A WCHA 1st Team All-Star goaltender with North Dakota in '86-87, Belfour was signed as a free agent by Chicago and turned pro with the Saginaw Gears of the IHL in '87-88. He was named cowinner of the IHL Rookie of the Year award and earned a berth on the IHL 1st All-Star Team in his pro debut, allowing an average of just 3.19 goals against per game in 61 games played with Saginaw. He divided his time between Saginaw and the Blackhawks in '88-89, appearing in 23 NHL games while posting an average of 3.87. He played in 33 games for the Canadian National team in '89-90 before rejoining Chicago for the Stanley Cup playoffs. He appeared in 9 post-season games with the Blackhawks, winning 4 and losing 2 while allowing just 17 GA for an average of 2.49.