New Hawk Vermette grateful to spend some time with family
Antoine Vermette wasn't at Johnny's IceHouse West on Sunday for practice, but the newest Blackhawks forward had a good excuse.
He was at home in Arizona saying goodbye to his wife and daughter after the Hawks acquired him in a trade Saturday night. Vermette, a 32-year old center, didn't get confirmation of the trade until he was seated on the Arizona Coyotes' plane following a game in Boston.
Coyotes general manager Don Maloney confirmed the rumors Vermette had seen in text messages while the plane was rolling toward the runway.
"Literally I was sitting on the plane, and we were moving to take off when I got the confirmation that I was traded," Vermette said in a teleconference Sunday. "It was close enough that actually I was talking to Don Maloney, the GM of (the Coyotes). I said, 'I hate to do this, Donny, but we're actually literally taking off right now.'
"So we cut the conversation a little shorter, and that's how it happened."
It meant long flights on consecutive days for Vermette, who will debut for the Hawks against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday at the United Center.
"On the good side, I got to see my daughter," he said. "We were away for awhile. (I'm) pretty excited to spend a little time with them (Sunday) for a couple hours before a quick turnaround again."
Vermette will center the Hawks' second line, with Patrick Sharp on the left wing and Brandon Saad on the right. Coach Joel Quenneville shook up the lines at practice and moved Brad Richards to the third line.
"You got more guys in the middle," Quenneville said. "It's where you want to be strong at, and the way we play with the responsibility of our (centers) down in their own end, I think he's very effective in that way. Defensively he's got a good awareness to his game, plays hard. He's gonna give us some energy."
Timonen practices:
Newly acquired defenseman Kimmo Timonen, 39, was on the ice for his first practice with the Blackhawks. He also will play Monday, likely paired with Brent Seabrook.
Timonen, who turns 40 on March 18, showed off some of his offensive skill. He practiced at the left point on the top power-play unit after deftly scoring off an uncontested rush by tucking the puck between Corey Crawford's pads.
Timonen has yet to play this season. He had to stay off the ice for six months because of blood clots, but the issue is cleared up.
"It's been six, seven months," Timonen said. "The last couple of weeks I've been able to skate and practice. I'm just looking forward to (playing). I'm ready and looking forward to it."
Erixon gone:
The Blackhawks lost 24-year old defenseman Tim Erixon on Sunday when the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him off waivers. Erixon played in eight games, recording no points, after being acquired in a Dec. 14 trade that sent forward Jeremy Morin to the Columbus Blue Jackets. … Duncan Keith missed practice Sunday, but coach Joel Quenneville said Keith was fine. … Corey Crawford gets the start in net Monday night.