Vinnie Hinostroza told reporters Thursday he was “shocked” when he learned the Chicago Blackhawks were trading him to the Arizona Coyotes in a seven-player deal.
Vinnie Hinostroza said he was “shocked” when he found out her was being traded, but assured that he’s “excited to join such a young team.” #Blackhawks
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 12, 2018
Hinostroza signed a two-year contract extension with a $1.5 million annual cap hit June 15. The 24-year-old is an undersized winger at 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds, but that hasn’t hampered his scoring ability. He scored seven goals and assisted on 18 others in 50 NHL games after starting the season with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.
Asked about role with Hawks, Hinostroza said: “It changed every night as a young guy there’s a lot of pressure you never really know what you’re going to be asked what to do that night … I’m excited to just be able to go in and play my game and not worry about stuff like that.”
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 12, 2018
Hinostroza, a Barlett, Illinois native, joins Scott Darling (Lemont), Ryan Hartman (West Dundee) and Tommy Wingels (Evanston) has local talent to be traded by Chicago general manager Stan Bowman in the last 14 months.
Chicago drafted Hinostroza in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL draft and signed him to an entry-level contract after his sophomore season at Notre Dame.