Previewing the 2008-09 Chicago Blackhawks
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Oct 9, 2008 5:15PM
The Blackhawks, and hockey in general, have pretty much been off Chicagoist's radar the past few years between the lost season of '04-'05 and the generally unfriendly fan treatment by Bill Wirtz over the years.
But we have a feeling that hockey's status in this town is on the rise. Following Wirtz's death last year, the franchise has undergone a major overhaul. Taking over for his dad, Rocky Wirtz brought in former Cubs president John McDonough to help lead the franchise back to glory and reintroduce the team to the city by instituting such revolutionary ideas as televising all 82 of the team's games. And they brought back popular announcer Pat Foley to call the games on TV. The team also will get to bask in the national attention they'll receive when they host the Detroit Red Wings in an outdoor skate at Wrigley Field.
But such fan friendly changes can only keep people's attention for so long, or bring so many fans into the fold for the first time, without an an exciting product out on the ice. Fortunately, the 'Hawks find themselves with a team chock full of talent. Gone are weak rosters due to Wirtz's refusal to pay for top players. Instead, the team finds itself stocked with a crop of budding young stars (thanks to big draft picks in the lean years), hopefully healthy veterans, and a couple of high profile acquisitions.
Patrick Kane, the top overall pick in the 2007 draft, made an immediate impact on his way to winning the Calder Cup. Jonathan Toews also brought new life to the team as he came in right behind Kane in the rookie of the year voting. The Blackhawks also made a big splash in free agency by signing both one of the top defensive players available (Brian Campbell) and one of the top goalies on the market (Cristobal Huet, who will share time with Nikolai Khabibulin). And if the high-profile but oft-injured Martin Havlat can bounce back, the Blackhawks should find themselves among the top Western Conference.
The Blackhawks just missed the playoffs last year, but with a 40–34–8 record, they did earn their first winning season in over five years. Expect this year's team to improve significantly and most certainly make the playoffs. Overcoming Detroit for a shot at the Stanley Cup, however, is probably still a few years down the road.
The Blackhawks begin the regular season this weekend against the NY Rangers (Friday) and Washington Capitals (Saturday). Their home opener is Monday, October 13 against the Nashville Predators. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are still available.