GettyImages-1178144017

The Blackhawks have announced their latest signing from the European professional ranks -- Pius Suter, a 5-foot-11 forward from Switzerland who has spend the past five seasons with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League. He skated in a pair of NHL rookie camps, for the Senators in 2017 and the Islanders in 2018, and also led Switzerland in scoring at the 2018 Olympics, posting five points (3G, 2A) in four games.

Here's what you need to know about the 24-year-old:

RELATED LINKS

DEJA VU?

Suter led Swiss League in scoring last season with 53 points (30G, 23A) in 50 games. He took the scoring crown from one Dominik Kubalik, who led Switzerland's top league in 2018-19 with 57 points (25G, 32A) in 50 games for HC Ambrì-Piotta. Each were named the league's best forward and MVP upon media voting.

Both forwards also spent a two-year stint in the Ontario Hockey League before taking the Swiss league by storm, Kubalik with Sudbury and Kitchener from 2012-14 and Suter with Guelph from 2013-15. At 24 years of age, Suter could one again follow in Kubalik's footsteps and make the jump to the NHL at the same age as the 2019-20 NHL rookie goal scoring leader.

Blackhawks sign Suter, Kalynuk

THE DAGGER

After five seasons with the ZSC Lions, Suter will feel right at home in Chicago. Why, you ask?

Zurich's goal song at home games is none other than "Chelsea Dagger."

Take a look at this video with Suter's highlights from the 2019-20 season. Every time you see him in ZSC's blue home jerseys and hear the faint tones of The Fratellis, you can almost picture the same scene in a red jersey with the raucous United Center as the backdrop.

ENEMIES-TURNED-ALLIES

In two trips to the World Junior Championships in 2015 and 2016, Suter's Swiss teams finished last in their group on both occasions. In his four of his eight group-stage games, however, he went head-to-head against players he now will call teammates.

In 2015, Switzerland won their opening game opening game of the tournament 5-2 over a Czech Republic side with forwards named Dominik Kubalik and David Kampf on the opposing bench.

A year later, the Swiss opened with an 8-3 loss to Sweden and Alex Nylander's four-assist night. Three nights later, they picked up their only point of the tournament a shootout loss to Canada with Dylan Strome and John Quenneville celebrating the victory that night -- Strome and Suter going head-to-head in the shootout's first round, both missing. Then, Switzerland suffered a 10-1 defeat at the hands of the USA and Blackhawks defensive prospect Chad Krys to close out their group stage.

In that 2016 tournament, though, Suter almost single-handedly spared Switzerland from relegation, scoring the first three goals in a 6-2 win over Belarus in the clinching game of the best-of-three round for the right to remain in the tournament the following year.