Vinnie Hinostroza was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday by the Florida Panthers for Brad Morrison.
Hinostroza did not score a point in nine games with the Panthers this season. The forward, who turned 27 on Saturday, played three seasons for the Blackhawks from 2015-18 and scored 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 106 games.
"I mean it's great," Hinostroza said Monday. "A lot of love and texts I got after the trade was exciting. I think a lot of people are just as excited as I am to be back here. It's a great opportunity. That's the way I look at it. There's so many teams in the NHL that I could've been traded to and it was here. These guys know what I can bring and they thought I could help the team, so they're putting their faith in me. I'm just going to come, work hard every day and prove them right, and show them that I should be here and see what happens from there."
Hinostroza signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on Oct. 9 and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
A native of Chicago who recently became a father, Hinostroza said he's excited to return home.
"The way the season was going for me in Florida, I figured it was a really big possibility that I was going to be moved," Hinostroza said. "When I heard it was Chicago it was kind of a shocker. I was here before and there's 30-something other teams ... how do I end up going home again? My mom and fiancée's mom were probably the happiest people in the world now that they'll be able to see the baby whenever they want. It's a great fit, but the part I'm most happy about is obviously the hockey. I'm just excited to wear this logo again."
Hinostroza, who drove 19 hours from Ft. Lauderdale to Chicago after the trade, practiced on a line with Dominik Kubalik and Philipp Kurashev on Monday and could play when the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, NBCSCH, BSSW+, NHL.TV).
"I feel confident that he can contribute, and we need more of those guys, so happy that he's going to get an opportunity, so we'll see what happens," coach Jeremy Colliton said Saturday.
Selected by Chicago in the sixth round (No. 169) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Hinostroza has scored 100 points (34 goals, 66 assists) in 255 regular-season games with the Panthers, Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes. He has two assists in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Morrison, who has not made his NHL debut, has scored five points (three goals, two assists) in six games with Rockford of the American Hockey League this season. The forward is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Los Angeles Kings on May 1, 2018 and can become a restricted free agent after the season.
The 24-year-old, who was traded to the Blackhawks by the Kings on Oct. 4 for defenseman Olli Maatta, was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (No. 113) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report
