from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
Pius Suter wanted to give back to the man who picked him off the free agent pile, to show it was a smart investment.
He already played his former teammates when the Detroit Red Wings went into Chicago Oct. 24, but that was near the start of the season. The Blackhawks make their appearance at Little Caesars Arena Wednesday, at the halfway point of the season, meaning Suter has had time to reinforce general manager Steve Yzerman's decision to sign him.
Suter became an unrestricted free agent last summer when the Blackhawks decided not to keep him even after a very good rookie season; 14 goals among 27 points in 55 games.
He described being rejected by the Blackhawks as disappointing, but getting a call from Yzerman was a pretty sweet balm.
"You take it as a big compliment," Suter said Tuesday. "It means you did something right. You take it with pride and hopefully you can give that trust back."
Suter has nine goals among 19 points in 42 games, averaging around 17 minutes per game.
"When we signed Suits as a free agent, we felt he was one of the top guys available to be able to fill a top-two line role at the center ice position," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We felt we had a need there so it made sense to put him there and give him opportunities to play with some guys, and then you spend some time to see who has chemistry."
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