West Bloomfield's Alec Regula signs $2.69M deal with Blackhawks

Former Detroit Red Wings draft pick Alec Regula of West Bloomfield signed a three-year entry level deal worth $2.69 million with the Chicago Blackhawks this week.

Regula, a 6-4, 205-pound defenseman with the OHL London Knights, was traded to Chicago in exchange for forward Brendan Perlini last month.

"It feels really good to get the contract done," said Regula, who will earn $897,500 per season once he joins the professional ranks. "Now I can focus on having a good year in London and hopefully winning a championship here."

Regula is off to his best start in three years with the first-place Knights (10-4-1-1). He has 15 points in 14 games and is second in the league with a plus 15 rating. 

In three years in London, Regula, a third-round pick by the Red Wings in the 2018 draft, has 25 goals, 54 assists, 79 points and is plus 70 in 147 games.

Regula, whose father was the Red Wings' team dentist for nearly 30 years, said he was "shocked" but not upset when he was traded by Detroit GM Steve Yzerman.

"He (Yzerman) said, 'Listen Alec, I want you to know this wasn't a matter of me trying to get rid of you or anything,'" Regula said. "He said they were looking to add some offense with Perlini and the Blackhawks came asking for me."

For more on Regula and his hockey connections to Michigan, including a state high school championship with Cranbrook-Kingswood in 2015, tune in to the next OctoPulse podcast during the Red Wings-Senators' game on Tuesday, Nov. 19.