Forward Anthony Beauvillier, who moved to the Chicago Blackhawks last Tuesday, has only been able to play in one of the four games for his new team since then.
This is because the Quebecer, who previously worked for the Vancouver Canucks, has not yet received a work visa in the United States.
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Beauvillier missed games against the Seattle Kraken (Tuesday), Detroit Red Wings (Thursday) and Minnesota Wild (Sunday). However, he was present in the game against the Jets on Saturday evening as the duel was played in Winnipeg.
In that game, the Sorel-Tracy native played on the front row with Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. The unit scored the Hawks’ only goal in a 3-1 loss.
“It’s really fun to play with both of these guys,” said Beauvillier, whose comments were reported by the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.
“They are both very smart and can make a lot of plays at high speed. I just tried to win my battles for the puck and get to the net. There are things we need to work on, but it was pretty good. We got some good passes and zone exits.”
Beauvillier is looking forward to being able to fully participate in the team life of his new organization.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about this group. I felt it and saw it. I’m looking forward to being there, being a good teammate and doing my best.”
The Blackhawks hope Beauvillier will receive his work permit before Tuesday night’s game when the Nashville Predators visit the United Center.