Jack Skille

Lore & Background

Skille played college hockey for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where as a freshman he led all Badger freshmen in scoring with 12 goals and 7 assists for 19 points. His goal 11:13 into the third overtime of the 2006 NCAA Midwest Regional Final propelled Wisconsin past Cornell University 1–0 and into the Frozen Four for the first time since 1992. After his sophomore season, he signed with the Norfolk Admirals, the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate.

Skille made his NHL debut on December 30, 2007, against the Los Angeles Kings, and scored his first NHL goal and assist on January 8, 2008, against Cristobal Huet of the Montreal Canadiens. He was traded from the Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers on February 9, 2011, along with Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan, in exchange for Michael Frolík and Alexander Salák. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Skille signed with Rosenborg of the Norwegian GET-ligaen, becoming the first NHL player to play in that league during the lockout; he received no wages from the club.

Skille signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 6, 2013. During a stretch with the team, he scored four goals in seven games. After signing with the New York Islanders as a free agent on July 1, 2014, he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets on October 5, 2014, and appeared in 45 games that season, scoring 6 goals. He later played for the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks, and finished his career with stints in the KHL (HC Dinamo Minsk) and the Swiss National League (Genève-Servette HC).

Reader's Guide

Jack Skille's NHL career spanned parts of ten seasons across five teams, with his most notable contributions coming as a depth forward and occasional scorer. His time with the Columbus Blue Jackets consisted of two separate stints: first as a free-agent signing in 2013, during which he scored four goals in seven games, and then after being claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders in 2014, he played 45 games and scored 6 goals. Skille was part of the Chicago Blackhawks' 2009–10 Stanley Cup-winning campaign, appearing in six regular-season games; he received a ring from the team but his name was not engraved on the Cup and he did not receive a personal day with the trophy. He was selected to represent the Rockford IceHogs at the 2010 AHL All-Star Game. Skille's international experience includes a gold medal at the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championships and leading the U.S. National Under-18 Team in scoring at the Four Nations Cup and Five Nations Tournament. His career also featured a unique lockout stint with Rosenborg in Norway, where he played without wages.

Did You Know?

• Skille was the third of eight American-born players selected in the first round of the 2005 NHL entry draft, surpassing the previous record of seven Americans in the first round.
• He scored the game-winning goal 11:13 into the third overtime to send Wisconsin to the 2006 Frozen Four.
• During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Skille played for Rosenborg in Norway without receiving any wages, the first NHL player to do so.
• Skille received a Stanley Cup ring from the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2009–10 season but his name was not engraved on the Cup.