You want to become one of us, I know. I can see it in your face. We are powerful and thriving now, and you want to join our caravan as it rolls toward its destiny.
You want to be part of Blackhawk Nation.
So come, Bears fans, and warm your icy paws beside our fire. Bulls fans, wrap yourselves in our more seasonally appropriate garb. (It’s a jersey … but with sleeves!) Sox fans, Cubs fans, gather the dying embers from your hot stove and add them to our mighty inferno.
This is your lesson. Learn it well, and we will share with you a taste of our springtime ambrosia, served in the sacred vessel known as Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Your lesson begins on PAGE 6
How long has it been since the Blackhawks were this good? Let’s put it this way: You were much younger and better-looking then. The Hawks haven’t been in first place in their division this late in the season since 1992. They have not won the Stanley Cup since 1961, the longest current championship dry spell in the National Hockey League, which makes them, loosely, the wintertime indoor sports equivalent of the Cubs. They were Cup contenders in the early 1990s, reaching the final in 1992, only to be swept in four games by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hawks also reached the Cup final four other times since ’61 — in 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1973, losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in ’62 and to the Montreal Canadiens in ’65, ’71 and 73 (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). Very recently, a mere three seasons ago, they were a bottom-feeding squad with a roster full of players such as Boris Smirnoff and Igor Ifellagainoff (yes, those are made-up names), but, like everything else, that changed once Barack Obama was elected president.
So, are the Hawks cursed like the Cubs? No, there is no Billy Goat or Bartman or anything like that. But, for you pessimists and conspiracy theorists, we offer the tale of Marian Hossa. Back in 2008, Hossa was on the Penguins team that lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final. Frustrated, Hossa left Pittsburgh and signed with the Red Wings — who then lost in the Cup final last spring to his former team, the Penguins. Frustrated again, Hossa left Detroit and signed with the Blackhawks last summer. If you are the kind of person who believes that bad news comes in threes, well … let me tell you about a used car with very low mileage that I am selling.
Why are the Hawks so good now? They had two high draft picks in successive seasons (are you listening, Bears fans?) and spent them on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, two of the best young forwards in the game. They have perhaps the league’s top defensive tandem in Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The goaltending was a potential weak spot, but so far Cristobal Huet and his backup, Antti Niemi, have played well, even very well at times. The addition of the aforementioned Hossa was huge. Coach Joel Quenneville, who took over early last season, has proved to be a perfect fit for a team on the rise.
What’s the deal with all the cheering during the national anthem? As far as we can tell, this dates to a playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers in 1985. The Hawks lost the first two games on the road and then returned to Chicago Stadium for Game 3. Wanting to inspire the team, the fans began cheering during the anthem. It became a tradition that gained momentum and, eventually, national attention when the Hawks were hosts to the NHL All-Star Game in 1991 during the early days of the Gulf War. Some people say the boisterousness is inspired by patriotism, while others contend that it’s merely a side effect of flat, overpriced beer.
Why does it seem as if there are more Blackhawks games on TV now? The late William Wirtz, longtime owner of the Hawks, refused to put home games on television because he believed it was unfair to his “season reservation holders,” who shelled out money for tickets. When Wirtz passed away in 2007, his son Rocky took over the club. The following year — that would be 2008, the very same year that Barack Obama was elected president — the Hawks decided to put all games, home and away, on TV. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Why is there a big, empty space on the February schedule? The NHL is shutting down for two full weeks so that its players can participate in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Six Hawks will represent their respective countries: Patrick Kane (U.S.); Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews (Canada); and Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky (Slovakia).
How do I pronounce (difficult, foreign-sounding name here)? Here’s a quick guide: Byfuglien = BUHF-lihn; Kopecky = koh-PEHT-skee; Toews = TAYVZ; Hjalmarsson = JAHL-muhr-suhn; Huet = hew-AY; Niemi = nee-YEH-mee; Mai Tai = MY ty, puh-leeze.
The Hawks are called an “Original Six” team. What does that mean? For most of its formative years, the National Hockey League consisted of just six teams: the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blackhawks. The league expanded to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season and gradually swelled to its current 30 teams. Now, even Nashville, Columbus, Tampa and Bensenville have NHL franchises. Well, not Bensenville. Not yet, anyway.
What does it mean to “commit to the Indian”? Former coach Denis Savard, fuming over a poor performance by his team, questioned the players’ dedication to the franchise, the symbol of which is the logo of Chief Blackhawk on the front of the jersey. “We committed to these guys,” Savard said, alluding to the hefty contracts the team had given to certain players. “They need to commit to us, commit to the Indian.”
Should I buy a replica Blackhawks jersey and wear it in public? Yes, especially if you have not lost the weight you vowed to lose in your annual New Year’s “resolutions.” The long, roomy cut can conceal a lot, but don’t ever — ever — tuck the jersey in.
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jknowles@tribune.com
