Release from 20.07.2026

Bozen signs defenseman Blake Hillman

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HCB Südtirol Alperia has announced the signing of defenseman Blake Hillman. The 30-year-old American is set to play in Europe for the first time after appearing in around 300 AHL games. Most recently, Hillman — who also played four NHL games — was a regular member of the Hartford Wolf Pack for several years.

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After his first college season in Denver, Blake Hillman was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round, 173rd overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft. He won the NCAA championship with Denver and signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on March 27, 2018. Just three days later, he made his debut in the world’s top ice hockey league against the Colorado Avalanche. On April 4, he scored his first NHL goal, contributing to Chicago’s 4–3 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

In the following season, he played exclusively for the AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs. He then became a free agent and spent most of the 2019/20 season with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL. After another ECHL campaign with the South Carolina Stingrays, he returned to the AHL in 2021: although he signed an ECHL contract in Toledo, he appeared in the AHL on loan for the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Providence Bruins. In 2022, the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, took notice of him. There, Hillman found his new sporting home and established himself as a key part of the defense over four seasons.

Blake Hillman: “I’m really excited to join the Foxes and start a new chapter in my career. Playing in Europe has always been something I wanted to experience. After speaking with the club, I felt that Bolzano is the right place for me. My goal is simple: I want to contribute to the team’s success in every possible way and keep improving every day.”

Photo: Hartford Wolf Pack