The Chicago Blackhawks have locked up another young forward for two more seasons, announcing a contract extension for MacKenzie Entwistle on Wednesday morning.
Entwistle signed a 2-year contract extension thatโs worth $800,000. He was already under contract for the 2021-22 season as the final year of his entry-level contract with a $811,667 cap hit. This deal keeps him in Chicago through the end of the โ23-24 season.
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Mackenzie Entwistle returns on a two-year extension! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/amHda85AcE
โ Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 18, 2021
Entwistle, who turned 22 in July, was originally a nice third-round pick (69th overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 184-pound forward came to the Blackhawks organization one year later as part of the massive trade that sent Marian Hossaโs contract to Arizona.
After completing his OHL career, Entwistle spent the majority of the last two seasons playing with the IceHogs. In 78 AHL games, he tallied 15 goals and 23 assists. He also made his NHL debut in the 2021 season, notching his first NHL goal after finishing off this neat passing play during a quick counter attack with Patrick Kane and Mike Hardman:
Entwistle played in five NHL games with one point and one assist in that time, showing off improved skating ability that was a key part of his offseason focus, as he told Ben Pope of the Sun-Times.