DeBrincat defies odds, honored to represent Blackhawks at All-Star Game

Alex DeBrincat wasn't supposed to make it in the NHL.

At 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, the Chicago Blackhawks forward was said to be too small to compete. And when he played for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, many credited his production to his linemates, a group that included forwards Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome.
Yet here he is, not only thriving in the NHL, but heading to his first NHL All-Star Game.
"He needs people telling him he has no chance so he can prove them wrong again," former Erie coach Kris Knoblauch said. "He can score goals and do it many ways, but I'm not sure where he'll rank when his career is done."
Right now, DeBrincat is one of the most productive scorers in the NHL. The 24-year-old leads the Blackhawks and is fifth in the NHL with 26 goals this season, numbers that helped earn him a trip to the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 5 (3 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, ESPN+, SN Now, NHL LIVE).
"It's awesome," DeBrincat said of the selection. "We obviously have a couple of guys who probably could've went, but it's an honor for sure and I'm excited to go do that and represent the Blackhawks."

Selected in the second round (No. 39) by the Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Draft, DeBrincat has scored 265 points (145 goals, 120 assists) in 331 games. The 145 goals are ninth in the NHL since the start of 2017-18, his rookie season.
However, DeBrincat is not focused on where he ranks among the League's best.
"I don't really think about it too much," he said. "Just trying to get better each day and help the team win. That's the most important thing. Do everything you can to improve the team game and my personal game as well."
Blackhawks linemate Patrick Kane said he thinks DeBrincat is the most deserving member of the team to go to the All-Star Game, noting his joy and passion for the game.
"It really helps him become a hard worker and one of the best players on the ice every night," Kane said. "He definitely puts in the work in the offseason on and off the ice. You always see him on the ice early, working on his shot, working on whatever, always on the ice late doing the same type of thing. I don't think it's for any other reason than the fact he enjoys the game so much. I think when you have someone that good and they love the game and want to work hard, you're going to see the results you're getting with what you're seeing with 'Brinksy.'"
DeBrincat has also had success internationally with the United States at the 2018 and 2019 IIHF World Championships. He scored nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 10 games in 2018, when the United States finished third, and nine points (seven goals, two assists) in eight games in 2019, when the team finished seventh.
During his rookie season in 2017-18, DeBrincat scored 28 goals with the Blackhawks, third-most among first-year players behind forward Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks (29) and forward Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets (31). Still, Dan Bylsma, assistant for each of those U.S. teams, said he didn't know what to expect from DeBrincat in that first tournament.
"He was a young kid and obviously he scored some goals [with the Blackhawks]," Bylsma, now an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken's American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte, said. "He impressed me greatly with his smartness and ability to score goals, to get his shot off, to get in the right spot, to arrive on time, and really have a knack for goal scoring. I don't know how big he is, but he plays 6-foot-2. When you talk about someone's size, it's not how big they are, it's how big they play."

DeBrincat was playing at Lake Forest Academy (Illinois) in the 2013-14 season when Sherwood Bassin, general manager of Erie watched him at a game in Northern Michigan. Bassin was there to watch one of Erie's prospects, but DeBrincat caught his eye immediately.
"He gets five points, three goals, two assists, but more than that, you could see he played every position," Bassin said. "The only position he didn't play that game was goal. I'm thinking, this guy's a player."
At Erie, DeBrincat scored 332 points (167 goals, 165 assists) in 191 regular-season games and 73 points (30 goals, 43 assists) in 55 playoff games. In his final season with Erie in 2016-17, without Strome and McDavid, DeBrincat had career highs in points (127), goals (65) and assists (62).
"His heart's bigger than his body. His heart is 6-foot-5. Apparently, they got it to fit in that 5-7 body," Bassin said. "He has no fear. He's not intimidated. He can read the play so quickly, he knows where to be to get the puck, knows where to find the puck, too."
Strome, who is now DeBrincat's teammate in Chicago, played on a line with him in Erie from 2014-16 and part of the 2016-17 season. In those two full seasons together, Strome had 240 points (82 goals, 158 assists) in 124 games, and DeBrincat had 205 points (102 goals, 103 assists) in 128 games.
Strome said DeBrincat's game has evolved since then.
"He's always had the knack for scoring big goals or timely goals. His shot is underrated even still. He has a harder shot than people give him credit for, and he's really good at placing it. His overall game has improved a ton," Strome said. "He's relied on defensively on penalty kills now and sets up plays. He gave 'Kaner' an open net the other game, and maybe before he would've shot that, but he slides it over and finds the open net. He's an All-Star for a reason and he's a superstar in the NHL."
DeBrincat has one season remaining on the three-year, $19.2 million contract ($6.4 million average annual value) he signed on Oct. 3, 2019. He's off to a strong start, but could the native of Farmington Hills, Michigan, end up being one of the NHL's best goal-scorers?
Don't discount the possibility, Knoblauch said.
"That's Alex's story, he enjoys people doubting him," Knoblach said. "He's confident in his abilities, and there's no way he could have that success if he wasn't confident."
NHL.com independent correspondent Bruce Miles contributed to this report