Here Come the (Young and Exciting) Hawks!

2009 Compuware/NHL Premiere Fan Rally

Yes, bring that fight music back...the Here Come the Hawks, the Mighty Blackhawks! I'll let you sing along to the rest of the words, but yes, hockey is back!

Now, the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin gets two goals and an assist in his season opener on Thursday. Man, is he good?! He is the face of the NHL, along with Malkin and Crosby on the Penguins.

Yet, back to Chicago, Patrick Kane made it through an alleged attack on a Buffalo cab driver this summer and is the cover boy for the NHL 2010 game on EA Sports. His buddy Jonathan Toews is the captain of the team. At 21, he is the third-youngest captain in NHL history. There is plenty of young talent around the NHL, and the Hawks are right in the middle of that.

The Hawks players are all pretty talented, and you have some veterans as well in John Madden (no relation, and he does take a plane, i think) and goalie Cristobal Huet. The netminder will obviously be scrutinized this year, now that he takes over for a departed Nikolai Khabibulin. His backups are youngsters Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi.

Speaking of Niemi, the exciting Hawks will open the season in his native country of Finland. Chicago plays the Panthers on Friday and Saturday. The rivals, Blues and Red Wings, begin their seasons with two games against each other in Sweden. Chicago comes back to play next Thursday, Oct 8 at Detroit...that will certainly be an exciting start.

There are high expectations and many questions surrounding the Blackhawks this season. Last year's conference final berth has brought a lot of attention to Chicago hockey. It all starts again in Finland this weekend.

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