Blackhawks Blog: The Great Outdoors
Corey Erdman
2008-05-29 13:30:21
It appears that the Winter Classic will be making its way to the Windy City in 2009, where the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Detroit Red Wings.
This is possibly the best news Blackhawks fans have heard in more than a decade. Sure, the boys didn't make the playoffs, but we as fans are certainly reaping the spoils of what was a season of marked improvement as an organization. With the Pittsburgh Penguins already in the Stanley Cup finals, I would suppose that would make the 'Hawks the team of the future, at least in the league's eyes.
Chicago hasn't been the "it team" since the early 90s, when a combination of brash, outspoken superstars like Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour, combined with a raucous crowd every night made them an intriguing club. With the exciting stars (Kane, Toews, Byfuglien) already in place going into 2009, it is that fan base that must now come around. An event like this is the perfect catalyst for for those closet fans to dust off their J.R. jerseys and trade them in for a Kane sweater...and a couple layers underneath.
With reports leaning suggesting that Wrigley Field is the likely venue, I can safely say that we should all be thanking 'Hawks President John McDonough. Johnny Mac was previously a higher-up with the Chicago Cubs, so you can bet that his connections allowed him to make a very organized an convincing proposal to the league in order to land this game.
Kudos to you, Mr. McDonough, every Blackhawks fan wants to shake your hand!
Gone Zyu-min'
Earlier this week, Blackhawks fans also bid adieu to defenseman Andrei Zyuzin, who has returned to Russia to play for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Hawks faithful will fondly remember him as a staple in the press box in 2008, and will sorely miss his frequent turnovers, and irresponsible penalties.
A former intern with The Hockey News, Corey Erdman now covers his beloved Blackhawks for THN.com. He also writes for The Sports Forecaster, Sports & Leisure Magazine covering the Rochester Americans, and is a contributor to The Hockey News and Hockey Business News.
Dave Bayo (Posted 2008-06-27 10:48:32)
Dear Smengy, One last thing as most people see it with hockey sense, the teams of the future are Pittsburgh, San Jose,Montreal,Washington. Even the aging teams are light years ahead of the Hawks, pretty pathetic when you don't make the NHL playoffs. The great NHL powerhouse of Nashville (ha) kept the Hawks out. Go to the Ice Hog games there a better team. Even with a healthy Toews they wouldn't have made the playoffs. Keep dreaming and lining the Wirtz family pockets. You must be a cub fan too. Love ya
Dave Bayo (Posted 2008-06-26 16:51:28)
Dear smengy, You must be blind and dumb. Do you remmeber the Savard, Wilson, Secord era. Yeah the Hawks were going to the Cup, team of the future. After the Cup final against the Pens remember how they built upon that? Yeah they split the team up, yeah team of the future again! Wake up remember the past. The two kids never would have got the ice time with a good team, they are good, their not great or franchise players. You've been depraved of talent for so long you think there your savior, their not. Look at all the great players that were here and were let go Larmer, Savard, Belfour, Chelios,Hasek,Roenick, the list goes on and on, the problem is idiots like you who buy into the lie and keep filling the seats wake up. If you want to learn about hockey come out to Orland Park I play out there, bring your old lady I would like to play grab ass with her! The other half of the team belongs in Rockford.
James Smigiel (Posted 2008-06-25 12:41:19)
Ok buddy, so basically what you are saying is that every single game that Hawks played against good teams, they took the night off. Ok...I think that there is a reason why Kane won the Calder and Toews was the runner up, it's pretty obvious that the Hawks will be on the rise for the next few years. I would think that somebody who has atleast a little bit of hockey sense could see that so your argument is pretty pathetic right there. I don't think that you show up to Hawks games anymore because you loooove to get that free wolves t-shirt or that little foam puck that you are going to give to your son. The wolves are good, not taking that away, but that's the minors. I'm pretty sure that there are more players taking the night off than in the NHL, afterall it's the minors. Also, if you want to go play grab ass with Skates go ahead, there are going to be more fans going back to the United Center. The Hawks aren't the Cubs buddy, there is no curse. Rocky Wirtz has done a pretty damn good job thus far but, any hockey fan in Chicago should be able to figure that out.
Dave Bayo (Posted 2008-06-24 16:41:09)
Blackhawks, team of the future?? Yeah the Bears are a dynasty also. The team isn't even respectable, it didn't make the playoffs. Kane said they did well against the Red Wings that means their going in the right direction. Kid you did well against the Wings because you're a scrub team that they decided to take the night off against, it didn't mean anything to them. The only real hockey team in this town is the AHL's Wolves, they probably could smoke the Hawks. I wouldn't get carried away. Sorry I remember all the heart ache that the Wirtz family caused the Hawks fans over the years (too many to list). I'll just keep going to the Wolves games where they respect their fans. Enjoy the past cups because as long as their are Wirtz family members involved the teams cursed. Outdoor game is a great thing though I would love to go that kudo's to the NHL for that.
Sean Coulter (Posted 2008-06-11 09:10:00)
"Hawks faithful will fondly remember him as a staple in the press box in 2008, and will sorely miss his frequent turnovers, and irresponsible penalties"
HAHAHAHAHAHA, nice analysis on Zyuzin... I'm sure he can make a big impact in the Russian "Elite" League
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