“It’s more about me and the other guys in the locker room
Chicago Blackhawks Features
This article was originally published on March 22, 2012, as Blackhawks radio voice John Wiedeman reflects on the career of one of his all time favorite players, Al Secord, as part of the “85 Years” series.
cheap moncler outlet As a longtime follower of the Chicago Blackhawks, I feel exceedingly fortunate to have indelible recollections of games played at the old Chicago Stadium. Anyone who ever witnessed a sporting event in that grand old building will probably tell you that it rivals any other as the greatest venue in professional sports history. The Stadium had a sound, a smell and, in a way, a palpable feel to it. When you were inside the Stadium and part of a Blackhawks crowd, you felt like you were among friends and family and in a sense, you were. The raucous crowds seemed to make the building come to life. cheap moncler outlet
moncler factory outlet Blackhawks fans routinely flocked to moncler outlet the Stadium to see exhilarating, hard hitting NHL action and many came to develop a fondness for certain players. My best memories of that incredible barn center around Blackhawks games played in the ’80s and ’90s. In that time, some of the greatest players the franchise has ever known several now in the Hockey Hall of Fame proudly wore the famous Indian Head logo on their chests and kept crowds entertained with world class skill, speed, toughness, passion and intensity. moncler factory outlet
This article was originally posted on April 7, 2010. Secord will take the ice for One More Shift on Nov. 12 before the Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils.
moncler jackets outlet Al Secord rarely went looking for trouble, but when trouble beckoned, he was ready and able to oblige. He was tougher than a $2 steak, and more often than not, Secord’s mood had nothing whatsoever to do with self preservation. moncler jackets outlet
moncler outlet “With Al moncler outlet store around, I always had peace of mind when I stepped on the ice,” recalls Secord’s erstwhile center man, Hall of Famer Denis Savard. “He was always there to protect me, to protect any of us. I had to tone him down every once in a while. Somebody cheap moncler might get rough with me, and he said, ‘Well, Savy, I’ll see you in five minutes.’ He was gonna go fight the guy.” moncler outlet
moncler jacket sale The following is excerpted from the October 2017 issue of Blackhawks Magazine, which celebrates 10 years of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Pick up a copy at the next Blackhawks home monlcer down jackets game, or by calling the Blackhawks Store at 312 759 0079. moncler jacket sale
moncler outlet store If you think bobblehead giveaways attract attention, watch the ice when Patrick Kane is present on the right wing. Opponents gather around whether he has the buy moncler jackets puck or not. He can thread a pass through a keyhole with those magical hands, and can score from anywhere even while horizontal, as he did against the Montreal Canadiens last November. Bobby Hull cites Kane as among the best ever at handling the puck while speed skating. moncler outlet store
Jonathan Toews, a center, has performed with numerous linemates, as has Kane. No. 19 is strong of body and mind, always conscious of the risk reward element endemic to his pedigree, which is based on monitoring the entire rink. Whether that has affected his offensive possibilities is an issue he will not duck. As a baseball manager says on a trip to the mound to counsel a pitcher who wants to strike out every batter, there’s a reason you have eight teammates wearing gloves.
moncler outlet online The Blackhawks promised to enter this season in a state of ill humor, but 10 1? Against hockey royalty? The twice running Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins? moncler outlet online
Thursday night could only have been more perfect for the Blackhawks if this were their last game in June rather than their first game in October. They scored four goals inside three minutes of the first period, or more goals than they scored inside the United Center and Bridgestone Arena during April’s playoff capitulation against the Nashville Predators. Good thing the Blackhawks were 0 for 6 on the power play, or this really would have gotten out of hand.
The annual NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., is around the corner, with the Blackhawks slated to compete in the eight team tournament from Sept. 8 12. It’s the first competitive hockey of the season, an early chance for organizations to see Moncler Outlet how their prospects stack up against other clubs around the league. For Chicago, this year’s competition is not only an opportunity to evaluate players like Alex DeBrincat, David Kampf and Luc Snuggerud, it’s also the first test for the Rockford IceHogs’ new coaching group, which now includes Jeremy Colliton and Sheldon Brookbank.
“Probably 90 percent of the team we’re bringing to Traverse City will be in Rockford this season,” Senior Director of Minor League Affiliations Mark Bernard said, noting that the coaches will focus on assessing possible line combinations and defensive pairings over the course of the tournament.
When the Blackhawks opened their 2016 17 schedule on October 12, inclement weather hampered the red carpet ceremony outside the United Center, and the St. Louis Blues rained on the parade inside, winning 5 2.
Symmetry appeared to be in play, for the long range Chicago forecast seemed partly cloudy, given the chance of participation by six rookies on the roster: Gustav Forsling, Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza, Michal Kempny, Tyler Motte and Nick Schmaltz.
moncler outlet sale In a National Hockey League pledged to parity, could the Blackhawks possibly finish atop the Central Division and maybe even the Western Conference? At least to a fretful fan base, there would be a better chance of seeing Brent Seabrook take a faceoff in sudden death. moncler outlet sale
But the Blackhawks surprised adversaries, if not themselves, by amassing 50 victories for only the second time in franchise history, and their 109 points were just three shy of the most ever for the organization. Thus, with all that kinetic energy joining a locker room populated by decorated veterans, the Blackhawks secured moncler outlet online the moncler sale outlet No. 1 seed in the conference as the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Thursday against the Nashville Predators.
On a whim 22 years ago, David Wolff, then living in Cleveland, bought a ticket to the https://www.newmoncleroutlet.com 1994 Frozen Four in Cincinnati.
moncler outlet jackets He has not missed an NCAA hockey championship since. moncler outlet jackets
cheap moncler jackets sale Wolff, who now lives in Aurora, Ill., and is a Blackhawks season ticketholder, is among a number of Chicago area residents who have impressive streaks of consecutive Frozen Fours attended. For Wolff, a self described “hockey guy,” attending moncler sale each year is a chance to take in what he says is one of the sport’s (just confirming definitely just hockey’s most exciting as opposed to all of sports) most exciting spectacles. cheap moncler jackets sale
moncler sale Like Wolff, Chuck Sikaras of Warrenville, Ill., has been to every Frozen Four since the mid 1990s. Sikaras has been a Blackhawks season ticketholder for 40 years, and served as the penalty box timekeeper for the now shuttered UIC program from the early ’70s until the program folded in 1996. Sikaras and a friend first bought tickets to the 1993 edition in Milwaukee, which was then cheap moncler outlet simply called the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships, to see a Lake Superior State team that had impressed them during the season. moncler sale
moncler sale outlet Since then, Sikaras and a group of friends anywhere from eight to 12 each year have attended every Frozen Four, making a weekend out of going to the event. Each Friday of the championship weekend, they try to take in the sights of the city they’re in, whether that be a baseball game in Boston or Pittsburgh, the tourist spots of Philadelphia, or a minor league hockey game in Tampa. What has kept Sikaras and company coming back all these years is cheap moncler sale the environment and pageantry that takes over a city during the tournament. This year, Sikaras is thrilled to see the event finally come to the United Center and Chicago. moncler sale outlet
“It’s exciting to be the host after all these years,” Sikaras said. “The Blackhawks have done such a great job of reenergizing hockey in Chicago and the state of Illinois. I think it’d be great if [Chicago] gets in the rotation to get it every couple of years.”
cheap moncler jackets Out of uniform, the average fan wouldn’t recognize Dennis Gilbert moncler outlet sale or Blake Hillman walking down the street. Actually, some eagle eye scouts might even have trouble picking them out of a lineup. But on Thursday at the United Center, the pair of sophomore defensemen will share a unique spotlight when they face off Hillman with the University of Denver, Gilbert with the University of Notre Dame with a spot in Saturday’s NCAA championship game on the line. cheap moncler jackets
cheap moncler They’ll be playing not only in front of their school’s faithful fans, but also in a building they might call their own one day, and perhaps most importantly for their futures, there will be a captive audience from the organization that drafted them. cheap moncler
moncler outlet uk “I try not to think about that,” Hillman said when asked about any added pressure he might be feeling. “It’s more about me and the other guys in the locker room going out there to achieve a goal, and that’s to win a national championship, and that starts tomorrow night against Notre Dame.” moncler outlet uk
The Pioneers came close last year, losing in the semifinals to North Dakota on a last minute winner from Nick Schmaltz, who might still be able to walk down the street unrecognized in Chicago, but probably not for much longer. According to Hillman, the memory of that heartbreak provides moncler mens jackets Denver with not only a motivating jolt but also a valuable shard of experience that cheap moncler jackets gives the top seeds an edge over the other three teams in the field, which also includes Harvard and the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Notre Dame might have something to say about that. Although they entered regionals as a four seed and squeezed out one goal victories over Minnesota and UMass Lowell (the latter coming in overtime), the Fighting Irish have actually put together a 13 5 3 run since New Year’s, and arguably have home ice advantage at the United Center as the host school of this year’s Frozen Four.