IceHogs Get Players Back 1/17/13

The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned forwards Jimmy Hayes and Brandon Pirri and defenseman Ryan Stanton to the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs.

Hayes, 23, recorded 17 points (8G, 9A) and an AHL career-best +2 plus/minus rating in 37 regular-season games with the IceHogs. The Boston native shared fifth on the club with a career-high eight goals. Originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (60th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Hayes notched nine points (5G, 4A) in 31 regular-season games with the Blackhawks last season in his NHL debut and tallied 15 penalty minutes in two 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals tilts.

Pirri, 21, ranked third on the club with 26 points (10G, 16A) in 38 regular-season games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. The Toronto native paced the club with 103 shots on goal and ranked third on the team with 16 assists. The Blackhawks' second-round selection (59th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Pirri tallied two assists and a +2 plus/minus rating in five contests with Chicago during the 2011-12 regular season and paced the club with four goals and five points in four games during the 2011 preseason. Pirri has notched two assists and a +1 rating in six career NHL regular-season games.

Stanton, 23, registered nine assists and ranked second among club blueliners with a +7 plus/minus rating in 38 regular-season games with the IceHogs. The St. Albert, Alberta, native matched career highs in goals (3), assists (14) and points (17) with the IceHogs last year and was named the team's Top Defenseman for the 2011-12 season. Stanton's career-most 130 penalty minutes ranked second on the club, and the blueliner was the only IceHogs skater to appear in all 76 regular-season tilts. He has registered 44 career AHL points (6G, 38A) and 284 PIM in 188 regular-season games across parts of four seasons with Rockford.