Teuvo Teravainen was so excited to find an old Blackhawks hat stuffed away inside his home in Finland that he didn’t notice the dead spider stuck to its underside.
Donning the dusty, circa-2015 hat for his welcome-back-to-Chicago virtual news conference Tuesday, Teravainen said it was an “easy decision” to sign a three-year contract with the Hawks despite numerous offers in free agency.
“When I heard they might be interested, I was — right away — very interested,” he said. “I know the city; I have good memories from there. I just felt [it was] a good path for me right now. I can join a young team. Hopefully I can help them get back to the playoffs.”
There’s a lot of nostalgia involved in this reunion for Teravainen and for Hawks fans and employees alike.
Back in the day, the Hawks’ 2012 first-round pick felt like the shy, lovable baby brother of the dynasty era. His eruption for 10 points in 18 games during the 2015 Stanley Cup run — despite having logged only 37 career NHL games prior to those playoffs — cemented his fan-favorite status.
Now-general manager Kyle Davidson, then a relatively anonymous staffer ranking well below ex-GM Stan Bowman — who infamously surrendered Teravainen to the Hurricanes in an ill-advised June 2016 trade predicated on shedding Bryan Bickell’s contract — experienced that phenomenon firsthand. Davidson, it turns out, picked up Teravainen from the airport on his first trip to the city.
“I don’t even know if he remembers me or knows that that guy that picked him up is the same person that signed him now,” Davidson said last week. “We shared a couple meals out together. He didn’t know anyone, so I was giving him the lay of the land.
“He’s 29 [now]. ‘Holy Jeez!’ That’s, for me, where it feels like, ‘OK, I’ve been around a little while, too.’ The years have gone by so fast that you lose track.”
It turns out the Finnish kid-turned-adult actually does remember that moment, calling it a “funny story right now when he’s the GM and not the driver anymore.”
There will be plenty more reminiscing over glory days during the next few months before the regular season begins Oct. 8 in Utah.
Starting then, though, the Hawks will find out exactly how much their numerous summer additions improved their team. They have high expectations that Teravainen — who averaged 65 points per 82 games over the last seven years in Carolina — will be one of the most influential of those additions.
“Teuvo has played with good players in Carolina, and Tyler [Bertuzzi has] shown he can play with some really good players and complement more skilled players very well, so there’s a lot of versatility there to how the coaches can use them,” Davidson said. “Their ability to play top-six minutes in offensive roles was the main appeal.”
Over the past three years, Teravainen recorded far more time on ice alongside Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho than anyone else, and they delivered great results. The Hurricanes enjoyed a 53.5% scoring-chance ratio during their five-on-five time together while outscoring opponents 73-47.
The idea is Teravainen could soon occupy a similar role alongside Connor Bedard, although Bertuzzi, Philipp Kurashev and Taylor Hall will also compete for the two available first-line wing spots. Hawks coach Luke Richardson, who has long admired the Hurricanes’ fast-skating, high-pressure system, wants Teravainen to bring that same approach to Chicago.
His underrated defensive skills could help cover for Bedard’s weaknesses there. And his ability to contribute to the forecheck, maintain puck possession and execute accurate passes could create more opportunities for Bedard to unleash his deadly shot.
“I’ve seen all [of Bedard’s] highlights,” Teravainen said. “He seems like a pretty good player. [He’s] young for sure, but hopefully I can help him get better.”