Steve Thomas is 38 years old and his NHL career dates back to the 1984-85 season. Nevertheless, the thought of returning to the Blackhawks’ lineup Monday night still gave him a thrill.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Thomas said. “I didn’t sleep because I was thinking about this game.”
The game with Dallas was only the 23rd this season for the right wing, who gives the Hawks a much-needed additional scoring threat.
He fractured his left ankle blocking a shot Nov. 15 in Calgary, then broke the same ankle in the third period of his first game back Dec. 23 against Detroit and had to have surgery.
“My ankle feels much better than it did then,” Thomas said. “I’ve practiced for the last three weeks and never even considered my ankle. My major concern is to play a simple game, not make any mistakes and try to make something happen in the offensive zone by using my speed down the wing and going to the net.
“Sometimes when you watch a hockey game from the stands it gives you a different perspective. Hopefully, you learn from that. But there’s nothing like being in the action and being in game situations to get your feel back. I was hoping to get at least 10 games in before the end of the season so I’d be hitting on all cylinders when we go into the playoffs.”
At the start of Monday’s game coach Brian Sutter used Thomas with center Igor Korolev and left wing Aaron Downey.
Later, Tom Fitzgerald, who was traded from Nashville on Wednesday, replaced Downey.
Sutter kept Thomas’ shifts short. He had 28 shifts but logged only 15 1/2 minutes of ice time.
Thomas didn’t figure in the scoring but had six hits, second only to defenseman Jon Klemm’s nine.
According to Sutter, Thomas “brings some elements to our game that are very important. He’s a high-energy guy. He skates and he brings a lot of experience and he and [Korolev] complement each other really well.”
Reekie ready: Sutter said veteran defenseman Joe Reekie, who missed his 15th straight game Monday because of a broken right foot sustained Jan. 28 in Boston, will play Wednesday against New Jersey.
“He has done everything in practice,” Sutter said.
Remembering the roar: Monday’s game was the first on home ice for Fitzgerald, who was given a lot of ice time during the ties Friday in Anaheim and Saturday in San Jose.
“I played my first NHL game [with the New York Islanders] in the old Stadium in January of 1989,” Fitzgerald reminisced. “That was overwhelming for a 20-year-old kid.
Klemm OK: Klemm, who leads the team’s forwards and defensemen in minutes played with an average of 24 minutes per game, was in the lineup after sustaining a thigh injury late in Saturday’s tie.
STATS & STUFF
LOGO MADNESS
We’re No. 1
The Blackhawks have the No. 1 logo in the NHL, according to a Hockey Business News panel of marketing, merchandise design and hockey experts.
Sliding
The Hockey Business News panel also evaluated the logos of the 56 minor-league teams. After leading the pack last season, the Wolves came in third behind the Rochester Americans and Manitoba Moose.
PAYROLLS & PAYOFFS
The Detroit Red Wings have the biggest payroll in the NHL, but a huge investment in players doesn’t guarantee success in the standings.
The Western and Eastern Conference teams’ payrolls–from highest to lowest–and how they stand in the conference races going into the last month of the season:
Western Conference
TEAM PAYROLL PAYOFF
Detroit $64,443,750 1st
St. Louis $57,680,000 7th
Dallas $57,336,500 8th
Colorado $49,998,921 2nd
San Jose $44,325,000 3rd
Los Angeles $41,913,238 5th
Blackhawks $37,612,500 4th
Anaheim $36,884,000 14th
Phoenix $30,236,933 6th
Vancouver $28,892,500 9th
Calgary $28,305,000 11th
Edmonton $26,717,250 10th
Columbus $23,533,500 15th
Nashville $21,025,000 13th
Minnesota $18,233,576 12th
Eastern Conference
TEAM PAYROLL PAYOFF
NY Rangers $57,318,530 9th
Philadelphia $55,847,500 1st
Washington $53,150,583 11th
Toronto $48,715,958 4th
Boston $40,820,600 2nd
New Jersey $40,105,687 7th
Florida $37,719,800 14th
Montreal $37,240,370 8th
NY Islanders $34,361,819 6th
Carolina $32,954,125 3rd
Pittsburgh $31,758,500 12th
Buffalo $28,641,666 10th
Ottawa $27,048,750 5th
Tampa Bay $26,960,000 13th
Atlanta $22,302,270 15th
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FUTURE WATCH
Four Hawks draftees are among the top NHL prospects, according to a panel of NHL executives polled by The Hockey News.
No. 1: Tuomo Ruutu, center, Jokerit (Finland)–chosen ninth overall in the first round of 2001 draft.
No. 36: Mikhail Yakubov, center, Red Deer (Western Junior League)–chosen 10th overall in first round of 2000 draft.
No. 39: Pavel Vorobiev, right wing, Yaroslavl (Russia)–chosen 11th overall in first round of 2000 draft.
No. 45: Steve McCarthy, defenseman, Norfolk (American Hockey League)–chosen 23rd overall in first round of 1999 draft.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Vs. New Jersey
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
RADIO: WSCR-AM 670
QUICK LOOK: After winning the Stanley Cup in 2000 and taking Colorado to the seventh game in last year’s championship series, the Devils have dropped to seventh in the East Conference standings. But with goaltender Martin Brodeur and left wing Patrik Elias, they still have the nucleus of the team that took them to the Stanley Cup finals.
Vs. St. Louis
Sunday, 2 p.m.
RADIO: WSCR-AM 670
QUICK LOOK: The Blues began the week in seventh place in the Western Conference, but that’s a bit misleading because they’ve played two fewer games than the Hawks. They got a big boost Sunday when left wing Keith Tkachuk returned to the lineup after missing eight games because of a deep thigh bruise sustained in the Olympics.
Neil Milbert.
