CHICAGO - Goaltender Collin Delia became the second former Indy Fuel player to suit up in a National Hockey League game Thursday night, as he made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks. Delia recorded his first NHL victory, stopping 25 of 27 shots thorough 44 minutes as the Blackhawks defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-2. Delia left the game in the third period after sustaining an apparent injury.
Delia, 23, becomes the first Fuel graduate to play for the Blackhawks since Indy and Chicago began their affiliation in 2014-15. The rookie goaltender is the second former Fuel player in franchise history to reach the NHL, following 2014-15 Indy defenseman Justin Holl, who debuted with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 31, 2018. Delia is the 641st player in the 30-year history of the ECHL to play in the NHL.
Before his recall to Chicago on Wednesday, Delia spent time with both of the Blackhawks' minor league affiliates, becoming the third player in 2017-18 to reach the NHL after playing in both the ECHL and AHL the same season. The native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. began the season with the Fuel, suiting up in 10 games while posting a 1-7-2 record. Since then, Delia has appeared in 24 games with the IceHogs, compiling a 14-6-4 record alongside a 2.68 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Delia was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 4, after logging his first shutout on March 3 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The Fuel continue their push for a Kelly Cup Playoff berth this weekend with a pair of critical Central Division match-ups at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Indy hosts the Kansas City Mavericks Friday, before taking on the Fort Wayne Komets on Made In America night.
Single game tickets are available as the Fuel fight for playoff positioning at Indiana Farmers Coliseum! Don't miss a second of the action during the 2017-18 season - follow the Fuel on Twitter and Instagram (@IndyFuel) and ‘Like' the Fuel on Facebook.
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