Chad Billins

Playing career

Chad Billins kicked off his junior hockey career in 2006-07 with the Alpena IceDiggers of the North American Hockey League, then spent a season with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League. He moved on to college hockey, playing four years for the Ferris State Bulldogs in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. His senior season in 2011-12 saw him serve as co-captain, leading the team to its first-ever Frozen Four appearance. Going undrafted, Billins turned pro in 2012 by signing an American Hockey League contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He suited up for 76 games that season, netting 10 goals—three more than his best single-season total at Ferris State—and earned a spot on the Western Conference squad at the 2013 AHL All-Star Game. He also played in 24 playoff contests as the Griffins captured the Calder Cup. That performance landed him a two-way NHL contract with the Calgary Flames, who sent him to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, to start the 2013-14 season. Billins was leading the Heat with five goals when he got his first NHL recall on November 1, 2013. He made his NHL debut on November 5, picking up his first point by assisting on a Jiří Hudler goal in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. On June 30, 2014, Billins signed with Russian club CSKA Moscow for the 2014-15 season, though the Flames issued a qualifying offer to keep his NHL rights. He appeared in only 21 games with CSKA, recording 6 points, before moving to the Swedish Hockey League on December 20, 2014, to finish the season with Luleå HF. On June 12, 2015, he joined his third club in under a year, inking a two-year deal with fellow SHL team Linköpings HC. As a free agent on July 1, 2016, Billins returned to the NHL on a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He spent the entire 2016-17 season with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, playing 72 games and posting 3 goals and 20 points. Facing free agency, he chose to head back to Europe on April 19, 2017, signing a two-year contract to rejoin Linköpings HC in the SHL.