David Gust And His Journey To The NHL

Photo Credit: Rockford IceHogs

Very few players make it to the NHL, and most want to be there. David Gust is no different than any other player in the AHL. David was undrafted and signed a 1-year AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors in 2017.

That changed this week for David.

He was ready to quit the sport this past summer in order to settle down with his family and take that next step in life. During Saturday's game, Gust scored his first goal, first shift, and first NHL game with his home team, Chicago Blackhawks.

Gust is on the smaller side for a winger at 5 foot 10 and 175 lbs. During his rookie season with Bakersfield, David played 53 games and posted 13 goals and 11 assists. He led the Condors that season in rookie scoring. He re-signed a deal with Bakersfield for the next year and played in 59 games posting 18 goals and 15 assists during that season.

During the 2019-2020 season, David signed a contract with the Charlotte Checkers, who at the time was the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. He posted 11 goals and 20 assists during the shortened season. He was re-signed for the next season with the Chicago Wolves, who is now the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, but this time Gust was signed to a one-year, two-way deal. During the 20-21 season, David only appeared in 16 games and posted 2 goals and 2 assists.

Gust re-signed a 1-year AHL contract for the 21-22 season, where he played in 64 regular season games and posted 16 goals and 20 assists. He assisted the Chicago Wolves on their run for a Calder Cup last year, appearing in 18 postseason games. He scored 5 goals and 7 assists during the postseason. The Team eventually won the 2022 Calder Cup shutting out the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-0.

During the off-season, David signed a 1-year deal with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. He led the IceHogs in scoring with 50 points through 51 games. On February 23, 2023, Chicago Blackhawks signed David to a two-year, two-way deal.

- Samantha Wismer- Olde City Sports Network/American Beauties- An AHL Podcast

Photo Credit- Brad Repplinger/Rockford IceHogs