WATCH: Signing Sikura

BOSTON – Ever wonder how a top prospect makes the jump from college hockey to the NHL? Blackhawks Originals made a visit to Boston earlier this season for an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at Dylan Sikura's life at Northeastern both on and off the ice during a historic season for the Northeastern men's hockey program. To watch the feature, click here.
 
"These are the guys you get excited about because we invested a lot of time in him, and we think Dylan has a chance to be a very special player for us," said Chicago senior vice president and general manager Stan Bowman. "It's exciting."
 
Sikura recently closed out a prestigious collegiate career at Northeastern, finishing with 14thon the program's all-time scoring list with 146 points, tied for 30thin career goals (58) and 14thin career assists (88). A two-time Hobey Baker nominee and a Hobey Baker Top Ten Finalist in 2018, the Aurora, Ontario native was third in the nation in scoring this season with 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists), and led the NCAA with 14 power play goals. He was also second in points per game (1.54) behind only teammate Adam Gaudette, and was tied for sixth in the country in assists.
 
What's most impressive about Sikura is his steady progression throughout his career at Northeastern. He went from a seven-point in 25-game freshman campaign to 28 points as a sophomore before a breakout 57-point junior season. 111 of Sikura's 146 career points (76%) came in his last 73 games (1.53 points per game), and he is just one of 10 players in team history to record 100 points over two seasons.
 
"I always say to our players 'you have to love the game,'" said Fernie Flaman Men's Hockey Coach Jim Madigan. "You can't just love the game on Friday and Saturday nights when there's 4,000 people in the building and everyone's cheering your name. You've got to love it on Monday morning when we're practicing and you're banged up from the previous weekend. You've got to love it in the summertime when you're in the weight room when it's nice outside, but you're making the commitment to getting better. Dylan truly loves the game.
 
"He's a playmaker and he's a shooter. He wants to be the guy making the plays out there. he's made tremendous strides because of his passion for the game, and he has the ability to step into the National Hockey League right away."
 
Sikura was part of Northeastern's Big Three in 2017-18, with Gaudette and captain Nolan Stevens. Together, Gaudette (60 points), Sikura (54 points) and Stevens (42 points), combined for 76 goals, including 36 on the power play. The Big Three was one of the most lethal offensive lines in the country, while making NU the only team in the NCAA to have three players with 40-plus points and 20-plus goals apiece.
 
At the conclusion of Northeastern's season in March, Sikura signed a two-year entry level contract with Chicago and made the immediate jump to the big club. There, he played in the Blackhawks' final five games of the season, recording three assists.