stay in Toronto for one injury plagued year. He only appeared in 23 games and recorded 12 points.

The Leafs and Bolland were unable to come to an agreement on a contract the following offseason. In free agency, he would take his talents to Florida and join the Panthers for five years at $27.5 million. Then-Panthers and former Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon loves his former players, and Bolland was clearly a Tallon favorite. In two seasons, he appeared in 78 games, registering seven goals and 21 goals.

Next: Blackhawks Morning Links, August 25

Today it was announced that Bolland will once again be on the move. The Panthers have traded Bolland and prospect Lawson Crouse to Coyotes for draft picks. Bolland’s NHL story continues even though his Blackhawks story is closed.