// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Sam Rinzel? A rim zel of a guy.
| Sam Rinzel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Rinzel with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in February 2024 | |||
| Born |
June 25, 2004 Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| NHL draft |
25th overall, 2022 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2025–present | ||
Sam Rinzel (born June 25, 2004) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Blackhawks 25th overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft. He played college ice hockey for the University of Minnesota.
Playing career
[edit]At the conclusion of his junior season with the University of Minnesota in 2024–25, Rinzel concluded his collegiate career by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29, 2025.[1] He played in nine games in the 2024–25 NHL season and registered five assists.
During the 2025–26 season, Rinzel scored his first NHL goal during a 3–2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on October 11, 2025.[2] On December 8, after recording eight points in 28 games, he was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[3]
International play
[edit]| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  United States | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2024 Sweden | |
On December 16, 2023, Rinzel was named to the United States junior team to compete at the 2024 World Junior Championships.[4]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2019–20 | Chaska High | USHS | 25 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Chaska High | USHS | 19 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Chaska High | USHS | 27 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 21 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 58 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 39 | 2 | 26 | 28 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 40 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 9 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 54 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 23 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 63 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
[edit]| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | United States | HG18 | 5th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2024 | United States | WJC |  |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
Awards and honors
[edit]| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year | 2025 | |
| All-Big Ten First Team | 2025 | |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | 2024 | [5] |
| All-Big Ten Freshman Team | 2024 | |
| AHCA West First Team All-American | 2025 | [6] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Blackhawks sign Moore and Rinzel to entry-level deals". Chicago Blackhawks. March 29, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ↑ Miles, Bruce (October 11, 2025). "Guhle scores with 15 seconds left in 3rd, Canadiens edge Blackhawks". NHL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Chicago Blackhawks send defenseman Sam Rinzel to AH". ESPN.com. December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ Morreale, Mike G. (December 16, 2023). "Gauthier leads United States 2024 World Junior roster". NHL.com. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ↑ "Big Ten Conference Announces Hockey Postseason Awards". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. March 19, 2024. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Boston College leads way with four 2024-25 All-Americans". USCHO.com. April 11, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
 | This biographical article relating to an American ice hockey player is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 2004 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
- American ice hockey defensemen
- Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
- Chicago Blackhawks players
- Ice hockey players from Minnesota
- Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey players
- People from Chanhassen, Minnesota
- NHL first-round draft picks
- Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
- Waterloo Black Hawks players
- American ice hockey player stubs