It’s been kinda slow since the outdoor game was announced. Not much news in the past few days other than that, save for Martin St. Pierre being traded, Corey Crawford being re-signed and Mike Haviland added as an assistant coach. Some minor moves for the most part. We still have a little under two months until training camp starts, and it’s safe to say every Hawks fan wishes it started next week. A packed UC, Pat Foley back, a young team on the rise, all 82 games on TV, it’s going to be the most exciting year I can remember as a Hawks fan. Anyways, I’m just going to take a look at a few random Blackhawks/hockey items on this Sunday night to help pass the time.
- I’m still wondering what is going to happen with this goalie situation. You have two good goalies in Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet. They’re both being paid a handsome sum of money. I just don’t see how you can carry both of them. The trade rumors involving Khabibulin seem to have died down lately after the crazy one involving the Hawks getting Anze Kopitar went away. It would be a waste to keep both of these guys on the roster and pay about $12 million this year just for two goalies. Sure, there’s the possibility that carrying both will give you a “hot” goalie every night, maybe they will push each other to be better. Or maybe one plays great and the other is terrible, and you waste a ton of money. Maybe Dale Tallon is trying to deal Khabibulin and just hasn’t found the right deal yet; since the Hawks are over the cap, I think that is the most likely case. I would guess (or hope) that Khabby gets traded sometime during training camp. Holding on to both of these goaltenders doesn’t make sense to me.
- Jay Blunk says the Hawks are getting a new locker room at the UC. That’s not very exciting news, is it? Apparently the old one was auctioned off at the convention. Why would somebody buy a locker room? Where do you put it after you buy it? It’s a mystery of the world, I guess.
- I keep looking at this picture:/
and I think about how cool it is going to be on New Year’s Day when the Blackhawks are playing the Red Wings on that rink. It is seriously going to be an event to remember for a long, long time. I can’t wait.
- Don’t believe the buzz is back for the Blackhawks? Check this out:/
The buzz goes beyond the outdoor game. The Blackhawks have nearly tripled their season ticket base since the start of 2006-07 — from 3,400 to more than 10,000. “And demand continues to be strong,” Werner says.
Werner says the sales staff has been doubled, and “we are now working nights and weekends to keep up with demand.”
Awesome. One of the coolest things this season we’ll be seeing a packed United Center more often than not. Seems like not long ago we’d be excited if 14,000 came out to a Hawks game. Now it looks like most of the games will be sold out at this point.
- This isn’t Hawks related, but apparently the Iowa Chops are offering Brett Favre a contract. Isn’t this kind of ridiculous? I would be absolutely shocked if Favre even considered it for a second. Why would the Chops even offer him something like this? I guess just trying to garner up some publicity? Then again, being a Bears fan, I wouldn’t mind seeing Favre get knocked against the boards a little bit. Might be kinda cool.
- I can’t wait until October 10th. Yes, you guessed it, the season opener. Unfortunately it is over 2 months away. This whole off-season thing gets pretty boring. Start the season. Now./