Blackhawks Beaten In Own Game To End Long Trip

Great passing, getting pucks at the net, good goaltending on the other end and a balanced and quick attack from different lines. These are trademarks of the Chicago Blackhawks, but this evening, Carolina returned the favor at home.

The Hurricanes just finished off a 4-2 win in Carolina, as the Blackhawks end their 8-game trip with a 5 and 3 record. Chicago was coming off an overtime win over San Jose as they took the season series with the Western Conference leaders. The Blackhawks are one point behind the Sharks for the conference lead, but they could not get over the hump against Carolina.

The Hurricanes got out in space, pushed the puck, and threw the puck toward the net. A couple bounces led to some Hurricane goals, but when you are quick, balanced and aggressive, these bounces tend to go your way. The Hurricanes did that, and while they sit in last place in the East, they have won 4 straight games. If they continue doing what the Blackhawks do pretty consistently, and get great goaltending from Cam Ward, then they will continue to win games.

The Hawks' 3 losses on this trip all came against teams with win streaks. Ottawa has 9 straight wins, Vancouver has 6 straight wins, and the Hurricanes are starting to figure things out themselves. Chicago has six games remaining until the league takes a break during the Olympics, and four of those six games are at the United Center.

They take a few days off, and then face Central Division rival St. Louis on Wednesday. There are still many teams alive for the postseason, and they will look to play their best against a great team like Chicago, especially a division rival like the Blues.

I am not sure that St. Louis can beat Chicago at their own game, but if last-place Carolina can, then who knows. St. Louis is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, and Chicago did not do well against teams on hot streaks during this trip.

Big Blackhawks Game Tonight in San Jose!

I am pulling double-duty tonight. As I sit here at the Hulman Center for tonight's Saluki basketball game against Indiana State, I thought I would say something about the other big sporting event. (Yes, as WSIU FM sports director, this Saluki game is a big sporting event for me!).

Anyways, that other big game is on the ice, as the Chicago Blackhawks continue their road trip with a game at San Jose. Each meeting between the teams this season has been close, except for a 7-2 Blackhawks rout in northern California earlier this season. Yet, that was somewhat of a fluke, as San Jose continues to lead Chicago by just 2 points atop the NHL standings.

San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov is one of the best in the business. This team has been near the top of the league the last few seasons. They finished 1st in last year's regular season before being upset in the first round. They are back at the top, and San Jose and Chicago have separated themselves from the rest of the Western Conference.

The NHL will be watching this Blackhawks game tonight, and this is a very interesting way to end Chicago's eight-game road trip. They play in San Jose tonight and then close the trip against last-place Carolina on Saturday; you cannot have two different opponents coming up.

We will see what Chicago will do tonight. I do not see the Blackhawks winning 7-2 like they did in that November road game with the Sharks. If they do,or win in any other way in regulation, the teams will be tied atop the NHL with 78 points.

Either way, the Sharks and Blackhawks will fight to the end of the season for that number-one seed in the West.

(By the way, it is currently 12-10 Salukis with 11:54 to go....time to solely focus on that)

The Good, Old Original Six

Things have certainly changed, but there was a time where just six NHL teams took the ice during the season. Now these six continue to be a special part of the NHL...

-Blackhawks
-Red Wings
-Rangers
-Bruins
-Canadiens
-Maple Leafs

These half a dozen teams are doing pretty good, with Toronto being the only one that would not make the postseason as of today. Hockey is slowly becoming relevant again across the country, and when fans see these teams in the playoff race, there is a certain joy that enters the mind.

You didn't have to be alive during the original six days to understand what they mean to the league and how exciting it is when they meet on the ice. The Blackhawks and Bruins play each other tonight in Boston, and the Bruins also played New York on Monday. People still bring up the original six when these teams play each other, and they always will bring that up.

Other teams have exciting players and consistently win, but when these original teams are successful, there is a higher feeling of emotion that comes with watching the victories. Players like Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Jacques Plante mean a lot to any hockey fan, and the early days will always be remembered.

Nashville Doesn't Seem As Fun As Detroit

Last season, the Blackhawks had a key home and home series with the rival Red Wings around this time. They were right there in the Central division, but lost both games against Detroit, including the Winter Classic.

Chicago is leading the division and conference this year, and they began an important home and home series with Nashville on a good note. The Blackhawks beat the second-place Predators 4 to 1 and are now 6 points ahead in the division standings. Nashville, currently, is a better team than Detroit. The Red Wings have dealt with injuries to their top players, and it is Nashville that has been Chicago's toughest competitor.

The Blackhawks earned two shutouts over the Red Wings earlier this week, and they basically dominated the team that has developed a dynasty over the years. The Red Wings were the team that Chicago had to beat in order to get to that next level, but lately, the victories over Detroit haven't been too difficult.

Nashville is Detroit right now, but that was easy too. Chicago has another game with the Predators on Sunday night, and the United Center fans will be rocking and rolling once again on Madison street. While the Predators have been a good hockey team, it does not seem right that they are the second-best team in the division.

When Detroit gets healthy again, they should return to the postseason and continue to to be a tough team. Chicago knows that and wants to take advantage of the weaker Red Wings team before Detroit gets back to their normal winning ways.

For now, the Predators are the team to beat, and Chicago took care of business this evening. They play Nashville tomorrow for the final time this season, and a win could give Chicago an 8-point lead in the division.

Important wins against Nashville, though, do not sound as cool as crucial wins against Detroit. The Blackhawks don't mind, though, as long as they continue to put wins in the standings.

So Much for the Bad Goaltending in Chicago

There was a time, earlier in the season, that the Chicago Blackhawks were known as a scoring team without any goaltending. Now, Chicago has earned two straight shutouts, one from Antti Niemi and one from Cristobal Huet.

Huet earned tonight's win over rival St. Louis, a team that the Hawks had not played yet this season. It was a physical contest and even Huet got in on the pushing and shoving late in the game. The fight out of Huet is something that Chicago fans thought they would never see, as he was known to be a soft goaltender that allowed some soft goals early in the season.

He has stepped up lately, and the goalies have actually helped carry the team to some victories. Chicago has given up the fewest goals of any team in the NHL, and by far, the fewest in the conference. The Hawks have allowed just 67 goals in 32 games, and Phoenix is second with 78 allowed.(New Jersey and Martin Brodeur have allowed just 69 to lead the East.)

Niemi is second in the NHL with 3 shutouts, despite only starting 7 games. Huet had his second shutout tonight. The Hawks are not scoring as many goals as people thought, but they are starting to get the offense going again recently.

Chicago has outscored their opponents 7-0 in the last two games. Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews make a very potent first line. The Hawks still have some work to do, with Nashville just two points behind in the division.

Yet Chicago has solved their goaltending issues. The goalies were a concern, and now they are the reason the team leads the division.

Mount Hushmore: Bill Wirtz (1) vs. Steve Bartman (4)

Who were Chicago's most embarrassing athletes?  The guys you hated so much, you considered booing them even though they were on your team.

We'll take a look at two as we continue the Mount Hushmore challenge as Bill Wirtz goes up against Steve Bartman.

Bill Wirtz

The man tried to Plax hockey in Chicago.  Ask any old-time Chicago sports fan.  They'll tell you a tale that once upon a time, the City of Broad Shoulders was not a Cubs town or a Bears town.


It was a Blackhawk hockey town.

Wirtz comes along and basically takes all the good will stored up over the years for this franchise by its fans and takes a dump on it.  High ticket prices weren't enough?  How about no home games on TV?  That alone kept this young Chicago sports fan from embracing hockey until he got to college.

It's because it wasn't available to him.

Steve Bartman

Part of me feels bad for Bartman because he's a Cubs fan.  Then there's the part of me that says, "If you're going to sit in the front row and have headphones on listening to the game ... and see Moises Alou coming at you full speed chasing a fly ball you might want to get away from the incoming ball and/or ballplayer."

Bartman's act is kin to Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern in 1871.

Alex Gonzalez, Dusty Baker and others take parts of the blame as well, but thanks to the vote of the people, Barman made the cut for this Mount Hushmore.

(Ed. Note from Luda: I probably should have put Bartman here in the first place.  If the Cubs make the World Series that year, I had tickets ... and a potential date.  No World Series + girl getting back with boyfriend = Pissed off.  Fuck it I'm voting for Bartman!)

 (Image via)

Now, it's your time to vote.

Who should move on to the next round.

• Bill Wirtz
• Steve Bartman

Created on Dec 9, 2009

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

The New Era of Hockey: Blackhawks Are Good and Contracts are Crazy!

Depth is certainly a key to the Chicago Blackhawks' success, as numerous players can put the puck in the back of the net. Yet with all of Chicago's solid athletes, there is a trio that falls right in the middle of them all.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith can really make the engine run. The Chicago organization seems to understand their importance, as all three players signed long contract extensions today.

Kane and Toews get five year extensions, with each getting more than 6 million dollars a year. Keith ends up with a franchise-record 13-year extension. Yes, 13 years, and he gets 72 million dollars overall.

The team expects to have success for many years to come, and the signing of these three young stars validates that idea. The other thing this does is add to the crazy contracts that NHL players sign today. Chicago's Marian Hossa agreed to a 12-year contract in the offseason.

The salary cap issue definitely comes into play down the road, but for now, the Blackhawks' organization is not worrying about that. New general manager Stan Bowman grew up in a competitive hockey family, with father Scotty Bowman known to be one of the greatest head coaches of all time. The older Bowman built a dynasty in Detroit, and Stan is hoping the same thing happens here. I guess Scotty does too, now that he is in Chicago's front office.

Keith starts the offense from the back end, and then Kane and Toews can finish the job in the opponent's zone. The funny thing about Kane and Toews is how they will always be linked together. They are both 21-years old, they now have the same contract extensions, and they have always been the two symbols of the Hawks' resurgence.

As for Keith, the 26-year old is slowly creeping up to Kane and Toews' level of star status. Keith is one of the best, and most active, defenseman in the game today.

The Blackhawks are tied with Calgary for second place in the Western Conference, and they beat the Flames 7 to 1 on their recent road trip. Hockey is back in Chicago, and the league understands that.

Can the Hawks keep the consistency going? Chicago's theme the last two years has been "One Goal". Kane, Toews and Keith certainly will go a long way in determining whether the Hawks will bring the Stanley Cup to Chicago.

Marian Who? Oh Yeah, The Blackhawks Did Get Hossa!

Remember that rough offseason that the Blackhawks had? A star player punching a taxi driver, a president getting booed at a convention he created, a former player bashing the front office and a general manager getting demoted.

The final piece of that rough offseason puzzle was the announcement that prized free agent Marian Hossa needed shoulder surgery. Yes, the guy was signed to a 12-year deal and would make an impact at some point, but it just added to the offseason troubles. Well, now, this past summer is out of the minds of Hawks' fans everywhere. The team is in second place in the Western Conference, first in the division and riding a 7-game win streak.

Oh, and all this is happening without Hossa on the ice. He makes his return tonight at conference-leading San Jose, a team the Hawks beat in overtime on their recent homestand. It is very fitting that this 40-goal scorer returns for a game between the top two teams in the West, and you also have to wonder how he will fit in with this group.

Chicago was doing so well on the ice, that you almost forget they signed this guy in the first place. He will definitely make the team even better, and a line with Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane is very potent.

The main core of players is there and Chicago plans to sign Toews, Kane and Duncan Keith to contract extensions in the near future. This core led the team to the conference finals last season, and they were well on their way to another deep playoff run this year.

It was such a good group, that you never thought about Hossa not being there the first 22 games of the season. His injury was the final piece of a rough offseason, but now, he might be the final piece of their Stanley Cup hopes.

Circus Trips Showing Two Sides of United Center Teams' Spectrum

When watching the Chicago Bulls on the circus trip, it seems inevitable that they will let a lead slip away or go down by a lot when it is all said and done. They have been close in parts of games with Los Angeles, Denver and Portland, but all of them have ended in double-digit losses.

On the other side of things, the Chicago Blackhawks have dominated two opponents on the trip and also pulled out a 1-0 win on Sunday at Vancouver. It is hard to compare two different sports like this, but it is clear that the Chicago winter sports are on two levels.

The Hawks' Joel Quenneville has been in the head coaching business for a long time, while Bulls' coach Vinny Del Negro is in his second year as a coach.

The Bulls' top free agent is Jannero Pargo, while the Hawks' free agent is 40-goal scorer Marian Hossa (who will return from injury this week).

The Blackhawks go somewhere with their offense, while the Bulls just run around like maniacs and toss up crazy shots near the end of the shot clock.

The Bulls are happy to get out of the first round of the playoffs, while the Blackhawks will not meet expectations if they don't advance to the Stanley Cup.

Life on the circus trip has magnified these points, where the Hawks have stepped up against some top teams and the Bulls have slipped away in a heartbeat. The Bulls are a circus right now, and while they will make the postseason, they still do not have a very good team. The goal is to wait for a prized free agent next summer, and we will see if that happens.

As far as the Blackhawks go, things are going very well for the United Center team on ice. They face a tough test at San Jose tomorrow night, and if Hossa returns for that game, it is fitting that the big free agent arrives for a game between the top two teams in the West.

Bulls fans face many frustrations with their team on the road, but Blackhawks fans are having fun no matter where their team plays.

Blackhawks Sweep Through Canada, Win Different Ways

The Chicago Blackhawks have certainly made the United Center a home-ice advantage, but a big test for this team was taking that energy and transferring it to the road as well. Chicago has answered that call quickly, winning 3 games in 4 nights against Canadien teams.

The circus trip has been no problem for the Hawks, and they are now on a 7-game win streak. The first two games of the trip were against Calgary and Edmonton, and the Hawks erupted for 12 goals combined in the two games. Things were a bit different on Sunday with Vancouver's defensive style of play combined with goalie Roberto Luongo making life difficult for Chicago.

Yet one early third-period goal was the difference because Antti Niemi, playing his first game in several weeks, made 30 saves. Young Hawk player Brian Bickell, of all people, put a rebound passed Luongo for the game's only goal. Many different Chicago players step up each game, and it was good to win a close game like this.

A team that can put up 3 goals every night sometimes cannot steal away 1-0 games. Chicago did just that on the road and can continue the momentum into California. Chicago has three more tests on this trip including Wednesday's potential thriller against conference-leading San Jose. The Sharks (16-5-4) lead the Hawks (15-5-2) by 4 points atop the Western Conference.

A win on Wednesday would be Chicago's eighth straight, second win over San Jose this season, and be the first home loss for the Sharks in 10 games. It should be a fun atmosphere, and after winning three in Canada, the Hawks are ready to take over the three California teams as well.

Time For Blackhawks To Take Show On The Road

The Chicago Blackhawks have won seven straight games at the United Center, and they just wrapped a perfect four-game homestand. More wild crowds witnessed some wild games, and three were against top teams in the Western Conference. Brent Seabrook scored an overtime goal in 41 seconds tonight, giving the Hawks a 4-3 win against the conference-leading San Jose Sharks.

They were down 3-1 in the 2nd period, and no lead seems safe against the Blackhawks. This is especially true at home, where the high-flying Hawks continue to shine. Now the circus comes into the UC , and the Blackhawks embark on a 6-game road trip. They play three games against Canadien teams and three games against California teams.

The schedule has been fairly kind to the Blackhawks this season, with 13 home games and just 6 away from the UC. A good team certainly makes their own venue a home-ice advantage, but the great teams step up on the road throughout the season as well. Chicago is 2-3-1 on the road, and while that is a respectable record, they will need to win some more road games to take the Central Division.

This team can certainly win the division, yet it will not be easy. Detroit is not as good, but will still challenge for the crown. Columbus is improving each game. Nashville has some solid players, and St. Louis got hot as the season went on last year.

The Blackhawks could be better than all these division opponents, and winning on the road would certainly go a long way in making that happen.

Huet is Only Thing Going Wrong with Blackhawks...Too Bad He's the Goalie

There is no more Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, or Curtis Joseph. Martin Brodeur is still a pretty good goaltender, but the era of great goalies in the NHL seems to be slowly diminishing. Despite this overall trend, there is definitely someone out there better than Chicago netminder Cristobal Huet.

Antti Niemi, the Blackhawks' backup, may become the starter more if Huet continues to struggle. Huet was pulled against Calgary last Monday after allowing three goals in under a minute. He allowed only one goal at Nashville, but the Predators had just 13 shots on net.

Then Saturday came, and Huet's troubles showed again and the Hawks fans responded with a chorus of boos at the United Center. There were some bad goals scored by Dallas, as the game-winner came on a dump-in that bounced a couple times off the boards and over the arms of a startled Huet. Now, that was a pretty bad bounce, but you cannot let a goal in like that.

I knew Huet wasn't as good as Nikolai Khabibulin, and there were some concerns when the "Bulin Wall" left for Edmonton. Yet, Huet was marvelous in the season-ending loss at Detroit in last year's postseason, and he looked pretty solid in the regular season. Still, there was a reason Huet didn't play in the playoffs until Khabibulin got hurt. He was not as good as the starter, and it is not like Khabi is the greatest goalie in the world.

Chicago will be near the top of the NHL in goals scored, but in the end, a solid goaltender is needed to win the Stanley Cup. Niemi may get more playing time, but he has yet to prove himself and may have some inconsistencies as well. We will see what happens the rest of the season, which continues this Wednesday when the Hawks host Vancouver.

This is definitely a title contender, and the only thing standing in the Blackhawks way is a good goalie. Unfortunately, this is a pretty big barrier to overcome.

Does Announcer Eddie Olczyk Ever Stop Working?!

Chicago Blackhawks fans have loved many things the last few seasons. You have the "Chelsea Dagger" song after a goal, Jim Cornelison singing the anthem, and a very exciting team on the ice.

The fun does not just happen at the United Center, but it is also felt in the living room. Pat Foley is "the man" at play-by-play, but alongside him, there has been another great addition recently.

Eddie Olczyk loves hockey, has passion in his voice, and explains the game with such clarity that even a rookie to the hockey viewing process can understand. Plus, the great thing about him is that he is everywhere. Blackhawks fans hear him throughout the season on Comcast Sports Net and WGN, he is also the lead analyst on the NHL on NBC, and he does many games for Versus.

Chicago was on Versus last night, so there was no Pat Foley. Yet, you do get Olczyk and that adds to the love of the Hawks. The big comeback from being down 5-0 was enhanced by your own analyst, just as the experience was during the Winter Classic and the postseason last year.

The idea of hearing your own announcer on a national telecast is pretty cool. The Boston Red Sox had it this postseason with Don Orsillo on TBS, although that Boston run ended pretty quickly.

It is also nice that Olczyk never gives away that he is the Hawks' analyst. This is hard to do on a national telecast, considering he works for the Blackhawks throughout the season. Orsillo or a FOX baseball announcer runs into this problem occasionally. Yet Olczyk is on the national telecasts all the time, and the Hawks will be on national TV a good amount this season.

This is just another reason to love the Blackhawks. Foley and Olczyk, Mike Emrick and Olczyk...it doesn't matter. The Hawks' analyst is good on every telecast, and there are certainly a lot to choose from.

Who Needs Goaltending?! Okay, Just Kidding

Wow! It is hard to describe what just happened at the United Center. A crowd of 20,074 will tell you the same thing after the 6-5 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. We are five games into the season and two into the home portion of the season. In those two games, the Chicago Blackhawks have set a franchise record for longest shootout and now a franchise record for biggest comeback.

The Blackhawks had six different players score, something that they do every night (not the 6 goals, but the wide range of scorers...although 6 could be a regular thing). They were down 5-0 to Calgary faster than pitchers Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Franklin, Joe Nathan and Houston Street could blow a save.

John Madden gets a goal near the end of the first period, but they are still four goals behind. The naive, weird fan could say that this gives them momentum and the fact that they are outshooting the Flames, 16-10, gives them hope. Well, maybe it isn't so weird. Mikka Kiprusoff is supposed to be a very good goalie, and he is. Yet Chicago made him look horrible, just as they did at times during a first-round playoff win last season.

The Hawks offense tends to do that to goalies, and you still have free-agent Marian Hossa rehabbing and maybe coming back in November. Now speaking of bad goalies, though, Cristobal Huet had a rough night. Some were not his fault, but he was definitely in bad position at times. Plus, giving up three goals in less than a minute is never a good thing.

I am not sold on Antti Niemi in net either, but he did a pretty solid job in helping the Hawks come back. Still, this goaltending is a bit of an issue. Yet, the offense certainly is not. I wouldn't make a habit of getting down 5-0, but this team can certainly score in bunches. It is safe to say that Chicago has one of the best offenses in the NHL...just ask the Calgary Flames.

Here Come the (Young and Exciting) Hawks!

Yes, bring that fight music back...the Here Come the Hawks, the Mighty Blackhawks! I'll let you sing along to the rest of the words, but yes, hockey is back!

Now, the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin gets two goals and an assist in his season opener on Thursday. Man, is he good?! He is the face of the NHL, along with Malkin and Crosby on the Penguins.

Yet, back to Chicago, Patrick Kane made it through an alleged attack on a Buffalo cab driver this summer and is the cover boy for the NHL 2010 game on EA Sports. His buddy Jonathan Toews is the captain of the team. At 21, he is the third-youngest captain in NHL history. There is plenty of young talent around the NHL, and the Hawks are right in the middle of that.

The Hawks players are all pretty talented, and you have some veterans as well in John Madden (no relation, and he does take a plane, i think) and goalie Cristobal Huet. The netminder will obviously be scrutinized this year, now that he takes over for a departed Nikolai Khabibulin. His backups are youngsters Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi.

Speaking of Niemi, the exciting Hawks will open the season in his native country of Finland. Chicago plays the Panthers on Friday and Saturday. The rivals, Blues and Red Wings, begin their seasons with two games against each other in Sweden. Chicago comes back to play next Thursday, Oct 8 at Detroit...that will certainly be an exciting start.

There are high expectations and many questions surrounding the Blackhawks this season. Last year's conference final berth has brought a lot of attention to Chicago hockey. It all starts again in Finland this weekend.

19,734 Fans! They Do Know It is Preseason, Right?!

Man, what an opener for the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. They played an overtime game against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (okay, Ovechkin didn't play, but the thought is nice!). There were 19,734 screaming fans at the United Center.

This all came after a rough offseason that included Patrick Kane's legal troubles, former Blackhawk Martin Havlat's weird verbal bashing of the organization, a demotion of a GM, a new free-agent that needed surgery, and a president getting booed at his own convention.

This was only a preseason game, but the capacity crowd showed that Blackhawks fans are still passionate about their team, and there are many Chicagoans that now call themselves fans of the Hawks. This was a franchise-record crowd for a preseason game.

The Blackhawks host Havlat's Minnesota Wild on Friday in the final home game during the preseason. Havlat scored a pair of goals in the Wild's 3-0 win over Chicago last Sunday. It may not have the same drama as Jay Cutler returning to Denver, but this will bring more passion to the United Center on Friday.

And this is just the preseason!

Okay, Kane and the Blackhawks... Now I am Embarrassed

Patrick Kane was reportedly arrested early Sunday morning in Buffalo, NY on charges of theft of services, criminal mischief and robbery in the second degree. Kane and his cousin were taken into police custody at about 5 a.m ET after an incident with a cab driver, according to reports. Reports also say he acted this way after the driver did not have 20 cents change to give him.

This has definitely been a wild offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. There have been demotions in the front office, a president getting booed at his own convention, and a prized free-agent acquisition that will be out for a few months with injury.

If all is true with this report of Patrick Kane getting arrested on theft charges, then I am embarrassed. The Chicago Blackhawks should be embarrassed. The NHL should be embarrassed. I have laughed off every other story, but this is no laughing matter.

The Blackhawks feature some of the top, new faces in the NHL that have started to bring the league some more popularity. Patrick Kane is one of the faces of the franchise, and along with names like Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin, he is also one of the faces of the league.

He has been known to be a mature 20-year-old athlete, but just as it is with many athletes these days, it is hard to get by without some issue surrounding the people you root for every day.

You can laugh off a front-office demotion or an injury to a free-agent signed for the next decade. There is no laughing off this, if it is true.

TBDS Late Night: Hawks' Hossa Injured,Offseason Roller Coaster Continues

Well, I make my debut to the late night edition. I think I can handle it, but I do not know if Chicago Blackhawks' fans can handle any more ups and downs in their team's roller coaster of a summer. Chicago did reach the conference finals this past year, right? It is hard to remember that with all the commotion the franchise has caused the last month.

The next episode in this soap opera?...finding out today that prized free-agent acquisition Marian Hossa may miss the start of the season. The Blackhawks also report that surgery has not been ruled out to repair a shoulder injury. They apparently knew this when they signed him, and when you have this guy signed for 12 seasons, it should not be a big deal on the ice. Yet, off the ice, it is a different story.

Who was mainly responsible for signing Hossa? It could have been a mix of people, from former GM Dale Tallon to new GM Stan Bowman to president John McDonough. Each person has had issues thrown at them based around the demotion of Tallon. All these people knowing that Hossa suffered an injury during the postseason does not look good on their record, especially with all the other problems this offseason.

Again, there are more Blackhawks fans now than there were in the 60's maybe. This also means there are more out there to be upset with what the team does. The fact that Hossa can be injury-prone is not what fans want to hear. Doesn't that remind you of the last main right wing for the Hawks? Martin Havlat had trouble staying on the ice as well.

Also, more fans may be upset that Hossa came from the Red Wings. At first, they were happy because we stole someone from the arch-rival, but an injured Hossa coming from Detroit is not what Chicagoans had in mind.

Well, he probably will not be hurt for 12 seasons, so I am sure Hossa will do enough on the ice to be liked. For now, though, there are more problems in this wild offseason. I bet more blogs will be coming about the Blackhawks because they sure are giving people a lot to talk about.

Are You Sure The Cubs Didn't Sign Marian Hossa?

Marian Hossa is expected to make his next start despite an apparent shoulder injury.

Marian Hossa has a lot more in common with Kerry Wood and Mark Prior than you might think. Let The Trib take it away:

"The Blackhawks confirmed Wednesday that winger Marian Hossa, who signed a 12-year, $62.8 million free-agent contract with the team July 1, is rehabilitating an injured shoulder that he sustained during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The extent of the injury and whether Hossa will have to undergo surgery to repair it are not yet known. Reportedly, the Hawks knew about the injury before they signed the 30-year-old."

In more breaking news, Hossa is expected to start Friday's game against Dusty Baker's Cincinnati Reds. How fitting?

Blackhawks' Hossa rehabbing shoulder [Chicago Tribune]

Hawks' Tallon Out as General Manager

It was reported late last night on Comcast Sports Net Chicago that the Blackhawks have fired general manager Dale Tallon. An official announcement is expected today to announce assistant GM Stan Bowman as his replacement. Yet ABC 7 Chicago also says Tallon will remain as a consultant/senior adviser.

Tallon did some quality things since being named GM in 2005. The Blackhawks have his draft picks and players that came over as free agents. It is apparent, though, that Bowman was critical in helping Tallon make these acquisitons. After all, Bowman knows hockey with his father Scotty being a long-time coach of the Red Wings and now in the Hawks' front office.

Stan Bowman has been with Chicago for the last decade, and when he is announced as the new head GM, the franchise should remain on the path to resurgence. For the most part, the Blackhawks have an entire new front office since John McDonough's arrival from the Cubs as president. Many faces remain, but their job titles are different.

As far as why Tallon was fired, the Hawks must feel, first off, that Bowman is the better fit to run the organization. It did take a while for Tallon to re-sign some of the players this offseason, and he did not even mail out the qualifying offers to some in time. Players like Kris Versteeg are still with the club, but Bowman may have been able to keep them here a little more efficiently.

Tallon remaining with the organization continues a pattern of adding these "senior advisers" or "consultants" to the club. The Hawks gave former greats Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and former coach Denis Savard the same title. I remember Mikita saying at the time that he didn't know what that meant exactly, but he does enjoy being part of another winning Chicago hockey team. I am sure Tallon will be the same way, just like Savard was when he was fired by Tallon and the Hawks early in the past season.

All the changes, additions, and subtractions the team has made the last few years seem to work. Nobody complains when you keep bringing wins to the standings, and this should continue, except Tallon will not have his name in the newspaper as much.