hockey

REMEMBERING BLACKHAWKS CENTER TROY MURRAY WHO ALWAYS WILL BE A CHICAGOAN

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Some professional athletes that play their game in your town for so many ‘X’ amount of years then linger around after their career is over. You feel like they are part of the city. They are a citizen of your town. Many athletes come to your town, get paid for what they do, and leave for another city. Many don’t even stay during the off-season. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home. For 12 seasons, Troy Murray skated for the Blackhawks in the NHL and was the team that drafted him in the 3rd round in the 1980 draft. When Murray finished his NHL career, he was not done playing hockey. He suited up 1 more season for the minor league hockey team in Chicago, the Wolves, who played at the time for the IHL (International Hockey League.) After 16 years of professional hockey, Troy, nicknamed “Muzz,” took another job with the Blackhawks as one of the team’s broadcasters. He was a hockey analyst giving the Blackhawks fan base the insight of the game from 1998 until he recently as he passed away after battling cancer the last 5 years. Troy Murray was part of Chicago and the sports landscape for 45 years. He is also a guy we lost way too early at the age of 63.

Troy Murray started his NHL career during the 1981-’82 season making his debut for only 1 game. His NHL career ended playing his final year for the Colorado Avalanche where he helped them win a cup. That is a nice way to ride off into the sunset because that was the only Cup he would ever hoist in his professional hockey career. Murray played hockey before the Blackhawks at University of North Dakota, where he helped the Fighting Hawks win the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship in 1982. From 1980-82 he played in 80 games for the Fighting Hawks scoring 55 goals while dishing out 74 assists for 129 points. He then would go from the Fighting Hawks to the Blackhawks. Murray was from Calgary, Alberta in Canada where most hockey players are factory-made. In 15 seasons in the NHL, he suited up for 5 different franchise which also included the Jets, Senators, and the Penguins. He had two stints with the Blackhawks. He missed playing with the Blackhawks team that made it to the Stanley Cup with the Penguins by one season which was the 1991-’92 season. The first time he left the Blackhawks organization as a player, his last season was 1990-’91. He was a center by trade. He was awarded the Frank J Selke award being the top defensive forward for his play in the 1985-’86 season. That season was by far the best season he had in the NHL. That year he scored 45 goals and had 99 points for the Blackhawks. During his career he did hit 20 or more goals in a season a total of 5 times. With the Blackhawks points-wise he did the most damage on the back of his hockey card with 197 tallies, dishing out 291 passes for goals, and accumulating 488 total points. For his career in played in 915 NHL games. Lit the lamp 230 times while dishing out 354 assists which tallies up to 584 points.

During the 1980’s and early 90’s the Blackhawks were always a fixture in the post-season it seemed. Back then the Blackhawks owner was Bill Wirtz and he was a terrible owner. The only way to watch the Blackhawks on television were only their road games and they were on cable, not regular TV. The home games were blacked out. Only way to see them play was going to the game. They were a hard ticket to buy back then. Especially for someone like my father, who was raised during the Great Depression. Troy Murray played with many great players during his time on the ice in Chicago. Like Dennis Savard, Eddie Belfour, Steve Larmer, Bob Murray, and the great Doug Wilson to name some of them. I think if the Blackhawks had a halfway decent owner at the time, his management may have went out and added to this core of players to make them Stanley Cup worthy. After being swept by the Penguins in the 1992 Stanley Cup finals, the Blackhawks went into the dark ages of one of the worst franchises in sports. It would be Bill Wirtz’s son after the passing of his father that helped get this original six franchise out of the dark ages in 2008 and 2009 when things started getting exciting again. They won the cup in 2010. That was the Blackhawks dynasty with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane which Troy Murray was part of because he was an analyst for the team. He would end up being around the Blackhawks hoisting more than one Cup during his time with the organization. Murray was also the President of the Blackhawks Alumni Association after his playing days came to an end. During the dark ages of the Blackhawks, the Wolves arrived at the perfect time. You saw Murray as the captain of the team. You saw former Murray’s teammates like Al Secord and Chris Chelios suit up for the Wolves who are still around today. The IHL folded up shop. The Wolves moved into the AHL which is the American Hockey League. The Wolves games were cheaper to go to than the Blackhawks. Many years it was well worth it seeing better hockey being played by the Wolves over the Blackhawks who were playing in front of crickets than actual fans.

In 2021, Troy Murray told everyone he was diagnosed with cancer. He still worked as a broadcaster for the Blackhawks in the last 5 seasons. He did not have the full tilt schedule he had so many years doing all the games. It’s far too young to pass away at the age of 63. Cancer has gotten many people in this world, which sucks. He will be missed on the airwaves. He had terrific insight in every game he called. He will never be forgotten wearing the Indian-head sweater and the Wolves. He was a solid player who gave it his best every game he played. Being from Canada, but always a Chicagoan in my book spending most of his life in this town for so many months a year. It counts. We lost a neighbor and I’m sure a friend at the same time. You may watch a game on the ice this weekend with a cold one. Make sure you raise a glass, can, or bottle to good ole number 19, Troy Murray. May he rest in peace and our prayers go out to his family.

WOMEN’S USA HOCKEY IS OLYMPIAN DYNASTY

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I have never really watched any women’s sports. Yes, occasionally I watch what’s going on in the Olympic games with women’s sports. Perhaps some college softball on ESPN. The WNBA is on another planet with the NBA. Professional basketball is not very good in my opinion. Over the Winter Olympics, watching women’s hockey was must see television. I tune in because the town where I grew up is where Abbey Murphy is from. She is a big part of the women’s hockey team. The month of February is the worst sports month of the year starting after the Superbowl. The Winter Olympics in Milan brought me to some new horizons. Last Thursday USA hockey had a close affair with their arch rival Canada and won their 3rd gold medal in a come from behind victory. The Women’s hockey team versus Canada is a different story than the Men’s. The Women’s hockey team is like the Dodgers, Yankees, or Patriots. A well-oiled machine that has massacred the competition for a long period of time. While the Men’s hockey did prevail this season over Canada to win the gold, but over the years the Maple Leafs have owned the red, white and blue.

When it comes to women’s hockey, the U.S. team owns Canada. The U.S women’s hockey team has now beaten their arch rival Canadians 8 times in a row including two victories against them in Italy. They faced Canada before the medal round and shut them out 5-0 in the first meeting. In the second meeting, Canada came to play battling USA for the gold and held on to a 1-0 lead late in the game. It took the U.S. team late in the 3rd period in the last few minutes of the game to notch things at one and send the game to overtime. The Americans had to take out their goalie to get the extra skater and the captain of the team, Hillary Knight, tied the game with her goal with 2:04 on the clock.

Hillary Knight has set the record in the Olympics for most goals & points by either a female or male player. She has played in 29 career Olympian games, has scored 15 goals, and dished out 18 assists for 33 points which is impressive. The U.S women’s hockey run before the gold medal game with Canada they were blowing up the competition. They won six straight games only allowing one freaking goal. Canada scored one goal in the 7th and final game. They only gave up two goals in Milan. The team had 5 shut outs in Milan. In those 7 games they outscored the competition 33-2 which is tournament records.

Aerin Frankel was a wall in front of the net for the U.S. team. She had 30 saves versus Canada which included the overtime in the Gold medal game. She is the first Olympian goalie with 4 wins, 0.39 goals against average, .979 save percentage while recording 3 of those shut outs in 5 games played. This team had it all and were rolling like a well-oiled machine on all phases of the game of hockey. This team found a way to fight back when the script was suddenly flipped on them. In OT they quickly found the killer instinct which was a pass from Taylor Heise to Megan Keller who lit the lamp for the game winner. It was their first Gold since 2018 when they beat Canada for the Gold in a shoot out at the Pyeong Chang Games. It’s the first team since 1998 at the Nagano games to go undefeated like they did in the Olympics tournament. That was the first ever Gold any U.S Women’s Hockey team has ever won in Olympics history.

Sixteen players from the U.S. Women’s Hockey team play professionally in the new female league. The league is called the PWHL which is the Professional Women’s Hockey league. The league has six teams. The league is in their 3rd season.

Another Chicago player, Kendall Coyne Schofield, plays for the Minnesota franchise. Hillary Knight is with the Boston franchise. Taylor Heise is also on the Minnesota franchise. While Alex Carpenter is with the New York franchise to name the few of the 16 players from that U.S Women’s roster who are making money on the sport they love. With the USA Women’s hockey team winning the Gold this should give the PWHL a big time boost at the ticket window. The way these women played in the Olympics it should give this league roots of establishment. It may already have before these Olympic games were played in Milan, Italy. I always loved watching hockey. The Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the best post-seasons in sports. Nothing wrong with adding more hockey to the pallet on the weekends or weeknights. These women play the game the right way. They are fun to watch. They probably care about the game more than many of these cry baby professional athletes in both genders that make all the money and could care less about the fan base. When the pandemic in 2020 shut down sports, I missed even lumber jack Olympics. I would have paid to watch something that year. Women’s hockey should get in the regular queue of all your favorite sports each year we watch. I can’t wait until the next Winter Olympics to see what this team can do. You know they will not have all their women back from this year’s roster. You know they will have other additions on the roster. Young and hungry players looking to keep this dynasty rolling.

DO IT FOR JOHNNY HOCKEY

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The U.S Men’s hockey team slayed their personal demons on Sunday in Milan, Italy as they beat the Canadians in the finals. The United States earned themselves the gold medal for the first time since 1980 when the Miracle on Ice took place in Lake Placid. In 1980 it was college players pulling off the major upset beating the Russian machine for the gold pulling off one of the biggest miracles in sports history. Then 46 years later a U.S team made up of NHL players beat the country that breeds and bleeds hockey, the Canadians, 2-1 in overtime. They pulled off an upset against a neighboring country that was loaded as well with NHL talent across the boards. The USA Olympic hockey team has formed a brotherhood of players built like a fraternity of close friends and family. The roster actually has two sets of brothers that are actually blood related. The Hughes and Tkachuk families who made a big dent in why the US. team went a perfect 6-0. They played for one of their fallen teammates as well, Johnny Hockey. Johnny Gaudreau had his life cut down short when he and his brother were mowed down by a drunken driver in New Jersey while cycling. The motivation and the comradery of this team pulled off something special that will go down in the history books on Sunday with this team pulling off the gold medal while many loaded NHL U.S. teams have failed miserably against the Maple Leafs.

It was Jack Hughes’ shot in the extra frame that ended the demons of the past that gave the United States their second goal of the game and the decider. It was a great pass by Zach Werenski that gave Jack the perfect shot and his biggest goal of his career. Jack plays for the Devils & he had 4 goals and 3 assists in the 2026 Olympics. His brother Quinn Hughes, who plays for the Minnesota Wild, had 1 goal and dished out 7 assists in the ’26 Olympics. It was Matt Boldy who got the U.S. team on the board in the first period in the gold round to give his country the 1-0 lead. In the second period it was Cale Makar with the equalizer that tied things up after two periods. The Tkachuks made their presence in every game of the Olympics that the USA played. Matthew Tkachuk is one of the biggest cogs in this USA wheel as he had 6 assists. His play is all over the ice doing the dirty work and the little things that don’t find their way on the stat sheet at the end of the night. He has now won two Stanley Cup championships in back to back years with the Panthers. Both championships were the last two years and he now adds a gold medal to the back of his hockey card. His brother Brady who plays for the Senators had 3 goals and 2 assists in the Olympics. Back to Jack Hughes who was playing with a bloody mouth and had some teeth that went missing in this big game. He still played through the pain and really came up big. After the game he commented on the brotherhood of this USA team which goes back to other teams that have lost to Canada in the past in these Olympic games.

In 2002 in Salt Lake City, the U.S. lost to Canada in the gold medal round 5-2. In 2010 in Vancouver it was Sid the Kid Crosby’s memorable goal that ended the USA in the gold round 3-2 in OT.

In the preliminary round of 2010, U.S. did beat Canada 5-3 but the Maple Leafs would get the last laugh in that one. Then in 2014 Canada shut out the United States at the Sochi Winter Olympics 1-0 in the semi-finals. The Canadians have been a thorn in the side for U.S teams for decades in these Olympic games.

This game between USA and Canada came down to solid goal tending by both countries. Jordan Binnington for Canada was amazing but came up short giving up the second goal in OT. Connor Hellebuyck was just better perhaps with a little help from the spirit of Johnny Gaudreau, especially how the hell he got his stick on a puck Devon Toews could have gotten in the net in his sleep. Devon got the rebound and tapped it into a practically wide open net. In the last second, Hellebuyck reached out with his stick to stop that shot. In second period he also snuffed out a breakaway from one of the NHL superstars in Connor McDavid. How many goalies could say that they stopped McDavid coming right at you by themself? He also stopped a breakaway from Macklin Celebrini that was a huge save in the game. Hellebuyck stopped 41 out of Canada’s 42 shots including overtime.

On August 29th of 2024, Johnny Gaudreau was in the prime of his hockey career when he was killed at 31 years of age. Johnny and brother Matthew were riding bikes near their home the night before their sister’s wedding. He played 11 seasons in the NHL which started with the Calgary Flames. He played 9 seasons in Calgary. The last two seasons of Johnny Hockey’s career he suited up for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played in 763 NHL games & scored 243 goals while dishing out 500 assists for 743 total NHL points. He would have been a part of this gold medal team if he was not killed. The team honored him by having his number 13 jersey displayed in the locker room. They brought it out to the bench. They had a banner with both Gaudreau brothers in their hockey uniforms. Matthew was in his Boston College uniform. The Gaudreau family was in attendance. This includes his parents Jane and Guy Gaudreau. His wife Meredith and their two children, 3 year old daughter Noa and 2 year old Johnny Jr.. After the Americans won, for the celebratory picture on the ice with the team a few of the players brought Johnny’s kids out there. They ended up in the picture which really makes this win very special in many ways. We really have never seen USA Hockey win the gold medal because it’s been almost 50 years. To win it this icon medal for your country and give a player and his family a tribute is really something the world should take notice of. This is how humanity should be coming together after going through some kind of tragedy. Johnny would have been 32 years of age and you have to believe he would have made the USA team and contributed to this magical run they had this season. The family of Johnny needed that. These tributes celebrate the fallen like the Billy Joel song, “Only the Good Die Young.” All these athletes playing in the Olympics have their own stories. They had people they loved that have passed away. The motivation. How they got here. How they performed for those missing people who are watching from the heavens. The NHL players are professional players. Sometimes professionals need a little reminder that life can be good, bad, and ugly. It’s how you handle yourself. They handle it by achieving their goal winning the gold. Some day I hope Johnny Graudeau Jr. becomes a professional hockey player. Johnny Hockey II, sounds like an up and coming superstar in the NHL. Maybe he will help USA win another gold medal.

OLYMPIAN HOCKEY PLAYER ABBEY MURPHY BRINGING GLORY TO HER HOME TOWN EVERGREEN PARK

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The U.S.A. Women’s Hockey team is seeking the gold medal in the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy. On Tuesday, February 10th the Women’s Hockey team routed their arch-rival Canada 5-0. So far they are at a perfect 6-0 as they look like they are the best team in the tournament overseas right now. With the win yesterday against Italy, they advanced to the semi-finals. It’s a team with plenty of firepower along with crippling defense that has made them a well-oiled machine on the ice so far. One star on that Olympian team is from my hometown of Evergreen Park, Illinois. 23 year old Abbey Murphy has been outstanding on the ice doing a little bit of everything to help her team and country win games. The town of Evergreen Park is a south suburb of Chicago and has had their share of athletes come through town, who have played well enough to do it professionally.

The most famous resident in Evergreen Park history still belongs to the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski was a genius growing up in the EP and went to Evergreen Park High School. After high school he was accepted into one of the top schools in the country, an ivy league school known as Harvard University. Something snapped in his mindset as he became a mad bomber using the U.S, mail to deliver his blows in society. A reign of terror that lasted from the late 1970’s into the middle of the 1990’s. It continued until his own brother figured it out and turned him in to the authorities. You can never erase such history like Ted Kaczynski from the town of EP. Sometimes a story about another resident from the town EP may come, like Haley’s Comet returns every 17 years. Something that gives the small suburb hope and provides the feel good story about the town of Evergreen Park. This year Abbey Murphy is that Evergreen Park glory we have been seeking.

Sports run in the Murphy genes. Her father is a former Marine and played college football. Her mother played softball. Her brother wrestled and played football at the college level. Abbey’s love of hockey came at the early age of 6. She skated at Daniel V. Capuano ice rink in the EP. She then joined the St. Jude Hockey Club in Crestwood, a suburb about 15 minutes away. It was there she played mostly on all boys teams and was one of the best players in the league for years as she learned the sport and improved her craft. Then she joined the Chicago Mission Youth, an all girls hockey league. It was a league which had these girls playing 80 games a year. This is the league that developed not only Murphy, but some of her teammates on the U.S. women’s team currently. Those teammates are: Kendall Coyne Schofield, Megan Bozek, Alex Cavallini, Jesse Compher and Savannah Harmon. Murphy went to the same grammar school I did, Most Holy Redeemer, which has a big sign above their gymnasium supporting Abbey. In 2020, Abby graduated from Mother McAuley high school which is in Chicago, but borders on the EP. Then she took her talents to Minnesota University and plays hockey there for the Golden Gophers which is one of the better schools for the sport. After her freshman year, she joined the U.S. women’s hockey residency program. She trained in Blaine, Minnesota with some of the best female hockey players. Then got the call on New Year’s Day of 2022 at the age of 19 as she made the Olympic roster. She was the second youngest player selected. That team won the silver at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. She would return to Minnesota where she trained and continued to improve her craft on the ice. She then helped her team win the gold in the IIHF World Championships in 2023 & ’25. Now at the age of 23, the USA Women’s hockey team looks unstoppable as Murphy is hoping she can help deliver the gold in Italy this season.

The town of Evergreen Park has produced some other Olympian athletes over the years. Brad Guzan was on the U.S. Men’s National Soccer team as the goal keeper. Patrick Gasienica was an Olympic ski jumper back in 2022 in the Winter Olympics.

Maybe the best ever athlete in Evergreen Park history goes to Chris Chelios, who played on the Men’s USA Olympian teams in hockey. Chelios played decades in the NHL and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. He played for the Blackhawks as the they retired his number. He won Stanley Cups with the mortal enemy, the Detroit Redwings. The town of Evergreen Park has also produced some solid baseball players like Jim Dwyer, who was one of the best pinch hitters in the game and won a World Series with the Orioles in 1983.

Dwyer was on that Orioles team that beat the winning ugly White Sox playoff team in the AL post-season to advance to the World Series in ’83. Other baseball players that originated form the EP were Ed Farmer, Donn Pall, and the great Billy Pierce. All three pitchers played for the Chicago White Sox in their respective careers.

Abbey Murphy, at only 23, may be the best female athlete in Evergreen Park history. The U.S. Women’s hockey team is a very talented group & Murphy has been a big part of that so far in Milan. Before she left to play in this year’s Winter Olympics, she was leading the NCAA with 36 goals in 26 games. She also racked up 23 penalties. In the Olympics she has shown other things she does on the ice very well. She has drawn 9 penalties because she can be very chippy on the ice. She’s an agitator who can get under opponents’ skin. The way she plays on the ice, it’s the work ethic she has on every play that could easily get under the skin of the opponent. If a teammate is in trouble, she is there for the rescue. Not scared to throw down the gloves if needed. Her play is not always on the stat sheet at the end of the night. She can dish out the punishment on the boards. She can generate three assists on goals like she did in the massacre of Canada. Murphy has not scored many goals, but the little things to help notch wins she has been awesome at. Her play is why she has a following back at home in one of the EP Italian institutions of Barraco’s where all these hockey games are being watched by many fans of hers and of the team. She has thrown out the first pitch at a White Sox game for her past accomplishments. Winning the gold like this team is pursuing, is a different animal. This team has outscored their opponents 26-1 in six games.

This has that feeling of the Men’s U.S.A. Hockey team that beat the Russians in 1980. Yes, that, “Do You Believe In Miracles?” line used by Al Michaels that has been replayed a million times since that team won it all. The work & preparation all these Olympians do to get to this point. What they do to their bodies to be the best is not human, but more superhero like. So far watching all this unfold has been a fun ride. If this team does win the gold, it will be very special to the entire nation who at this point are together and on the same team. That is not always the case when you bring up the word, “Politics.” What makes it extra special is rooting on someone from your own town doing it all. Plus, having multiple girls on that team from he Chicagoland area is special. I normally do not watch many female sports. Women’s hockey has been very fun to watch in a month where sports usually go dormant after the Superbowl. Abbey has been golden, Let’s hope they all come back with gold medals around their necks as we are witnessing something that does not come around often. Let’s enjoy it and take in some cool history that is unfolding in front of our eyes.

CAPTAIN SERIOUS TAKES A BOW WITH PLENTY OF ENCORES IN HIS RETURN TO CHICAGO

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The Captain, Jonathan Toews, returned to Chicago for the first time wearing something else instead of the Indian-head sweater. Tazer’s contract ended after the 2022-’23 season for the Blackhawks which was a year Captain Serious only played in 53 games. Health issues had followed the center like dark clouds since the pandemic was lingering in the world. He never retired from the game as the Blackhawks had no interest in bringing him back. After a few seasons of healing the body and redefining the mindset, he then made a plan of attack on a comeback to the NHL. The Captain was sharpening up his hockey skills with weeks of training to ink a one year deal with his hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets. His hockey home will always be at the United Center in Chicago where the former Blackhawk was like a rockstar in his return to Chicago. The fans wanted encore after encore because, ‘Let’s be Serious,” he did help the franchise hoist three Stanley Cup Championships.

In his first season with the visiting Jets, Jonathan Toews has played in 49 games. This season he has lit the lamp 7 times and has dished out 11 assists for a total of 18 points. The Jets wanted to add some leadership to a team that was one of the top seeds in their conference and made the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. The Jets have been struggling this season so far. They did not get out to the fast start they did last year. In his comeback, Toews has struggled on the ice most of the season. Still very good at face-offs. Knows what he is doing on the ice but does not have that ice speed he once had. The Captain still has those leadership skills on display every night on the ice. He has improved over the last few weeks overall in his game. Perhaps he is still knocking off the rust and maybe the body is responding to the grind on the ice in a 37 year old body. He scored 372 goals in a Blackhawks uniform in 15 seasons with the team that drafted him. He also served up 511 assists wearing the Indian head sweater. He has played in 1,116 games in the NHL and will be for sure a first ballot Hall of Famer when he does hang up the skates permanently.

In the first television timeout, the Blackhawks honored Jonathan Toews with a video tribute of all his top highlights in a Blackhawks uniform. After the tribute, the fans gave the Captain one of the longest standing ovations of all-time. Chants of “Johnny” filled the air inside the UC. Toews would go on the ice waving to all his fans from the Chicago days. Both teams behind the benches whacked their sticks against the boards like in a game when their team scores or one of their own wins a fight on the ice. Toews circled the ice & raised his stick as the thunderous applause kept coming down on him as it went on for 3 to 4 minutes. The Captain looked awkward for a moment because it went on and on. Toews was never a guy that looked for the fan appreciation. He played his game on ice and did everything he could to help lead his team to a victory on that night. The hard work paid off as the UC exploded with love for their former Captain who will one day have his jersey retired after his playing days come to an end.

When Patrick Kane played his first game at the UC in the enemy sweater the night of Chris Chelios’ jersey retirement night, he crashed the party. Kane did get a thunderous applause by the fans at the UC along with a video tribute. Kaner would end up scoring the winning goal in that game as his Red Wings beat the Blackhawks in OT. In the return of Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks shut out the Jets 2-0 as Spencer Knight had a magnificent night in front of the net stopping 32 shots for his 3rd shut out of the season. Jason Dickerson scored the first goal of the game for the Blackhawks for his 6th of the season. Then the Blackhawks’ next superstar, they hope, Connor Bedard added an empty netter late in the contest to make it the final 2-0. On hand were two young superstars right now in the mix of the Chicago sports landscape. Caleb Williams is the quarterback of the Chicago Bears who just lost in the divisional round the night before to the Rams. Then Pete Crow-Armstrong is the centerfielder of the Cubs. The Cubs made the post-season last year. All three of these guys – Williams & Crow-Armstrong along with Bedard, could learn a lot from what they witnessed at the UC in the return of the Captain. You play hard and give it all you can on the field, ice, or court playing in the town of Chicago. They will love you for a lifetime. It did not hurt that Johnny Be Good Toews helped the city capture three championships along the way. You hate seeing guys like Toews wear another team’s jersey. That’s the nature of sports nowadays which has been going on for decades. You don’t get many players from any sport that stay with one team. I wish Toews the best of luck with his home team he grew up watching, the Jets. It’s a great story. Down the road I’ll be excited when we bring back the Captain to Chicago with all the bells and whistles when the organization retires his sweater to the UC rafters, with all the great Bulls and Blackhawks players of the past. Oh Johnny, that will be hot.

KANE VS TOEWS NOT WEARING THE INDIAN SWEATER FOR THE FIRST TIME

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For the first time ever, two Chicago Blackhawks legends faced off against each other in the NHL not wearing the Indian sweater. Before last night, the only time you saw Captain Serious Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane going against each other, was in international play. Kane was born in in the United States while Toews was born in Canada. They won three Stanley Cups together skating for the Blackhawks. They came up around the same time and gave the Blackhawks franchise life again. They played 15 seasons together as they were roommates all those years on the road. They will be friends for life and eventually will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame when their time comes. To end the year of 2025, Toews with the Winnipeg Jets were the visiting team playing Patrick Kane’s Detroit Red Wings at the Little Caesars arena. I don’t know what was stranger… both Blackhawks legends wearing a different sweater or a arena named after Little Sleazers.

At one point, it looked like this reunion of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane would never happen. The last time Toews was on the ice for a NHL team was his last season in Chicago, the 2022-’23 season. He had a 2 year hiatus from the game and the league due to health reasons.

It’s very much like when Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins leaves Gotham to train with the League of Shadows to improve his entire crime fighting skillset. Jonathan Toews did a 5 week stint in the country of India to improve his health and overall mind set with yoga, meditation, and herbal medicines. Then after his return to North America from India, he had weeks of hockey training to get back to his old form. Toews would sign a one year deal worth 2 million to play for his home team, the Winnipeg Jets.

Patrick Kane’s final season playing for the Blackhawks came in the same year as Jonathan Toews, the 2022-’23 season. Kane was traded to the New York Rangers while Toews’ contract ran out and was not re-signed because he was injured most of that season. The following season Kane would sign with the Detroit Red Wings, which is now his 3rd season in Detroit. He has already been back to Chicago to face the team that drafted him.

Both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are 37 years of age. In the Captains’ return he has played in more games this season than his partner in crime from the Chicago days, 38 games. Kane recently returned from the injured list and could have missed this reunion. Kane has played in only 26 games but has been more productive than Toews. Kane has tallied 6 goals and dished out 17 assists for 23 points. He is only two goals shy of 500. Kane’s career numbers are impressive as he has 498 goals with 868 assists for 1,366 points total. Toews has lit the lamp only three times and has dished out 8 assists. In 16 seasons in the NHL, he has 375 goals with 519 assists and has accumulated 894 points. Kane is in his 19th season in the NHL.

This first reunion in different sweaters favored Patrick Kane’s team as the Red Wings won 2-1 over the Jets in this New Year’s Eve game. Neither Kane or Jonathan Toews were a factor in this game. The Red Wings have the better record this season as they are 24-14-3 to this point. The Jets made the post-season last season and got off to a great start. This season right now they have a losing record of 15-19-4. The reason the Jets signed Toews, was to be that veteran guy with his leadership skills and hoped they’d get something out of him on the stat sheets. So far Towes has done well on face offs. In general he has great instincts but has been very slow on the ice. Not sure how long this Toews comeback will last after this season concludes. It was a great story for Captain Serious returning to his hometown to wear the Jets sweater. This reunion with Kane was a nice story to end the 2025 year off with. Down the road we might not see these two legends on the ice at the same time. They may not be enshrined together in the Hockey Hall of Fame at the same time because they may not retire at the same time. If I was the Blackhawks front office, retiring both of their numbers one day at the same time would be very special. It would make a great finish with these two NHL legends while seeing them both together in the same ceremony one more time. While wearing the right sweaters, instead of the enemy Red Wings jersey or the Jets.

HAVE THE BLACKHAWKS STUMBLED UPON A WINNING RECIPE?

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The last time the Chicago Blackhawks made the post-season was in 2020. The regular season was cut down short due to the pandemic in 2020. The NHL and other sports expanded the post-season that year. The Blackhawks participated in the qualifying round and beat the Edmonton Oilers. Then reality hit them when the Las Vegas Golden Knights eliminated them in 5 games in the next round. Since then, the Blackhawks dynasty crumbled. The last few years have been disastrous. The Blackhawks number one phenom Connor Bedard has been regressing since last season on the ice from his rookie debut.The experts believe he was supposed to be the next Connor McDavid of the league. This is Chicago sports where great teams come along ever 17 years like Haley’s comet. Last year the Blackhawks were 5-12 in their first 17 games with none of those losses coming in over time. The first 30 games the Blackhawks played in the 2024-25 season, they only won 9 of them. This season in 17 games they are 8-5-4 for 20 points.

If we could only freeze time. The Blackhawks would be in the post-season. What’s different than last season and all the other years we Chicago fans were tortured by this team on the ice?

Have the Chicago Blackhawks stumbled upon an actually great hire as their head coach? It’s Jeff Blashill’s first season as the Blackhawks head coach. It’s his second head coaching job in his career in the NHL. He will be a retread style coach which sometimes works, but sometimes it’s the same ole story same ole song and dance. I will say it’s way too early to start printing up post-season tickets or name him coach of the year. Blashill has developed a new identity for this young Blackhawks team. He has given them confidence and has developed structure with positive leadership skills. You can tell he already has an impact on the younger players. You know it starts with the Blackhawks and the NHL “we hope” future superstar in Connor Bedard.

Connor is sizzling on the ice so far as he is second in points in the NHL right now. He has scored 10 goals while dishing out 16 assists. Bedard had 23 goals in 82 games last year. On October 29th, Bedard registered his first NHL hat trick in 7-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Besides the younger guys being impacted so far this season. Tyler Bertuzzi, a ten year veteran of the NHL who was drafted by the hated Red Wings, has made some noise on the ice. Bertuzzi is 30 years old and has scored six goals in the last three games. Bertuzzi has had 14 points in the first 15 games of the season. He has played in 16 games & has one game winning goal. He has tallied 9 total goals while dishing out six assists for 15 points this season so far. Last season Bertuzzi had 23 goals while dishing out 23 assists. I know two guys can’t carry the entire load the entire season. The Blackhawks will need more guys to get the offensive production they need to continue to put up W’s in the standings. You want to see a positive veteran presence with the rise of Bedard contributing. The last Blackhawks dynasty had Marion Hossa playing a big role with guys like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp.

This season early on, the Blackhawks have gotten great goal tending unlike the last few seasons. It may be one of the best savvy moves made by current Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson at the trade deadline last season. He acquired a young on the rise goaltender in Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers for an overpaid waste of a defenseman in Seth Jones. Knight has been a wall in front of the net wearing the Indian head sweater. His record so far this season in net is 6-3-3. He has recorded one shut out. He has allowed only 2.46 GAA (Goals Against Average.) His save percentage in the net has been stellar at .923%.

We know it is way too early to be this optimistic about the Blackhawks, not even 20 games into the season. The NHL is a long grueling season with 82 games on the docket. Right now the Blackhawks are putting the puck into the net and getting great goaltending along with solid leadership. The team has had defensive struggles they will need to iron out. How will this team adjust when other teams make adjustments to their game plans? The team has not had any significant injuries yet. We do not know how this year will play out. Usually the best teams make it to the post-season. Some suspect teams slip in there from time to time. I think most Blackhawks fans would take a winning team with a winning record and in the thick of things making positive steps to get back to the post-season by the end of this season. Post-season would be cherries on the sundae for this team if they made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. We want to see pillars in place for the future. We want to see the organization plan start working. We are sick of the word REBUILD in Chicago sports. That has become a staple like pizza and Italian beef sandwiches in the Windy City. Right now I’m ecstatic just about watching exciting hockey instead of turning the channel to the same old new generation style of television that is mostly garbage. Most of the time when Chicago sports teams are winning, they pretty much accidentally stumble upon it and tell us lies saying it was the plan all along. We will enjoy it while we have it and hope it continues all season long.

THE REMPIRE STATE BUILDING

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In present day ice hockey in the NHL, who are the toughest enforcers in the league? Who are the Bob Probert’s or the Stu Grimson’s on the ice these days? In present day hockey, fighting is not quite outlawed yet. The sport has less bouts in present day than in the past. Hockey still needs the goon to police the activity on the ice and protect their star players at the same time. In the Big Apple, a 23 year old center is taking the league by storm going up against the baddest of the bad in the NHL. He plays for the Rangers and his nickname is the Rempire State Building. He may be the same height as the Empire State building in New York standing at 6’9″ & weighing 261 pounds. His last name is Rempe so the clever play on words was formed with how tall he is. Playing in New York why not The Rempire State Building? That may be one of the best nicknames of all-time in sports. Matt Rempe dropped the gloves once again with veteran winger Ryan Reaves with the San Jose Sharks and it was an epic fight that took place Thursday night between the old enforcer and the new.

Ryan Reaves has skated in the NHL for 16 seasons playing the position of right winger and is a guy that will scrap it up with on the ice any night. The NHL season is still very young so far and Reaves before Thursday night already dropped the gloves with Ross Johnston of the Anaheim Ducks. Reaves has played in 919 NHL games, is 38 years of age, and will mix with anyone. He has played for multiple teams as he was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 5th round of the 2005 NHL draft. He has suited up with the Penguins, Rangers, Golden Knights, Wild, Maple Leafs, and this is his first season with the Sharks. He is not paid to put the puck in the net. Reaves has scored 64 goals over his career while dishing out 74 assists for 138 total points. During warm ups between the Sharks and Rangers, he was seen chatting with one of New York’s top goal scorers, Artemi Panarin. Obviously the Rempire State Building had to have his say about this little conversation as both enforcers dropped the gloves and exchanged hay makers.

Ryan Reaves to me and you is a big dude weighting 225 pounds while standing at 6’2″. Matt Rempe being 6’9″ and with his long arms, it looks like Reaves is a rag doll to the bigger opponent.

Reaves is a scrapper and wily veteran as he looked like Rocky Balboa on the Ice. Not Sly Stallone in Rocky 2 skating with Adrian.

Ryan Reaves landed some devastating punches in this bout as he was determined to crumble the bigger building on the ice. This is not the first time these two enforcers have met on the job. Last year Reaves was on the Maple Leafs and these two had a brief tangle. In part two on Thursday, both enforcers put on a great show like two heavy weight fighters in the boxing ring. Both goons landed solid punches in an epic fight that you wish you would see more often. In present day, sports are changing. You can’t touch the quarterback in football. In baseball, pitchers are on pitch count instead of trying to complete the entire game. I guess you have to give Reaves the decision on this fight card because the Rempire State Building did not return to the ice after the bout. He would leave the game with an upper body injury. The Sharks would win their first game of the season beating the Rangers 6-5. I’m sure this will not be the last time these two enforcers cross paths

Matt Rempe has been in the NHL for only 3 seasons and has played in 68 games. He was drafted by the Rangers in the 6th round of the NHL 2020 draft. In 68 games he has only tallied 5 goals and dished out six assists. Once again he is not here to put the puck in the net which is just icing on the cake if he polices the ice for his team.

The Rempire State Building has already made a name for himself before dropping the gloves with Ryan Reaves on Thursday. He has fought many of the toughest enforcers in the league in only his third year in the league. He had an epic fight with Philadelphia Flyers tough guy Nicolas Deslauriers while leaving his mark on his face. He has fought Islanders tough guy Matt Martin, Kurtis MacDermid on the Devils, and Mathieu Oliver of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Stu Grimson as an enforcer still to this day has the best nickname ever by a tough guy being called the Grim Reaper. The Rempire State Building has to be up on the charts as well. Maybe some day Matt Rempe will have a book like the Grim Reaper telling it all about how the Enforcer goes about business on the ice. At 23 I believe we will see many more bouts from The Rempire State Building. It is nice to actually know goons are still lingering in the league and making a name for themselves. As a hockey fan, in the past it seemed like every team had a name on the roster that was the enforcer that you knew. The full back is basically dead in the sport of football. Maybe the Enforcer position will make a prestige return to the ice.

DUNCAN KEITH MAKES THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME IN FIRST BALLOT

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Duncan Keith did not get all the glory of the recent Chicago Blackhawks dynasty like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He was part of the big three on those 3 Stanley Cups the Blackhawks hoisted from 2010 through 2015. You’ve heard of the saying, “flip the script.” Keith flipped the ice on defense not only to clear the puck but to set up the offense and all the weapons the Blackhawks had back then. He was an iron man, a pillar each game & he hardly ever left the ice. He ran the power play like a quarterback. He killed off penalties like a bomb technician. Most importantly he was the last line of defense for the goalie throwing himself in front of 1,896 shots from a puck that can hit speeds of 90 MPH. When you lose ten teeth in a Stanley Cup finals game, most players would call it a night. Keith got back on the ice after looking like he spit out his teeth like spitting out a bad box of Chiclets. He earned the nickname Duncan “Teeth” and throughout 17 seasons he showed the hockey world why he was one of the best defensemen in the game.

Duncan Keith was originally drafted in the second round of the 2002 NHL draft 54th overall by the Blackhawks. He played 16 seasons wearing the Indian Head sweater. He closed out his career in Canada, the lone season he played for the Edmonton Oilers. He scored 106 goals and dished out 540 assists for 646 points in regular season. He played in 1,192 NHL regular season games which came out to 33,495 minutes and 55 seconds. That tells you he hardly came off the ice. He only missed a handful of games in his entire career. Keith was a 3x All-Star. He was a 2x winner of the Norris trophy which is for the league’s top notch defenseman of the year. He won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2014 & ’15 which was MVP in the playoffs those years. He helped his native country of Canada win two gold medals as well. He was named one of the 100 greatest players on the 100th year anniversary of the NHL in 2017. Keith has made his mark as one of the best all-time defensemen with the Blackhawks. He is first with most games played in regular season. He is number two all-time in Blackhawks history with assists and points by a defenseman. He is number three in goals as a defender. His post-season stats were solid. Keith leads all Blackhawks defensemen in 135 post-season games played all-time and 68 assists and 86 points. He is 4th all-time in Blackhawks history with 18 post-season goals as a defender.

Duncan Keith had the hockey smile of missing teeth. His parade speech in 2010 will always be a memory for me when he came up to the microphone and asked the Blackhawks nation: “Anybody know a good dentist?”

Duncan Keith is from Winnipeg, Manitoba & will be the 48th player wearing the Indian Head sweater to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Keith was only 6’1″ tall but he played defense like he was much bigger. He always showed physical dominance around the net. He established his territory on the ice which was between the red and blue line on the ice. He was a master at steering the opponents to the outside because he had quick feet along with a quick stick. He prevented breakaways which have haunted most goalies in their career. He may have been playing on a half a tank his last few years in the NHL. Most of his career he was a guy that you can count on as he showed he was one of the main engine parts of that Blackhawks dynasty. Keith becomes the second player from that dynasty to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Marian Hossa was the first as he played a pivotal role on that dynasty, but he had a decorated career when he signed with Chicago as a free agent. Keith was drafted around the same time as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as the Blackhawks were assembling a young core of superstars. Before these guys were drafted, the Blackhawks were one of the worst franchises in sports. The front office and more importantly the ownership got their act together and rode the coat tails of all the young talent they got from being very bad for years and years. Seems like the black clouds are back following one of the original six franchises which the Blackhawks are, but things have been looking up. In the meantime how time goes by like a blur, it seems like yesterday Chicago was spoiled with playoff hockey every year and this core getting this team deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. During questionable times, we get to reflect on remembering all the good memories guys like Duncan Keith gave the city of Chicago and the Blackhawks nation. It’s on my bucket list to go see the Hockey Hall of Fame as I have done both baseball and football. To see all those great Blackhawks players enshrined would be something special. Right now we have to congratulate number 2, Duncan Keith. I’m sure the jersey retirement is being scheduled sometime soon with more to come from others from that dynasty where more celebrations will be had. In Chicago we always love our defenses. Duncan Keith was a guy that brought his lunch pail to the job everyday. He practiced his craft everyday and showed his talent for denying the opposing teams from lighting the lamp. He did it night after night against the best in the game. His play will always be priceless for what he did on the ice and being a solid guy off the ice. That’s why he is a first ballot hockey hall of famer.

JUST DUCKY IN ANAHEIM WITH JOEL QUENNEVILLE SO FAR

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Can Joel Quenneville make the Anaheim Ducks mighty once again? The Ducks have not been to the post-season since 2018 when the San Jose Sharks knocked them out in round one with a sweep. The Ducks had a 35-37-10 record that led to the firing of Greg Cronin in April. The Ducks finished 6th in the Pacific division which was 16 points behind the St.Louis Blues for the second wild card. The Ducks did improve by 21 points this season over the season before, because of the young talent they have assembled. Suddenly a few trades and fans are thinking what the duck is going on here. When Quenneville replaced Dennis Savard as head coach for the Blackhawks in 2008, I thought it was strange firing somebody after three games. I did not like the direction the team was going at the time. The Ducks roster is starting to get Quenneville’s fingerprints on it.

The last time we saw Joel Quenneville coaching was back in October 27, 2021 with the Florida Panthers. Quenneville had to resign from the game because his past caught up to him. He was part of that cover up in Chicago in 2010 where the Blackhawks brass swept under the rug video coach Brad Aldrich’s sexual allegations from two players of theirs, One was Kyle Beach & the other may never come forward. The Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman was out and Al Macisaac who was Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. In 2024 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reinstated all three guys. Bowman moved on to Edmonton & now Quenneville is back in the saddle again in Anaheim. The Ducks are getting the second winiest head coach in NHL history. Quenneville has a regular season record of 969-572-77, only behind Scotty Bowman who left his mark with1,244 wins. Quenneville helped the Blackhawks break a post-season drought when he arrived. He guided that team with young superstars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith to three Stanley Cup titles. Quenneville also coached in St.Louis as he always had the Blues in the post-season. He also coached in Colorado which he managed to get the Avalanche to the playoffs half the years he was there. You have to give Quenneville some credit in Florida as that team was starting to climb before he resigned. Now the Panthers have won back to back Stanley Cups.

The Anaheim Ducks have a roster filled with guys in their 20’s. They have gathered some nice young roster pieces at the forward position with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish.

The Switzerland native McTavish had 22 goals last season in his 4th season in Anaheim at the age of 22. The Ducks traded a young piece in Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers for 45th overall draft pick this season and 2026 4th round pick, and a veteran center Ryan Poehling. Zegras has had back-to-back years of 20 goal seasons racking up 60 points or better. He has had a hard time the last two seasons staying healthy. The Ducks also landed a veteran wing from the New York Rangers in Chris Kreider who can provide this Quenneville team leadership on the ice as he did in the Big Apple for the last 13 seasons. On defense the Ducks have more young studs ready to take their game to the next level. They have Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Jackson LaCombe. Let’s not forget in the net, Lukas Dostral. The Czech goalie had his best season in the net with a record 23-23-7 with a .903 save %.

It seems like Joel Quenneville has plenty of interesting pieces for this roster in Anaheim. Now he has the front office adding some veteran pieces to a roster filled with young talent. This Ducks team may be ready next season to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. When the Blackhawks added veteran Marion Hossa to their young roster, suddenly the dynasty was born. Chris Kreider may not be a good comparison to Hossa. The Blackhawks sprinkled in the Kreiders of the NHL world as well, guys that had a set of skills to help a young team and show them how the next level looks like and take them there. Quenneville has been a winner everywhere he has gone. These trades look baffling right now, but by the time the season starts the Ducks will load up on more younger talent from the draft. They’ll just add enough veteran guys to bring the Mighty Ducks back into the conversation when we talk Stanley Cup playoffs. Joe Quenneville will change these Anaheim teams of old.

They will be prepared and fundamentally strong. He will put his players in the best spot to succeed. They still need to land that Hossa which will be hard to find. They may have the money to spend on a big name as well as Chris Kreider is not exactly cheap. I think the Ducks will be a sneaky sleeper team next season who may miss the playoffs, but they will have a winning record and will come close.