OT - The Boys of Winter (Blackhawks)

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 9, 2008 4:01 PM CDT

Any other diehard fans of Cold Steel on Ice?

And is anyone as excited about the Blackhawks as I am?

While I think they are a year away from making a run at the Cup, I think this will be another major step forward for the team.

And Toews and Kane may be the most exciting pair to arrive together in Chicago since Pippen and Grant came to the Bulls.

And if you're not a Hockey fan, now is the time to join in the fun.

And another very enjoyable time is the Chicago Wolves.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Also any BCBers going on New Year’s Day?

I will be there or be square as we have season tickets for both teams (and the Bears).

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 9, 2008 4:11 PM CDT 0 recs

I'd like to go

I’ve never been to a Blackhawks game (or any hockey game, for that matter) and the New Year’s game sounds like a great event. I guess it’s just a matter of finding a few like-minded friends to go with, ’cause really, who would want to freeze their ass off out there all by themselves?

"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game." - Walt Whitman

by hip2bsquare on Oct 9, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

I couldn't afford the tickets...

I’d LOVE to go, but there’s no way I’d be able to afford going.

by AeroZach on Oct 9, 2008 10:23 PM CDT up 0 recs

I havent figured out how to get tickets

without killing someone so i probably won’t be there.

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Oct 10, 2008 9:51 AM CDT up 0 recs

Getting very excited:

I bought season tickets on a whim; i went to a hawks game last year and it was awesome, perhaps my rec league floor hockey helped bring this on but i love the game now and want to learn all about it (although don’t know if i can handle taking up skating…i have been like 2 times ever and that would be a LOT of practice to someday be able to actually play. maybe by the time i’m 30 or so.) anyhow, i was looking at the tickets on ticketmaster which was tricky and kept seeing very inspiring commercials, and one day i figured hey i should call them like people on the blackhawks forum say they do, so i did, and it just so happened that 2 season tix in sec 324 row 3 had been released right then (they were out of the cheap seats..these are the 2nd cheapest)- i figured ah hey, might as well? so i did it. great call i think. now hope the season goes well. i figure if i can make it to half or a bit more of the games, that should be good and between giving some away to get friends into hockey and wanting to go, and unloading a few for games i know i cant make well ahead of time (I am thinking I will probably sell the Winter Classic, depending on how much they’re going for. if i can profit like $1K i feel like i almost have to take it, as it’s almost half of the whole season paid for. if it’s going for like 200 each for wherever my seats end up, better believe ill be out there)

so anyhow, i am a huge novice still, but hopefully i can learn a bunch; i am all over the NHL network when i’m at home for a bit which is rare. it seems like there’s a lot of basic unexplained things that i kind of get, but not really…example:
Saying we won’t bring up a top prospect unless he’ll be on the top 2 lines; is this kind of like saying PH at-bats don’t help you develop? I guess I don’t know the time breakdown but it seems like 3rd line is out there a lot, perhaps it’s due to teams matching their junk lines vs. each other? This is i guess why 4th lines are always just bruisers?

Anyhow i keep coming up with stuff like that, if anyone knows of a good primer, please let me know. Thanks!
tomorrow night!!! Is the game on cable or will it be tough to see?

by Canseco's Roid Party on Oct 9, 2008 4:54 PM CDT 0 recs

If you're a Blackhawks fan, I would encourage you

to check out http://www.secondcityhockey.com/

Go Blackhawks!

by Neifi Puppy on Oct 9, 2008 6:57 PM CDT 0 recs

Huge hawks fan here, cant wait for the season to get underway tomorrow

Goign to be a very exciting year, with foley coming back, home games on tv, and the team going to most likely be in the playoffs this year

"This is why Major League Baseball does not need instant replay, because then every single play will then be reviewed." -- Joe Morgan, 5/18/08, referring to an umpire ruling a Carlos Delgado homerun foul when replays showed it hit the foul pole.

by CubsBall2202 on Oct 9, 2008 7:06 PM CDT 0 recs

By my user name you think you can tell?

I’m anxious for the season to get underway. They are making progress though the events of the last day+ may be unsettling. They unloaded Lang because they couldn’t be rid of Khabi and Lang was a bit of a clubhouse issue. It’s also a contributor why Barker was sent down. Being on the roster would count $2.8M towards the cap. If they can free themselves of even half of Khabi’s contract they’d be about $7.5-8M under the cap.

I’m also leary of Havlat’s health and extra curriculars. LaPointe almost put him through a wall last December during a locker room fight.

First and foremost everyone is on notice. That’s good, Rocky is doing what his dad and grand dad never did. It’s likely why Savard hasn’t yet been extended. Accountability is something not practiced in the organization since they were still in the Stadium.

The team needs another forward that can stand up and take abuse in front of the net. Whether its one of the kids stepping way up or a trade is yet to be known.

It will be interesting to see if the defence can really step it up and improve the GAA while also contributing to the PP. Campbell will be tested now that he’s the star of the defence. I look for him to play solid D as much if not even more than PP quarterback. He’s no Doug Wilson on the point but I’d settle for Gary Suter-like.

I’ll be at Wrigley Jan 1st since I bought full season tickets with several partners a couple months ago. This place is nothing like the old barn where I had section X mezz tickets for 14 seasons. But its not bad for a new place.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Oct 9, 2008 7:41 PM CDT 0 recs

If the hawks get out of the box slow...

…I would not be shocked if one Scotty Bowman was asked to stand behind the bench for a while. I know it may sound odd with his age, but he appears to have some fire left in the tank.

The guy is only the most prolific coach in the history of any sport – won 9 Stanley Cubs as a coach with 3 different teams over 4 different decades.

Regarding the Havlet/LaPoint tussle, I’ll happended because of Havlets injury history and LaPoint was questioning his toughness. Years ago, I worked for a company that supplied a trainer that was with the Hawks full time (he helped Mike Gapski) and I used to hear the inside track of what was going on. Chelios had a similar confrontation with Roenick, when there was question about whether Roenick was really hurt or whether he was playing games becaue his contract was coming up. Hockey is a completely different culture than other sports, the players are typically nails tough and they self police themselves very well. About 10 years ago, the Hawks changed their orthopaedic doctors to the same ones that covered the Bears, and they told our trainer that hockey players were not only much tougher than football players, but they would play with injuries for months at a time without telling anybody.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Oct 10, 2008 12:56 AM CDT up 0 recs

Scotty, eh? Hmmmmm...

Interesting, though I’d like to think they wouldn’t have to resort to putting him behind the bench if he’s a special advisor with his kid already in the front office. But it’s certainly an interesting thought.

The general thought is the ‘Hawks will score and the emphasis is on defence. I’m of the opposite mindset. Even with Keith/Seabrook broken up (I’d pair Seabrook with Campbell instead of Keith but that’s a different story) I think the D is solid. They should have 1 through 6 on D dressed every night that should be able to handle the forecheck and make a smart clearing effort.

It’s the offence I want to see step up, not just the PP but 5-on-5, having a guy willing to take a beating right in front of the net. He doesn’t have to pot 40 or 50 ala Al Secord in the early 80’s but has to create havoc in the near slot. The mobility of the defence (again Keith is faster than Seabrook which is why I’d like him on a difference defencive pairing than with Campbell) will be more effective.

Yeah, I knew of the JR/Cheli thing too, though just a rumor and not a physical confrontation. I don’t think Cheli could have discounted JR, unlike Havlat who can go into a corner with a dozen eggs and not break one of them. JR played all out, was on of the teams biggest hitters & catalysts and to boot had 2 (should have been 3) 50-goal seasons. Cheli was mean as a snake with the ‘Hawks in his day, leading the universe in misconduct penalties but it worked fairly well for the ’Hawks. His leadership sytle IMHO clashed just a little bit (I think Cheli was right) with iron Mike and I’ll never forgive Keenan for benching JR during the final 25-28 minutes in game 1 of the ‘92 cup finals in Pgh. The ’my way or the highway’ approach there cost the Blackhawks the Stanley Cup.

I truly believe any player will go the extra mile in a contract year in any sport. That happens everywhere. Of course Cheli had the right to call JR on that if he felt that way (I think he may have been wrong) but it’s different with a soft guy like Havlat who’s been known to have personnal issues. 2 of the 3 Koci/Lang/Havlat are gone now; their own little club let’s say. I just want to see Havlat step it up knowing this is his contract year.

I look at it this way – and I know it’s a long way off – come 2009-2010 the ‘Hawks are rid of a combined $12.75M between Khabi and Havlat. That’s a huge sum to go after the likes of Hossa (who signed for only 1 season with the ’Wings this year).

I’ve been saying for years the toughness of hockey players is unmatched. Since many people I know never laced up a pair of real blades and gone out there, they have no idea what I’m talking about. Not only is the sport played at high speed on artificial ‘footing’ but the number of games and actual time played is extraordinary compared to other sports. There isn’t 60 minutes of football played, it’s more like 48. There’s 1/5th number of football games played to hockey and number of playoff games are 1/8th of hockey, to go all the way that is.

I know first hand about playing injured and keeping quiet. It may have cost me in the long run but at the time it’s what one does; gets out there on the ice and contributes to his team.

I heard Gapski was a really good guy; never met him but always heard good things. Sort of like O’Neil with the Cubs.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Oct 10, 2008 8:52 AM CDT up 0 recs

Could you please explain the fighting to me?

I understand. Hockey’s tough. Players hit each other.

But what on Earth do fistfights have to do with hockey? Or any sport like this?

I’d be much more of a hockey fan if they’d stop. (Watch a good college hockey game, for example.)

Let’s hear it from a big hockey fan like yourself. Why the fights?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Oct 10, 2008 12:23 PM CDT up 0 recs

IMHO its the part of players policing themselves

While its still a bit fuzzy for historians to come up with concensus on where/when/why it started, it has always been part of the game, even back when Lord Stanley’s Cup was awarded to the Canadian amateur champion in the late 1890’s; a couple decades before the birth of the NHL.

Before the stick-swinging incidents began several years ago and some say it’s the influence of players from other certain parts of the world (Vladamir Konstantinov comes to mind) that trigger this, when over-agressive play resulted in the threat of injury, certain tougher players stood up for their teammate and got into a physical altercation.

Again IMHO it’s why in the NHL you don’t see the constant trash-talking, bitch-slapping BS you see in the NFL and NBA, even to a lesser extent, MLB. There’s football players acting like they just won the damn superbowl when they sacked the QB in the 4th quarter down 28-7. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an NBA player trying to 1-up his opponent. Then when they get into an altercation they fight like sissies. I believe in those league’s its a lack of respect of the league and sport. It’s an honor to play in the NHL, I honestly believe there’s a much larger percentage of players in the other sports that think it’s more of their right to play in those leagues than it is of honor.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Oct 10, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

I tend to agree...

…and you have to rememeber, all sports have a certain culture that has evolved over many many years.

The fighting culture is clearly a North American thing, as the european countries have not been ones to utilize this as part of their game. It also should be noted that Canada has the longest and most storied tradition when it comes to hockey. If you have ever met someone from the very Northern part of the United States or Canada that has played hockey at a high level, there is an overall greater respect for the sport and a higher level of humility amongst them.

I don’t think Americans realize just how much of a religious experience hockey is to their country and players tend to follow this lead. Fighting is really about standing your ground, and backing your teamates, which is something that is held in high regard in the NHL. I really don’t know if they can ever get rid of it completely, but it has calmed some in the last 10-15 years.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Oct 10, 2008 2:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

I dunno.

What you two say is undoubtedly true. I just can’t understand why hockey, which is a beautiful sport, can’t just be played for the sport itself, instead of the fights. Sports Illustrated, in its hockey preview this week, even had a feature article (sorry, can’t find an online link) almost glorifying the fights.

When I followed hockey as a kid, fighting wasn’t like this. I still don’t understand why it’s been allowed to get to this point. The league could stop it in an instant — by providing for draconian penalties for fighting — but they seem not to be interested.

When someone gets killed on the ice in a fight, then maybe they’ll do something.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Oct 10, 2008 3:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

I understand your take on this...

…and really, the only way to get fighting out of the game is to suspend players for one game for each fight and fine them. If they keep getting in fights, the suspension and fines get longer.

I do have to disagree on fighting getting worse, I thought it was much worse in the 70’s.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Oct 10, 2008 3:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

Fighting wasn't like what when you were a kid...

the frequency of occurance, injuries, bench-clearing brawls, what?

There’s been many changes to curb the “malice” portion of the fights:

Match penalties (intent to injure) have been re-written and made much more severe. These often result in 3-20 game suspensions.

Automatic suspension for player and coach for leaving the bench for an altercation. Depends on severity on the number of games handed out.

Coming back on the ice after being led to the locker-room by a ref or linesman to enter an altercation. This has drawn 5-10 games suspensions.

On the simpler level, the 2-5-10 rule has been in place for some time now and is very effective. Two minutes for instigation (results in manpower advantage), 5 for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct. The 10 used to be a game misconduct (ejection) when first implemented. I wish that was in college when I played. I could have used that to my advantage.

Three 5 minute fighting majors in a game is a game misconduct, automatic one game suspension and further league review. Twice in the same season, it’s a 2 game suspension and perhaps more. Previous incidents are considered in handing out suspensions.

Stick swinging incidents are going way down (not just the injuries due to many players wearing full face shields) due to the double minor, sometimes a major being assessed now instead of just a single minor penalty. Drawing blood often results in a 5-minute major, game misconduct, further league review at the discretion of league officials and even the full 5-minute powerplay regardless of number of goals scored.

But the classic fight, whether pre-meditated or not will never go away. As long as its players standing up for their team-mates and not “intent to injure”, e.g. the match penalty, it will stay forever. It draws too many fans and revenue to be put away for good. It’s the same attraction (gratuitous violence) that helps make the NFL so popular. If a bone crushing hit on a receiver going on a slant play were not allowed (and many hits like it), the NFL would have not grown to the monster it is. It owes a measurable portion of its popularity to its physical roughness.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Oct 10, 2008 4:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

very excited

i’m happy that the blackhawks start, as it turns out, so soon after the cubs finish.

my friends and i are huge baseball and football fans, but other than me i’ve never heard anyone interested in hockey. but when i emailed out to everybody about an outing to a game in november, i got 14 ticket requests, pretty much everybody has had their interest piqued and wants to check it out, at least once, to see how it is. hopefully we’ll have a good game (nov 9 vs calgary) and people will want to go back.

best of all i found tixx on stubhub for under face value….now hopefully they’ll keep winning and that won’t last but it’s still nice.

the city is excited about it and i’m sure the blackhawks higher ups were quietly fist pumping when both baseball teams lost before their season started….the hawks were actually the first story on CSN’s nightly sports show last night….i’m sure that’s the first time that’s happened.

by GreenLantern411 on Oct 9, 2008 7:51 PM CDT 0 recs

Pumped!

I’m loving this team this year, I can’t wait for them to take the ice tomorrow. Might be heading to a couple games before second semester of school (looking at 10/31 and 1/4). It’s gonna be easier to follow these guys because every game will be televised. So it’ll be a good season, lots of promise in these guys.

by AeroZach on Oct 9, 2008 10:25 PM CDT 0 recs

There was a time...

…where I never missed a blackhawk game on channel 9 (later other channels) and would always listen to Lloyd Pettit (I still think the greatest play by play man Chicago has ever had) when I was young. I can recall my dad taking me to 4-5 games a year in the early 70’s and not being able to eat the whole day because I was so excited to be seeing Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito.

I could recite endless amounts of Blackhawks facts (especially from the early 70’s) that is embedded in my brain. It is a great sport (I played through high school) when it is played right, and IMO, is the best sport to watch in person by far.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Oct 9, 2008 10:48 PM CDT 0 recs

Fall/Winter

It could be a good fall and winter in Chicago. Bears are better than expected and Blackhawks will be good. Don’t really know basketball enough to judge the Bulls.

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 9, 2008 11:59 PM CDT 0 recs