Chicago Blackhawks Appreciation Post!!!
I'll be quite honest with you, I don't know all too much about hockey. I mean, I know the rules and the general knowledge of the game, smart maneuvers and such. But when it comes to the other teams in the league & their players, yeah I'm pretty lackluster on the info. I know who are the good players, like the Sedin sisters in Vancouver, they're good & Pavel Datsyuk has moves that rival Derrick Rose in ice skates. Sidney Crosby has a headache and hasn't been able to play for a while now and Alexander Ovechkin is like LeBron, what with his inability to actually matter in the playoffs.
There is one team that I am quite familiar with and as if you couldn't tell already, that is the Chicago Blackhawks! I feel bad for anyone who has not had the pleasure to stand amongst thousands and cheer along while Jim Cornelison belts out the National Anthem. I'm not a super patriotic dude, I love my country but I don't go out of my way to show it, but when Jimmy C is singing the Anthem, it brings so many goosebumps, it makes you damn proud to be an America. Not to mention it gets you pumped for the game like a mother fucker. The Blackhawks have some of the best fans in all of the NHL, a lot of people like to label us as "bandwagon" which is bullshit. You try going through what Bill Wirtz put the Blackhawks fans through in the 90s & early 2000s. He raised ticket prices & refused to televise home games on TV. How's a city supposed to get behind that? Now then, I'm not someone to make light of death, but when "Dollar" Bill croaked in 2007, it meant a new day for the Blackhawks organization. You could see the light at the end of the tunnel a few years earlier when Dale Tallon took over and started bringing in some free agents. Then the 2006 & 2007 NHL drafts happened and the Blackhawks selected Jonathan Toews & Patrick Kane respectively. These two guys are going to be the faces of the Blackhawks for years to come.
That didn't take long..
This may have been the greatest game I have ever seen in sports. Not just hockey, EVER.
I got to witness the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 NHL season and it remains as my favorite sports memory ever. Going to the parade that summer and buying all the Stanley Cup memorabilia made for a hell of a summer. Due to some salary cap issues, the Stanley Cup team isn't all too familiar anymore. Dustin Byfuglien & Andrew Ladd, who were my favorite players, are now up in Canada playing for the Jets. Troy Brouwer is skating in Washington, Adam Burish dons a Dallas Stars uniform, Brian Campbell, Kris Versteeg, & Tomas Kopecky took their talents to South Beach, Ben Eager is chillin' in Edmonton, John Madden was in Minnesota, Antti Niemi went to the hated San Jose Sharks, and Brent Sopel went across the ocean to the KHL. But still, I will never forget how much I loved that team and they remain as my favorite sports team, ever.
Now then, it's time for the 2011-2012 Chicago Blackhawks. Last season was a transitional year for the defending champs, they had a reloaded roster and had an up and down year. They eventually lost to the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks in 7 games in the first round of the playofs (a series they almost came back from down 3-0) I'm expecting big things from them this year. I think the chemistry will be improved and they'll have a breakout year. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, & Patrick Sharp are all still around from the Stanley Cup team. Not to mention key players like Viktor Stalberg, Ben Smith, Jeremy Morin, Nick Leddy, Marcus Kruger, Michael Frolik, Corey Crawford, & Kyle Beach are all returning from last year's team. I really think ALL those guys are going to have better years, especially Ben Smith, Michael Frolik, Corey Crawford, & Nick Leddy. New guys like Andrew Brunette, Daniel Carcillo, Sami Lepisto, Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador, Rostislav Olesz, & David Toews (John's brother) provide some freshness to the team, poised for a great season. With one of the best coaches in the NHL (and the best mustache) Joel Quenneville, leading the way, I have utmost confidence in this team. They may not be the best team in the league & they may not win the Cup, but I think the Blackhawks will be a top 4 team in the West and will be able to challenge in the playoffs. Jonathan Toews has a legitimate shot at making a run as the league's MVP (Hart Trophy) Looking forward to rooting for them all season long!
ORIGINAL SIX FUCK YEAH.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I love the Red Wings, which means I'm kind of obligated to hate the Blackhawks. But it's good to see you guys ended your cup drought. Good luck in the regular season (except for when we play).
You know a good amount about hockey. I'd say Sidney Crosby is my most hated player... Sure, the NHL shoves him down your throat constantly, so that's half of the reason why I hate him.
The other half? 2008 & 2009. Two years where Crosby went from "Oh hey, this guy on TV again?" to "Oh not this bitch again."
Favorite player has to be Datsyuk... the guy is a walking highlight reel, he has so many plays that you just can't afford to take your eyes off of him when he's on the ice.
I gotta say, I love when the Wings and Blackhawks play. It feels like there's a lot of emotion. Sure, I may pretend to hate you guys, but if you know half of anything about the game, I respect you.
Season starts next week. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?
Haha thanks for the comment, bro. Growing up I was always weird with my sports allegiances. As a kid, the Phoenix Coyotes & Detroit Red Wings were my favorite teams. Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios, & Steve Yzerman were some of my favorites. But now, it's 100% Blackhawks.
ReplyDeleteCrosby is a great player, no doubt about it, but he often reminds me of whiny NBA players who bitch and moan about every call. I really dislike players like that, just play the game, especially when you're as good as he is.
I want to say it was 2 years ago, I remember the Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings in a regular season shootout game and Datsyuk did some sick ass deke on our goalie that made him look stupid. Ever since then I've been a fan of Pavel.
I feel the same way. Detroit has great fans, there's a reason it's called Hockey Town. Although, I think I prefer HAWKEY Town ;)