Trevor van Riemsdyk signs 2-year extension with Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk has signed a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2017-18 season.

The deal is worth $1.65 million, a source told ESPNChicago.com.

Van Riemsdyk, 23, was one of the Blackhawks' biggest surprises last season. He made the team out of training camp after playing the previous year at the University of New Hampshire. He had one assist and averaged 13:32 of ice time in 18 regular-season games and played in four playoff games for the Blackhawks as a rookie.

"We are pleased to be able to extend Trevor van Riemsdyk's contract with the Blackhawks," his agent Alec Schall said. "The organization has been great to Trevor, and he has made the best of the opportunities that they have presented to him."

Van Riemsdyk underwent two surgeries last season. He fractured his left patella while blocking a shot during an NHL game on Nov. 16. He later injured his right wrist while rehabbing with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL and had another surgery in April. His first game back was Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Van Riemsdyk signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks as a college free agent prior to the 2014-15 season. He is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk.