2013 Blackhawks Report Cards: Jamal Mayers

Standard Regular Season Stats

Advanced Regular Season Stats (5 on 5)

Although the 17-year-veteran Jamal Mayers didn’t see much ice time in the regular season and zero minutes in the post season, if you ask any player and coach they will agree that he was definitely an asset to the 2013 Stanley Cup Champions.

Mayers only totaled 2 points during the regular season, assisting with two goals in the same the February 15th game against the San Jose Sharks. On February 2nd he played his 900th career regular season game. February was his most productive month as he also skated his season high of 10:11. My personal favorite part of Mayers’ month of February was his fight with the evil Raffi Torres during the February 7th game.

The Torres fight was inevitable during the first game that the Blackhawks would see him since he ended Marian Hossa’s season in the 2012 playoffs; it was just a matter of who and when. But only 2:30 into the game against the Phoenix Coyotes we no longer had to wonder when the revenge would come. Torres was on the ice for his first shift of the game, and when the Hawks made a line change, Mayers jumped off the bench and headed straight for Torres. It was a good old fashioned scrap with decent hits from both sides, but it looked like Mayers got a few more in then Torres and knocked his helmet off before they fell to the ice. It was a veteran sticking up for his teammate and Torres took it for what it was; as was seen when the two shared a head nod on their way to their respective penalty boxes.

Mayers played just 19 games throughout the regular season and tallied 16 PIM. So it wasn’t too shocking when he didn’t make any appearances on the ice during the playoffs. Although he never got to play any games in the post season, he let his presence known. During warm ups of Game 5 of the Red Wings’ series he hit some pucks from behind the Hawks red line, through several Red Wings players and at their net. He told the media he did it to get “under their skin.” He was fined by the NHL for a half day’s pay which is about $1,600. He didn’t seem to mind, “I’ll pay the piper,” he told the media. I truly love his attitude and style.

Also during the Western Conference Semi-Finals he was integral in the Hawks overcoming the first obstacle they faced in the playoffs. The day after the Hawks lost their 3rd game to Detroit it was reported that Mayers gave a passionate speech to his teammates in the locker room that may have been just what the Blackhawks needed to get them re-energized and enable them to deliver that amazing come back. According to his teammates and coaches that is Mayers’ style, he frequently is encouraging his teammates and sharing his experience with others. He showed his leadership regularly both during the regular season and post season. During regular season practices he worked with some of the centers on their face-off skills and during the post season he filled in on the practice ice when Hossa and Michal Handzus had to rest because of injuries. It seemed he was just thrilled, after all these years, to finally be a part of an electric and winning team.

Because Mayers didn’t play half of the regular season games and not one post season game, his name technically can’t be on the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks have to request that the NHL put his name on the Cup. I truly hope the Hawks do the right thing and make the request. They showed Mayers the respect he deserves with the plan to ensure he was the second guy to be able to raise the Cup on the ice after they won, since he was one of the guys who has waited the longest for the honor. I sincerely hope they continue to show him that respect and petition the NHL to include the veteran on the list of 53 that can be inscribed on Lord Stanley.

Final Grade : C