Hockey

Report: Ilya Safonov Expected to Sign With Chicago Blackhawks After 2024/25 Season

Published: Feb 21, 2025, 12:00 PM
1 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025, 11:52 AM
Ilya Safonov

Ilya Safonov (Photo by ak-bars.ru)

Ak Bars Kazan forward Ilya Safonov is expected to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season. The 23-year-old, who was selected by the Blackhawks in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has reportedly made the decision to continue his career in North America, according to sources speaking to RG.

Safonov’s current contract with Ak Bars expires on May 31, 2025, at which point he will be free to finalize a deal with Chicago. However, his Russian representative, Alexey Dementyev, has declined to confirm the reports.

“I can't say anything specific yet. It's too early. He is still recovering from an injury,” Dementyev said to RG.

Strong Performance in the KHL

Despite dealing with injuries, Safonov has continued to be a key player for Ak Bars during the 2024/25 season. In 39 games, he has recorded 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) and holds a +12 plus-minus rating while averaging 16 minutes and 28 seconds of ice time per game.

His most productive season came in 2022/23, when he registered 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 64 games, playing a crucial role in Ak Bars’ run to the Gagarin Cup Final.

Safonov suffered an injury on January 8 during a game against Salavat Yulaev. After delivering a body check, he skated to the bench while holding his arm. However, he was removed from the injured list on February 17 and is expected to return to the lineup in the coming games.

International Experience and NHL Aspirations

Safonov has experience representing Russia at both the junior and senior levels. In 2020, he played seven games at the World Junior Championship, scoring two goals. That same year, he made his senior national team debut at the Karjala Cup.

Although Safonov previously stated in June 2024 that he was focused on winning the Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars, reports suggest the team has already begun searching for his replacement, indicating that he will not be renewing his contract.

With his KHL tenure nearing its end, the Blackhawks appear poised to add a promising two-way forward to their roster for the 2025/26 NHL season.

Hockey Reporter
Daria Tuboltseva has been reporting on hockey since 2016, covering some of the sport’s biggest stages, including the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, the IIHF World Championships, and the KHL Gagarin Cup Finals. Over the past decade, her work has appeared in major outlets like Championat.com, Sport24, and the official websites of both the KHL and WHL. Along the way, she’s interviewed some of the game’s top stars, including Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Kirill Kaprizov, and Sergei Bobrovsky.
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James Murphy
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James Murphy is a veteran sports journalist covering the NHL, NCAA and CHL hockey for RG.

With 25 years of experience covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA, CHL and more, Murphy has seen it all when it comes to hockey. His hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a diverse array of hockey media personalities who have lived and worked in and around the game. Murphy also currently co-hosts The Eye Test podcast with Pierre McGuire and, along with McGuire, interviews NHL owners and executives, as well as NHL and NCAA head coaches and players daily.

The Arlington, Massachusetts, native began his writing career in hockey in 2001, when the Boston Bruins raised one of his childhood idols, Ray Bourque’s No. 77, to the rafters before their 2001–02 season opener. For 22 of his 25 years as a hockey reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins daily, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals, multiple NHL drafts and countless Stanley Cup playoffs. He did all that for the Boston Metro, NHL.com, NESN.com and ESPN Boston.

In addition to his print work covering the Bruins, Murphy also made regular TV appearances on NESN, Fox 25 Boston, ESPN and NHL Network. From 2008 to 2012, Murphy hosted The Hockey Primetime Show on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and made numerous appearances on national and international radio shows.

Ironically, his three years not covering the Bruins were spent covering their archrivals, the Montreal Canadiens. From 2012 to 2015, Murphy was based in Montreal and covered the Canadiens for NHL.com and TSN.ca. He also appeared regularly on TSN 690 radio and CTV.

Murphy returned to Boston in 2015 and left the media business to work in sales and marketing for LiveBarn, a Montreal-based sports streaming company, for four years. In 2019, Murphy once again became a Bruins beat reporter, this time writing for Boston Hockey Now. He spent four seasons working for BHN before arriving at RG in 2024 and also dedicated more time to The Eye Test podcast.

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