First-round picks Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel to join Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks signed first-round draft picks Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel to three-year, entry-level contracts through the 2026-27 season, with both expected to make their NHL debuts before the end of the season.

The contracts carry a $950,000 cap hit.

The players, both 20-year-old Minnesota natives, come to the Blackhawks from the University of Minnesota, which concluded its season Thursday with a 5-4 overtime loss to Massachusetts.

Moore, a forward, was taken by the Blackhawks with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. In 76 career games with the Golden Gophers, Moore tallied 66 points (21 goals, 45 assists). He was a Big Ten All-Rookie Team selection in 2024 after his freshman season, and he won back-to-back gold medals for the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2024 and '25.

Rinzel, a defenseman, was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 2024-25 season. His 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) this season put him sixth among blueliners in the NCAA.

In his college career, he totaled 60 points (12 goals, 48 assists) in 79 games, and he also was a member of the 2024 IIHF World Juniors team. The Blackhawks selected him with the No. 25 overall pick of the 2022 draft.

The Blackhawks (21-43-9, 51 points) have the second-worst record in the league entering play Saturday. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, Chicago has made the playoffs just three times, losing in the first round every season. They will finish below .500 for five consecutive seasons.

The Athletic reported that both players are expected to debut this season, which has 10 games remaining. Per The Athletic, Moore is expected to play Sunday against the Utah Hockey Club.

--Field Level Media