A former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman is officially staying in the KHL.
The KHL's Shanghai Dragons have announced that they have signed former Blackhawks prospect Adam Clendening to a one-year contract.
Shanghai Dragons have signed one-year contracts with goaltender Andrei Tikhomirov, defenseman Adam Clendening and forwards Alexander Burmistrov, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Borna Rendulichttps://t.co/gK6pTpgsBE
— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 17, 2025
Clendening was selected by the Blackhawks with the 36th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. From there, he primarily played at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Rockford IceHogs. In 185 games with Rockford from 2012-13 to 2014-15, the 6-foot blueliner recorded 22 goals, 96 assists, 118 points, and a plus-18 rating. This included posting 12 goals, 47 assists, and 59 points in 74 games with Rockford in 2013-14.
While Clendening certainly made an impact with the IceHogs, it did not result in him getting too many chances on the Blackhawks' roster. He played in just four games with Chicago during the 2014-15 season, where he posted one goal, one assist, two points, and a plus-1 rating.
Clendening's time with the Blackhawks would end in January of the 2014-15 campaign, as he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for blueliner Gustav Forsling. From there, Clendening would become quite the journeyman, as he played for the Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Columbus Blue Jackets following his time with the Blackhawks.
Clendening returned to the IceHogs on an AHL contract during the 2022-23 season, where he posted three goals, 21 assists, and 24 points in 48 games. However, Rockford traded him to the Hartford Wolf Pack later that season.
In 61 games this past season in the KHl with Kunlun Red Star, Clendening recorded five goals and 22 points. He should now be a key part of Shanghai's roster in 2025-26 from here.
Blackhawks Soaring Forward Named Top Breakout CandidateThe Chicago Blackhawks have several exciting young players in their system as they continue their rebuild. They will certainly be hoping that their promising youngsters can continue to develop in the right direction during the 2025-26 season.