Huet is Only Thing Going Wrong with Blackhawks...Too Bad He's the Goalie

There is no more Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, or Curtis Joseph. Martin Brodeur is still a pretty good goaltender, but the era of great goalies in the NHL seems to be slowly diminishing. Despite this overall trend, there is definitely someone out there better than Chicago netminder Cristobal Huet.

Antti Niemi, the Blackhawks' backup, may become the starter more if Huet continues to struggle. Huet was pulled against Calgary last Monday after allowing three goals in under a minute. He allowed only one goal at Nashville, but the Predators had just 13 shots on net.

Then Saturday came, and Huet's troubles showed again and the Hawks fans responded with a chorus of boos at the United Center. There were some bad goals scored by Dallas, as the game-winner came on a dump-in that bounced a couple times off the boards and over the arms of a startled Huet. Now, that was a pretty bad bounce, but you cannot let a goal in like that.

I knew Huet wasn't as good as Nikolai Khabibulin, and there were some concerns when the "Bulin Wall" left for Edmonton. Yet, Huet was marvelous in the season-ending loss at Detroit in last year's postseason, and he looked pretty solid in the regular season. Still, there was a reason Huet didn't play in the playoffs until Khabibulin got hurt. He was not as good as the starter, and it is not like Khabi is the greatest goalie in the world.

Chicago will be near the top of the NHL in goals scored, but in the end, a solid goaltender is needed to win the Stanley Cup. Niemi may get more playing time, but he has yet to prove himself and may have some inconsistencies as well. We will see what happens the rest of the season, which continues this Wednesday when the Hawks host Vancouver.

This is definitely a title contender, and the only thing standing in the Blackhawks way is a good goalie. Unfortunately, this is a pretty big barrier to overcome.

Does Announcer Eddie Olczyk Ever Stop Working?!

Chicago Blackhawks fans have loved many things the last few seasons. You have the "Chelsea Dagger" song after a goal, Jim Cornelison singing the anthem, and a very exciting team on the ice.

The fun does not just happen at the United Center, but it is also felt in the living room. Pat Foley is "the man" at play-by-play, but alongside him, there has been another great addition recently.

Eddie Olczyk loves hockey, has passion in his voice, and explains the game with such clarity that even a rookie to the hockey viewing process can understand. Plus, the great thing about him is that he is everywhere. Blackhawks fans hear him throughout the season on Comcast Sports Net and WGN, he is also the lead analyst on the NHL on NBC, and he does many games for Versus.

Chicago was on Versus last night, so there was no Pat Foley. Yet, you do get Olczyk and that adds to the love of the Hawks. The big comeback from being down 5-0 was enhanced by your own analyst, just as the experience was during the Winter Classic and the postseason last year.

The idea of hearing your own announcer on a national telecast is pretty cool. The Boston Red Sox had it this postseason with Don Orsillo on TBS, although that Boston run ended pretty quickly.

It is also nice that Olczyk never gives away that he is the Hawks' analyst. This is hard to do on a national telecast, considering he works for the Blackhawks throughout the season. Orsillo or a FOX baseball announcer runs into this problem occasionally. Yet Olczyk is on the national telecasts all the time, and the Hawks will be on national TV a good amount this season.

This is just another reason to love the Blackhawks. Foley and Olczyk, Mike Emrick and Olczyk...it doesn't matter. The Hawks' analyst is good on every telecast, and there are certainly a lot to choose from.

Who Needs Goaltending?! Okay, Just Kidding

Wow! It is hard to describe what just happened at the United Center. A crowd of 20,074 will tell you the same thing after the 6-5 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. We are five games into the season and two into the home portion of the season. In those two games, the Chicago Blackhawks have set a franchise record for longest shootout and now a franchise record for biggest comeback.

The Blackhawks had six different players score, something that they do every night (not the 6 goals, but the wide range of scorers...although 6 could be a regular thing). They were down 5-0 to Calgary faster than pitchers Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Franklin, Joe Nathan and Houston Street could blow a save.

John Madden gets a goal near the end of the first period, but they are still four goals behind. The naive, weird fan could say that this gives them momentum and the fact that they are outshooting the Flames, 16-10, gives them hope. Well, maybe it isn't so weird. Mikka Kiprusoff is supposed to be a very good goalie, and he is. Yet Chicago made him look horrible, just as they did at times during a first-round playoff win last season.

The Hawks offense tends to do that to goalies, and you still have free-agent Marian Hossa rehabbing and maybe coming back in November. Now speaking of bad goalies, though, Cristobal Huet had a rough night. Some were not his fault, but he was definitely in bad position at times. Plus, giving up three goals in less than a minute is never a good thing.

I am not sold on Antti Niemi in net either, but he did a pretty solid job in helping the Hawks come back. Still, this goaltending is a bit of an issue. Yet, the offense certainly is not. I wouldn't make a habit of getting down 5-0, but this team can certainly score in bunches. It is safe to say that Chicago has one of the best offenses in the NHL...just ask the Calgary Flames.

Home Sweet Home for the Hawks

Another year of wild crowds and wild hockey games began this evening at the United Center. Chicago will probably lead the NHL in attendance once again this season, and the home season started with 20,655 fans inside the UC on Saturday.

As for the game, well, there may not have been a better way to begin the home schedule. Was it the best game the Hawks will play this year? Well, I hope not. Are there issues that need to be worked out? Yes.

Yet, in the end, Andrew Ladd's goal in the NINTH round of a shootout gave the home team a 4-3 win over Colorado. It was the longest shootout in franchise history, and this back and forth contest gave the big crowd plenty to cheer about and kept them on the edge of their seats.

Cristobal Huet may not be the best goaltender, but he stepped up in the shootout. There is still some concern, though, in how Huet will perform throughout the season. Any goaltending would be nice considering how many goals the offense should score this year. And how about their defensemen? Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, Brent Seabrook and company have scored or assisted on 11 of the 12 goals the Hawks have scored in regulation this year.

There is speed, timing, and a lot of flash in the Hawks offensive attack. The Avalanche saw that tonight and so did 20,000-plus at the United Center. The season's opening month is filled with home games as Chicago plays on the road just two times in the rest of October. The other seven games will have more wild Hawks fans cheering on a very exciting team.

Ten Random Things Floating Around My Head

Ten things I'm thinking about ... other than whoever that girl is .. after the jump.

Here Come the (Young and Exciting) Hawks!

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.

19,734 Fans! They Do Know It is Preseason, Right?!

Man, what an opener for the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. They played an overtime game against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (okay, Ovechkin didn't play, but the thought is nice!). There were 19,734 screaming fans at the United Center.

This all came after a rough offseason that included Patrick Kane's legal troubles, former Blackhawk Martin Havlat's weird verbal bashing of the organization, a demotion of a GM, a new free-agent that needed surgery, and a president getting booed at his own convention.

This was only a preseason game, but the capacity crowd showed that Blackhawks fans are still passionate about their team, and there are many Chicagoans that now call themselves fans of the Hawks. This was a franchise-record crowd for a preseason game.

The Blackhawks host Havlat's Minnesota Wild on Friday in the final home game during the preseason. Havlat scored a pair of goals in the Wild's 3-0 win over Chicago last Sunday. It may not have the same drama as Jay Cutler returning to Denver, but this will bring more passion to the United Center on Friday.

And this is just the preseason!

Kane Says He is Sorry, Now What?

The cab driver incident earlier this month involving Chicago Blackhawks' young star Patrick Kane has taken a few interesting turns since it was first reported. The 20-year-old Kane, and his cousin, allegedly punched the driver and took back money after he didn't have 20 cents change to give them. Kane was arrested and charged with robbery and other counts.

Well, both sides have said the incident was overblown. We don't know what more will come out of this on the legal side. Yet, what I know, is that this will remain on the minds of Kane fans across the country. Kane gave a public apology today as he begins the U.S. Olympic training camp. He is an upcoming star in the NHL, on a Blackhawks team that is one of the better stories this league has seen in a long time.

Chicago was one of the worst teams a few years ago, and now they are a talented team poised for another postseason berth following last season's semifinal appearance. Yet, this offseason has been far from a solid story. The Hawks' have dealt with all sorts of issues, and the Kane incident tops them all. This should not get Kane in too much legal trouble, I wouldn't think, but this cannot be overlooked.

Kane is sorry, but what does that mean? The idea of being in the "wrong place at the wrong time" has come up, but what does that mean? Both these things seem like childish responses to an immature act. That fits well because he is only 20 years old.

He will remain a top player in the NHL for years to come, he may become a U.S. Olympian, and he will still help lead the Blackhawks to more playoff appearances. Yet, he is not a captain like fellow young Chicago star Jonathan Toews is, that is for sure.

Kane is still learning what it takes to be a top athlete under the spotlight. This incident, even if nothing happens with it, is something that hurts his image very early in his career. No, he did not kill somebody or take part in a dog fighting ring, but this is still another example of an athlete that needs to grow up.

There are plenty of Chicago Blackhawks fans nowadays, young and old. Kane better understand that, and make sure he watches himself before being in "the wrong place at the wrong time."

Okay, Kane and the Blackhawks... Now I am Embarrassed

Patrick Kane was reportedly arrested early Sunday morning in Buffalo, NY on charges of theft of services, criminal mischief and robbery in the second degree. Kane and his cousin were taken into police custody at about 5 a.m ET after an incident with a cab driver, according to reports. Reports also say he acted this way after the driver did not have 20 cents change to give him.

This has definitely been a wild offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. There have been demotions in the front office, a president getting booed at his own convention, and a prized free-agent acquisition that will be out for a few months with injury.

If all is true with this report of Patrick Kane getting arrested on theft charges, then I am embarrassed. The Chicago Blackhawks should be embarrassed. The NHL should be embarrassed. I have laughed off every other story, but this is no laughing matter.

The Blackhawks feature some of the top, new faces in the NHL that have started to bring the league some more popularity. Patrick Kane is one of the faces of the franchise, and along with names like Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin, he is also one of the faces of the league.

He has been known to be a mature 20-year-old athlete, but just as it is with many athletes these days, it is hard to get by without some issue surrounding the people you root for every day.

You can laugh off a front-office demotion or an injury to a free-agent signed for the next decade. There is no laughing off this, if it is true.

Blackhawks Are Not Perfect; Hossa Needs Surgery

Well, how about this for a 360-degree turn? The Chicago baseball teams are riding high the last couple of days including a perfect game today by Mark Buehrle. Yet the Chicago Blackhawks are a mess right now after announcing today that Marian Hossa will undergo shoulder surgery.

This will not overshadow the perfect game by any means, but the way the baseball teams were playing, I could not have foreseen a day this summer where the conference final hockey team brings bad news and the White Sox bring the good news.

Hossa will miss at least the first two months of this coming season. He plays right wing, which is a pretty key position for the offense. Martin Havlat (guess what position he plays..yes, RW) is gone after the team did not re-sign him. That was okay because Hossa was there to replace him. Well, time for a new plan.

We will see Hossa at some point this season, and in a 12-year contract, there will be plenty of Hossa sightings down the line. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and company will still make a pretty good offense.

Yet Hossa's shoulder will always be in the back of people's minds, and this is not the way the big free-agent deal was supposed to start.

TBDS Late Night: Hawks' Hossa Injured,Offseason Roller Coaster Continues

Well, I make my debut to the late night edition. I think I can handle it, but I do not know if Chicago Blackhawks' fans can handle any more ups and downs in their team's roller coaster of a summer. Chicago did reach the conference finals this past year, right? It is hard to remember that with all the commotion the franchise has caused the last month.

The next episode in this soap opera?...finding out today that prized free-agent acquisition Marian Hossa may miss the start of the season. The Blackhawks also report that surgery has not been ruled out to repair a shoulder injury. They apparently knew this when they signed him, and when you have this guy signed for 12 seasons, it should not be a big deal on the ice. Yet, off the ice, it is a different story.

Who was mainly responsible for signing Hossa? It could have been a mix of people, from former GM Dale Tallon to new GM Stan Bowman to president John McDonough. Each person has had issues thrown at them based around the demotion of Tallon. All these people knowing that Hossa suffered an injury during the postseason does not look good on their record, especially with all the other problems this offseason.

Again, there are more Blackhawks fans now than there were in the 60's maybe. This also means there are more out there to be upset with what the team does. The fact that Hossa can be injury-prone is not what fans want to hear. Doesn't that remind you of the last main right wing for the Hawks? Martin Havlat had trouble staying on the ice as well.

Also, more fans may be upset that Hossa came from the Red Wings. At first, they were happy because we stole someone from the arch-rival, but an injured Hossa coming from Detroit is not what Chicagoans had in mind.

Well, he probably will not be hurt for 12 seasons, so I am sure Hossa will do enough on the ice to be liked. For now, though, there are more problems in this wild offseason. I bet more blogs will be coming about the Blackhawks because they sure are giving people a lot to talk about.

Are You Sure The Cubs Didn't Sign Marian Hossa?

Marian Hossa is expected to make his next start despite an apparent shoulder injury.

Marian Hossa has a lot more in common with Kerry Wood and Mark Prior than you might think. Let The Trib take it away:

"The Blackhawks confirmed Wednesday that winger Marian Hossa, who signed a 12-year, $62.8 million free-agent contract with the team July 1, is rehabilitating an injured shoulder that he sustained during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The extent of the injury and whether Hossa will have to undergo surgery to repair it are not yet known. Reportedly, the Hawks knew about the injury before they signed the 30-year-old."

In more breaking news, Hossa is expected to start Friday's game against Dusty Baker's Cincinnati Reds. How fitting?

Blackhawks' Hossa rehabbing shoulder [Chicago Tribune]

Hawks' McDonough: Great, Good, and Now Ugly?

How can a guy go from a marketing genius to a man that is booed at a convention that he created in the first place? Well, it happened to Chicago Blackhawks' president John McDonough this past weekend. The question remains: is it worth it?

Well, when I wrote the blog before the convention on how he will be received, I wasn't really expecting the guy to actually be booed. He probably shouldn't get the negative reception, but you can see where some Hawks fans are coming from...sort of, and with a bit of irony to it as well.

Before McDonough's arrival in 2007, the Blackhawks were basically an afterthought, if that. Those die-hard Chicago hockey fans remained, but they were few and far between, and the AHL's Chicago Wolves may have had more fans. Now that the former Cubs president joined the Hawks, they have not just gained a fan base, but they set a record for attendance.

Now that there are people following the team, there are more people out there who could get upset for what people like McDonough do with the team...such as demote Dale Tallon.

The other aspect, in this history of the revival, was the death of owner Bill Wirtz. As bad as this sounds, that was "good" news in the eyes of most Blackhawks fans. His son Rocky took over in Oct 2007, and he was the face of the front office right before McDonough's arrival a month later. Rocky was the man that put games on television which created more of a following.

Rocky, Tallon, and McDonough were each responsible for the start of the positives, but when it comes to the negative attention, all that is being aimed toward McDonough because he has become the center of the front office over Rocky.

Even Martin Havlat, who did not re-sign with the Hawks this offseason, bashed McDonough in an interview with TSN on Wednesday before the convention.

""My negotiation with Chicago was not between Dale and my agent [Allan Walsh], it was between Dale and McDonough. Why? Because McDonough couldn't stand that Dale was so successful and getting the credit for building the Hawks from a last place team to making the Conference Final in three short years."

"Remember, we were also the youngest team in the NHL last year. I was too closely identified with Dale. McDonough knew long ago he was going to fire Dale. He wanted someone he could claim as his own. He wanted to stand up at the convention and claim credit for signing this guy or that guy."

Well, McDonough was booed instead of receiving credit. This whole thing is becoming a mess, but again, it boils down to the team meaning something again. Yet, I don't think this is the attention that McDonough or Rocky meant to receive.

The boos will all go away if the Blackhawks keep winning, but if they somehow struggle on the ice next season or at least do not live up to high expectations, this attention may continue to go in a negative direction...whether it is deserved or not.

Hawks' Tallon Out as General Manager

It was reported late last night on Comcast Sports Net Chicago that the Blackhawks have fired general manager Dale Tallon. An official announcement is expected today to announce assistant GM Stan Bowman as his replacement. Yet ABC 7 Chicago also says Tallon will remain as a consultant/senior adviser.

Tallon did some quality things since being named GM in 2005. The Blackhawks have his draft picks and players that came over as free agents. It is apparent, though, that Bowman was critical in helping Tallon make these acquisitons. After all, Bowman knows hockey with his father Scotty being a long-time coach of the Red Wings and now in the Hawks' front office.

Stan Bowman has been with Chicago for the last decade, and when he is announced as the new head GM, the franchise should remain on the path to resurgence. For the most part, the Blackhawks have an entire new front office since John McDonough's arrival from the Cubs as president. Many faces remain, but their job titles are different.

As far as why Tallon was fired, the Hawks must feel, first off, that Bowman is the better fit to run the organization. It did take a while for Tallon to re-sign some of the players this offseason, and he did not even mail out the qualifying offers to some in time. Players like Kris Versteeg are still with the club, but Bowman may have been able to keep them here a little more efficiently.

Tallon remaining with the organization continues a pattern of adding these "senior advisers" or "consultants" to the club. The Hawks gave former greats Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and former coach Denis Savard the same title. I remember Mikita saying at the time that he didn't know what that meant exactly, but he does enjoy being part of another winning Chicago hockey team. I am sure Tallon will be the same way, just like Savard was when he was fired by Tallon and the Hawks early in the past season.

All the changes, additions, and subtractions the team has made the last few years seem to work. Nobody complains when you keep bringing wins to the standings, and this should continue, except Tallon will not have his name in the newspaper as much.

Hockey in July

I have never subscribed to the idea of "Christmas in July." What does that even mean? Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but the holiday must only be celebrated in the winter season. Hockey is a different story.

Spending time at Wrigley Field yesterday made me realize that, as the Cubs' fans join in on a chorus of boos and hatred toward their team, the Chicago Blackhawks play a big role in the Friendly Confines. Defenseman Brian Campbell threw the first pitch and led the 7th inning stretch, there was a hockey puck contest on the scoreboard with "Here Come the Hawks" playing over the PA, and the team's "One-Goal" advertisement was on the scoreboard through an entire inning.

When president John McDonough left the Cubs to join the Blackhawks, you knew he was going to bring over some of that marketing expertise and help bring hockey back to the city. He did just that, and the players helped by making a deep run through the postseason.

I have never talked about hockey during the Chicago baseball season, and I am sure many others are the same way. Yet, now, fans including me are still into the hockey team. Other than Derrek Lee's three-run homer, the Wrigley crowd gave the biggest ovation during Campbell's on-field appearance and his "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" song (even though the singing was not very good).

This seems even more relevant now that the Blackhawks played a game at Wrigley Field earlier this season. Fans are waiting for hockey, with Marian Hossa coming from the Red Wings, Kris Versteeg and other young players re-signing, and some nice draft picks coming Chicago's way. Yes, there is also the Bears and QB Jay Cutler, but hockey season is still big for the city here in July as well.

That type of summer fever has not been seen in a long time, but it is now. The Chicago Cubs seem to be catching on.

Free Agent Highs and Lows

The Chicago Blackhawks epitomized life in a free-agent market on Wednesday. The Hawks signed all-star Marian Hossa to a twelve-year deal and also lost two popular veterans in Nikolai Khabibulin and Martin Havlat.

Hossa will add leadership to a talented, young core. He also has the ability at right wing to put the puck in the net, having scored 40 goals for the Red Wings last season.

It has been an interesting ride for Hossa the last few seasons. He left Pittsburgh to join Detroit, the team that beat the Penguins in the 2008 Stanley Cup. Then, those same Penguins beat Hossa and Detroit for this year's title. The all-star will now come to a Hawks team that lost to Detroit this season in the conference finals, hoping that Chicago can win him a title.

Chicago will have to work for the championship without last year's number-one goaltender. Khabibulin was signed by the Edmonton Oilers, leaving the Blackhawks with Cristobal Huet as the likely starter in net next season.

Also, Havlat signed with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild lost Marian Gaborik and now have Havlat to replace him. The Hawks are essentially replacing Havlat with Hossa, which seems like a pretty good trade to me. Yet, it just goes to show the ups-and-downs of an offseason. You cannot keep everybody and general manager Dale Tallon hopes he pushed the right buttons again.

Tallon has made the Hawks into a contending franchise and one that people in Chicago care about again. The fans loved Khabi and Havlat, but they will come to love Hossa as well. They obviously didn't like him with Detroit, but moving over to the Windy City will make the United Center fans excited.

You can also say Chicago and Detroit made a two-sport trade. The Blackhawks get Hossa while the NBA's Chicago Bulls lose Ben Gordon to the Pistons. Free agency is fun, and it is also a roller coaster.

Welcome Marian Hossa, Goodbye Khabibulin

After such an amazing season last year that included a winter classic game at Wrigley Field, a conference-final appearance and an attendance record, you had to figure the Chicago Blackhawks' front-office had more up their sleeve during the offseason. As much of a revival as the season was for the Hawks, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the conference finals was not going to sit well in their stomach.

So, what did general manager Dale Tallon do today? He signed Marian Hossa from the Red Wings, a four time all-star that scored 40 goals in the regular season this past year. Hossa plays the same position, right wing, that current Blackhawk and free agent Martin Havlat plays. Yes, that may mean Havlat could be out of Chicago, but maybe Tallon can sign him to a short-term deal as well.

We'll see what comes from that, but for now, the focus is on who the Blackhawks have for sure. They will have Hossa for a very long time as he signed a 12-year deal. Offense should not be an issue for the Hawks, who also have young stars Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and many more exciting players that can put the puck in the net.

The Blackhawks did lose goalie Nikolai Khabibulin today as well. Khabi signed with the Edmonton Oilers, which means most likely that Cristobal Huet will be in net for Chicago next season. Huet played in half the regular season games last year, but Khabibulin started all but one in the playoffs. That was due to injury, and in the game that Huet started, he kept the Hawks in it against Detroit before the Wings won in overtime to take the series.

He clearly was the backup, but now he will try and at least come close to the success that Khabi had last year. Khabi was released in the offseason, picked up again by the Hawks, and helped lead the team to the conference finals.

Reports had Tallon looking to trade Huet this week and re-sign Khabibulin. Well, the GM will probably have to keep Huet.

Maybe Huet will be motivated, like Khabi was last year, by the team wanting him to leave. I know one thing...any bit of goaltending will do, because with Hossa joining an already talented group of scorers, the Hawks will be lighting up the lamp a good amount next year.

Marian Hossa To The Blackhawks. Thanks For The B-Day Gift Mr. McDonough!

Marian Hossa is a Chicago Blackhawk!

When I was a kid, I used to celebrate many birthdays at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs. In addition to being the die-hard Cubs fan that I am, I always enjoyed the giveaways. Cubs promotions were always top-notch thanks to a gentleman named John McDonough.

Johnny Mac now works for the Chicago Blackhawks hockey organ-I-zation. And his latest gift for me and the rest of the Blackhawks hockey fans?

Marian Hossa.

One of our hockey guys will have more on this later. As for yours truly, it's all about celebrations!

Blackhawks Sign Marian Hossa, Some Other Former Wings Guy [Chicago Tribune]

Hawkeytown Once Again?

When this site started, hockey was an afterthought. But thanks to a season that saw the Chicago Blackhawks go through two coaches, play a game at Wrigley Field and reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1995, it is OK to care about hockey again in the City of Wind.

Allow me to take you back to my childhood, if only for one moment.

I wasn't exposed to hockey when I was young. Ice skating was hard and it involved me being exposed to cold temperatures for long stretches of time. That didn't fly well with someone who spent his summer days and nights eating, sleeping, drinking and breathing baseball. My family didn't have cable access for some of the Blackhawks' glory years ... and when we did, their home games weren't on TV ... which was the only option for a family that just simply could not afford going to a hockey game at the UC ... one of the cities most expensive tickets.

So when I was young, I didn't care about hockey. The Hawks were mediocre at best and without proper coverage because of their mediocrity, they were put on the pay-no-mind list. Talented players, coaches and even the voice of the Hawks Pat Foley were shown the door under the Bill Wirtz Regime.

And Old Man Wirtz passed away and Rocky came into the picture, things started to change. It was sad to listen to Sports Talk Radio and hear people basically cheer the death of the team's owner. But everyone always said it would take death to Dollar Bill for change to happen.

I guess you can say those guys were prophetic, huh?

Games came to television. Foley returned to the radio. Some guys named Kane and Toews joined the team. So did marketing guru John McDonnough.

That's all I needed to get on board.

I watched from a distance as the Hawks grew together as a team this year. Unfortunately, as the Hawks skyrocketed, so did the know-it-all "die hards" who hated the bandwagon jumpers.

Yes, I'll call myself a bandwagon jumper. But in a sense, bandwagon jumpers can be a good thing.

You can either shun them as an outsider, or accept them as part of the family. But Blackhawks Bandwagoners seem different. They seem like they care enough about the sport and the team to learn and soak in as much history and information as possible. They want to put money into the franchise whether it be with ticket sales, advertising or jersey sales.

Ask any old time Chicagoan and they will tell you tall tales of how the Hawks were once bigger than both the Cubs and the Bears. Chicago was Hawkeytown, USA.

After a stellar season, here's hoping Chicago can have that once again.

Huet, Kane Give Hope but Red Wings still Champions

You could blame Cristobal Huet for the Game 4 disaster, but he really had no help in the Detroit Red Wings' 6-1 rout of the Blackhawks. Still, not many people were confident with Huet heading into Game 5. After all, he was the number-two goalie for a reason behind Nikolai Khabibulin. Yet with Khabi's injury, in came the big free agent aquisition. And man, did he show up.

His 21 saves in the first period set the tone and kept the game scoreless. He continued to make tough saves, all the way up to the end of the third, saving the season temporarily for the Hawks with an extended pad save on Johan Franzen with a little over 20 seconds remaining. In total, he stopped 44 of the Wings' 46 shots. Yet, it was still not enough to overcome the defending champions. Detroit is headed back to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 2-1 overtime win.

Patrick Kane finally lit the lamp, and it could not have come at a better time. He tied the game with a thrilling rush down the ice and a backhand past Chris Osgood. With Kane's goal and Huet's sparkling play, you saw some more of what could be an exciting future. There is a chance Khabi will not be back with the Hawks. This would make Huet the number-one goaltender for Chicago. Kane will continue to lead Chicago along with the rest of an exciting core of young talent.

This season could be described as a resurgence. Now that they have a fan support again, they will look to continue building the franchise. They reached the conference finals pretty quickly with this group, and the question is can they repeat, or even better, win their first title since 1961?

It will be hard, but some other Central Division team has made it look relatively easy. Detroit is the team to beat, and the Hawks and Wings will continue to see a lot of each other. For now, it is the Red Wings and Penguins in the Stanley Cup for the second straight year.

At some point, we may have a change of the guard atop the conference. Yet, for now, Detroit can celebrate again. We'll see what happens next year for the Chicago Blackhawks.