WBEZ | hockey

Blackhawks look to reclaim home ice in Detroit tonight

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a playoff series with the Red Wings that is not as easy as the Blackhawks may have thought.

It will be interesting to see which team will show up for Coach Joel Quenneville: the one from the first game that dominated Detroit, or the one that got dominated in game two.

With the series knotted at a game apiece, there is absolutely no panic with the team that just lost home ice advantage.

The Blackhawks have been a good road team this season, especially at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. So maybe the Hawks players don't think Detroit sucks as much as fans chant at the United Center.

The Blackhawks are 10-0-1 in the last 11 regular season games in Motown. The Joe Louis arena has a quicker ice surface with quirky end and side boards. Quenneville said it makes for a "livelier game". Players like defenseman Duncan Keith said the Detroit arena is "fun" and the Hawks need to have a "do or die attitude" when they go on the road.

Out of the dog house?

That is the feeling you get from listening to Coach Q about Viktor Stalberg. The swift-skating Swede was not active the first two games and was relegated to wearing the white jersey in practices until Sunday. Stalberg admitted it was frustrating having to watch the first two games instead of playing. Maybe there is a method to the coach’s madness and this may be an impetus for Stalberg to perform at a higher level and allow the Hawks to take advantage of their fastest skater. He will play in game three. Stalberg is also a free agent once the season ends…is he playing for a contract?

One player who doesn’t need to be prodded

If there is one Blackhawk who responses to challenges well and the ratcheting up of post-season, it has to be Dave "The Rat" Bolland. He will move up to the second line with Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane. Bolland has a way that just gets under the skin of his opponent and if he can do that with Detroit Captain Henrik Zetterberg it can pay dividends. Here is an idea for NBC: put a microphone on Bolland.

That could be the most priceless audio of the playoffs. Remember it was Bolland that was vocal about calling Vancouver’s Dan and Henrik Sedin "the Sedin sisters”. That would be some fun “thinking outside of the box” for a league that still needs to do more for its sport.

Talking about the box…

The Hawks will look to make it a more physical game while staying out of the penalty box in game three. It hasn’t hurt them since they are perfect with their penalty kill. Andrew Shaw has been in the box three times this series, including once for Bolland. Shaw knows the series will start getting more physical.

"It’s playoff hockey, there is going to be some hatred and we got to compete and play as physical as we can," he said.

There was a sense from talking to players and listening to Quenneville that they will put some pressure on the elite Red Wings players—something that was missing on Saturday.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

More wild playoff success for the Blackhawks

Wed, 08 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Blackhawks tamed the Wild 3-0 in Minnesota last night.

The Hawks lead the series three games to one, and can close it out tomorrow night at the United Center. After the underdog Wild played a tough physical game three, the Hawks responded and pushed back in game four.

It has been a terrific comeback for one Blackhawk-Patrick Sharp. He scored two goals last night and four in this opening series. Not bad for the Hawks left winger who missed a lot of time during the regular season with a bad shoulder. During the shorten season he only tallied six goals.

Minnesota was forced to go to their third goalie of this series when Josh Harding was injured stopping a shot by Jonathan Toews with three minutes left in the first period. Harding gave up a re-direct goal by Sharp in the opening period.

The Wild started the second period with inexperienced 23 year old Darcy Kuemper, the first shot he saw turned out to be an unassisted goal by Sharp. Another Hawk having a good series is Bryan Bickell; he scored on an awkward wrist shot late in the game. The big winger has three goals against Minnesota this series.

The home team had plenty of opportunities with six power plays, including back to back, starting the third period. The Hawks were able to turn them all away. The penalty kill for Coach Joel Quenneville’s team has been one of their biggest improvements from the past couple of seasons. Of course, Minnesota is an offensively-challenged team.

For Blackhawk goalie Corey Crawford it was his second career shut-out with twenty-five saves on the night.

There was one tired player on the ice before the game even began- Duncan Keith. The Hawks “iron man” defenseman made a trip to Chicago hours before the game to see his wife Kelly-Rae gave birth to their first child, Colton Duncan Keith. Then the new dad was able to rejoin the team in time for the late game, but did not start.

One interesting note, Jonathan Toews still has no points in this series. It won't matter to the Hawk captain if his team keeps on winning and one more victory on Thursday will end this best of seven game series against Minnesota.

More playoff news…

The other UC tenant-the Bulls have another big game tonight. They will be facing an unhappy Miami Heat team looking to avenge their loss to the Bulls on Monday.

The past few days is seems the Bulls have become the darlings of the NBA. No one thought they could steal game one, but they did against the complacent defending champions. Jimmy Butler and Nate Robinson have become cult heroes in the sports world. Butler for his defense and late game scoring and Robinson for getting eleven stitches after being manhandled by LeBron James. Nate was a scoring machine again.

Look for the Heat to come out with more intensity, James will probably attack the basket more. Miami’s perimeter players , Ray Allen and Shane Battier will attempt to score beyond the three-point arc.

The Bulls will try to continue their strong defensive stance, they know the heavily-favored Heat will try to break them down and entice more fouls.

Miami will also try to force more Bulls turnovers, so they can score easy transition baskets.

It is still an underman team for Coach Tom Thibodeau, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich will likely be out. It doesn’t matter, this Bulls team believe in their coach, believe in the system, believe in each other and believe they can win. It won’t be a lack of trying.

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What qualifications do you need to be a professional Zamboni driver?

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:16:00 -0500

Tug Gillingham of Bridgeport wanted to know:

“What qualifications do you need to be professional Zamboni driver?”

Our search for the answer led us into the chilly depths of Chicago’s United Center to meet head ice technician Dan Ahearn. He's called “The God of Ice in the Midwest” by a fellow Zamboni driver. Ahearn’s certainly earned the nickname. He’s been behind the wheel of a Zamboni for the 31 years.

Resurfacing ice is the technical term used to describe what Ahearn actually does on his Zamboni: the shaving, cleaning and smoothing of the surface of an ice rink. The Zamboni and other machines that do this are all known as ice resurfacing machines. But since Zamboni was the original, the brand name is often adopted to describe any and all ice resurfacing machines. (It’s become what Xerox is to copy machines or Kleenex is to facial tissue.) Dan Ahearn says there’s a good reason for that.

“Zamboni's the best," he said. "They’ve been building them the longest. The other ones are copies off them, to an extent. There’s a company, Olympia, that makes machines. A couple companies in Europe makes machines. But Zamboni probably has 75 percent of the market... Just in the Chicago area, there’s 60 rinks and probably 50 of them have Zambonis.”

While the Zamboni Company wouldn't confirm that number for WBEZ, it did say that, “the Zamboni Company sells more machines annually than [their] competitors combined. [And] it would be safe to say that [they] have the majority of the market share.”

You might be surprised to learn that operating a Zamboni requires no special license or certification, according to Ahearn, who also works as a welder and mechanic at the United Center. He said that most ice rinks that need a driver will likely show you everything you need to know.

But after talking with him, it was clear that a little bravery and an enthusiasm for winter sports are probably a plus for landing the job. Or, in Ahearn’s case, a lot of both.

When he was 12, he was refereeing a hockey game for younger kids. The guy who was supposed to resurface the ice that day never showed up. All Ahearn had done up to that point was park the machine.

“[So I think to myself], well the guy’s not there, and I drive the thing, so I can probably figure this out,” Ahearn said. “That’s the first time I ever did it - missed a lot of spots, but the ice got done.”

Still can’t get enough of Zamboni? Then check out these fun facts from the company’s website:

The machines travel an average of three miles per hockey game, which makes sense if you think each resurfacing is 3/4 of a mile. Add that up over the course of a year, and these ice makers on wheels each travel close to 2,000 miles a year.
Prior to the invention of the Zamboni machine, it took three or four workers more than an hour to resurface the ice by hand.
More than 10,000 Zamboni machines have been delivered around the world.
The machine’s top speed is 9.7 mph, and it can go from 0 to ¼ mile in 93.5 seconds. That’s according to an April 2005 issue of Road & Track magazine, which performed an actual road test.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Anthony Martinez is a multimedia producer living in Chicago. Follow him on Tumblr.

Have the Blackhawks saved the NHL?

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0600

This may be a stretch to some: the Blackhawks may have saved the NHL. This was a league on the brink of total disaster as the lock-out crept into a long drawn out process.

The season was on thin ice in the sports world until the mighty Chicago Blackhawks put on their famous sweaters and dazzled the world of hockey with an unprecedented start of a season.

With the 5-3 win over Minnesota last night, they have tallied a point in every game this season and maintain a record of 20-0-3.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman can thank his lucky stars (actually, thank the Hawks stars) that one of the oldest franchises of the league has played this game to almost virtuoso heights. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Towes, Marian Hossa and a roster full of better than average players are all contributing to this historical start of this 48-game season. Tonight it will be the half-way point and the Blackhawks are making the sport relevant when it could have disappeared off the panacea of the sports world.

Since the 2009-2010 Championship season, the Blackhawks have been the talk of the town in Chicago and making waves on the national front. Their exploits are the number one story on TV, radio and the newspapers in Chicago. They played to a large audience on the NBC network on Sunday. The overnight rating had 1.6 rating and 9.7 rating in Chicago. There have been national discussions about which is the better team in sports right now, the Miami Heat of the NBA or the Blackhawks? (Chicagoans will side with their hockey team.)

Lockout may help the Blackhawks' big stars

Marian Hossa was crushed by a blow from Phoenix Coyote Raffi Torres in the playoffs last spring. All the down time from the lock-out allowed the veteran an opportunity to heal and get his bearings back from the concussion he endured. Last night the Blackhawks honored their Slovakian star for playing his 1,000 game. Hossa also celebrated scoring his tenth goal of the season.

Twenty-four-year-old Patrick Kane seems to have matured, maybe playing in Europe as the negotiations dragged on helped him. Even though he won a Stanley Cup just three years ago, there have been questions about his indiscretions getting the better of his talent. On Sunday, he showcased against Detroit exactly how much talent and ability he possesses. When he scored the power play goal in the final two minutes of the game, Kane saved the streak. It was his nifty shot in the shoot-out against Wings goalie Jimmy Howard that won the game. And again last night when the Wild closed the Hawks lead to 4-3 Kane came up with his twelfth goal of the year.

Jonathan Towes, the team captain, just does everything right on and off the ice. He kept the team together during the lock-out. He has been a dominating presence on the ice. His pass to Brent Seabrook for the game winner on Friday in overtime showed his enormous ability. Like Kane, he is only 24, but plays and performs much older then his years.

The goaltending and defense has been superb. Ray Emery and Corey Crawford's play between the pipes has been impressive. Crawford told me he made an adjustment to his play in the net by reducing his movement. It is paying off so far.

With a jammed packed 48 game season, the teams with the most talent had the distinct advantage. (No training camp, no problem.) When Joel Quenneville can throw four lines out on the ice he can preserve his best for last if need be which he has done. How many teams can do that in the NHL?

The fans are rewarded

The Hawks loyal fan base has responded with huge support, selling out the games. It is a sea of red Blackhawk sweaters in the stands. They have been rewarded with a season full of excitement. It is a shortened season, but one of the most spectacular one in recent Chicago sports history. To be frank, the shortened season this year by the NHL and last year by the NBA has made it more entertaining and the sense of urgency to win is definitely a positive. The players and owners may not like that idea (too much lost money).

There may be some doubters about the premise the Blackhawks may have saved the NHL season, but how often are you hearing, reading or maybe talking about the Blackhawks? Are you humming Chelsea Dagger yet? The Hawks are still competing for headlines with the Bears, baseball and Derrick Rose for attention. But it seemed just a few months ago they (and the NHL) were on the verge of being an insignificant story.

Of course, the doubters may say it will only matter if the Blackhawks can once again hoist the Stanley Cup in June. They may be right. But enjoy the moment. Enjoy the history. There almost wasn’t a season.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

Blackhawks start is one for the history books

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 06:01:00 -0600

Blackhawk fans have forgotten about the long NHL lock-out and for good reason. They have the best team in the league and have history on their side to prove it.

Last night the Hawks beat their arch rivals, the Vancouver Canucks, 4-3 after Andrew Shaw tallied the go-ahead score in the shoot-out.

The Blackhawks record is 13-0-3- tying an NHL record for getting a point in every game to begin the season. Coach Joel Quenneville commented on the accomplishment after the game, “It’s a remarkable start, were very happy and pleased the guys should be proud of this achievement, especially in a 48-game season.”

Hawks win:

It was a wild start in the first period when five breakaway chances were stopped by the two goaltenders for Vancouver and Chicago. Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin managed to tally the only goal in that period.

The Blackhawks came back with more firepower in the second period. Two players considered to be in a slump scored goals. Patrick Sharp tallied the first goal for the Hawks and Marian Hossa scored twice, once on a power play and another unassisted goal as he danced along the goal line and slipped it past Canuck goalie Cory Schneider.

Hossa was on the receiving end of a nasty forearm to the back of his head by Vancouver’s Jannik Hansen in the third period. The Hawks winger had no chance as he was brought down from behind and crumbled to the ice. He left the game and did not return. Afterwards several Hawk players were very upset at seeing Hossa on the receiving end of another cheap shot.

It looked like the Blackhawks were going to win in regulation, but the Canucks came up with two goals in the waning minutes of the third period to tie the game at 3.

Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw scored on their shoot-out chances and goalie Ray Emery was able to stop the Canucks. And as Pat Foley says “Hawks win, Hawks win!”

This incredible start has a number of factors:

The Blackhawk stars are being stars the leaders are leading and the young players are gelling with the team. There seems to be a sense that Patrick Kane has mature on the ice and the results are evident. Kane’s 22 points puts him among the league leaders. Jonathan Toews has done his share; he has contributed in all facets, wins the face-offs, gets his points and even gets tangled up opponents to set the tone.

The vast improvement on the penalty kill has been very important during this run. They were one of the worst “pk” units in the league the past two seasons, now they are near the top. Marcus Krueger and Michael Frolik have been instrumental in their roles on that unit.

The defense has been strong as it was in the 2009-2010 Championship season. Stalwarts Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook has been pivitol so far, and Nik Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya, Nick Leddy, Sheldon Brookbank have contributed solidly. They throw their bodies to block shots and have done a good job of controlling the puck. Seabrook sat out last night's game; he took a puck to his mid-section last Sunday.

The young players like, Leddy, Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Corey Crawford have all made solid contributions too. Crawford's confidence has returned after dealing with “an upper body” injury.

It is a nice luxury for Quenneville to have so much balance on this team. It has allowed the Hawks coach to trust players and divide their minutes better. The only concern the Hawk coach may have is the injuries to Hossa, Crawford and Seabrook. The do expect to get Dan Carcillo back as soon as this weekend.

The Blackhawks marketing department aimed at getting the fans support back even before the season began. The Hawks lead the league for attendance at home and the road, which makes that effort by the Hawks marketing machine that much easier.

One third of the season is completed, goalie Ray Emery downplayed the historic start, “You want to see it at the end of the year when it counts.”

We are counting-- only 32 games to go.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

Sportsmanship spelled out in a sign

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0600

Have you ever watched a kid’s game and been totally embarrassed by another adult's antics? Or maybe you got caught up and were out of control? Some coaches will address the adults; some coaches are the guilty party. Most people agree that it has gotten out of hand.

My son plays in a Saturday soccer league for fun. It is not a club or travel league, it is really just to play the game. The arena has the players on a surface below and the stands for viewing are above the field. A few weeks ago, an adult was perched over a railing hurling insults at the referee. It was incessant and unwarranted. At one point the on-looker said, "Where's the whistle?" The ref didn't look up, just raised his whistle in his hand and said, "Right here." You would think the heckling would have stopped. It didn't.

A few days later on Facebook, I came across a picture taken of a sign that had instructions on behavior for the on-lookers at a hockey rink. The photo didn't have a location, but it does now. The Hoffman Estates Park District Ice Rink has the sign that has gone viral. The man behind the sign is Jeff Doschadis, General Manager of Ice Operations. Here is what the blue sign with white lettering says:

Please remember

1. These are kids.

2. This is a game.

3. Parents should cheer for everyone.

4. The referees are human.

5. You and your child do not play for the Blackhawks.

If you don't understand this, please contact the ice dept. at (847) 781-3632. We would be happy to explain it to you.

Jeff doesn’t take credit for the origins of this sign, he saw it at another venue, but his sign has caught the attention across the United States and in other countries.

The Hoffman Estates Park District has an anti-bullying campaign and this is an extension of their policy. The sign was put up in September when there was a tournament with teams in the U.S.A. and Europe playing at the arena.

However, last month pictures and news about this sign spread. There wasn’t anything out of the “norm” happening in Hoffman Estates.

“As a Park District, we have seen our share of things happening involving kids, parents and referees, not just hockey, baseball, soccer any youth sports,” Jeff said. “It happens thoughout Chicagoland, the nation and worldwide.”

This sign must have resonated with other parents and leagues. They have contacted Doschadis throughout the US, Vancouver, Winnipeg, even London and New Zealand. Some want to copy the sign for their own use.

When I asked Jeff if this is a bit sad, that a sign has to point out the obvious in youth sports participation, he didn’t think so and added, “Anything that can bring pause, make someone think about is not a bad thing.”

Right now it is located at the two entrances to the ice rink. One line reminds everyone the kids are not the Blackhawks. In fact, the NHL has sent this information about the sign to all their teams, since they sponsor youth leagues. Jeff has received gratitude from officials of the Illinois Youth Hockey League, mainly for sticking up for the referees. Doschadis pointed out that most of the refs are just kids themselves, ranging from 14-16 years old. They have a lot to deal with officiating a game, let alone a belligerent parent or player.

It was compelling to me that Jeff would post the phone number, just in case someone doesn’t get it. You know people know it is wrong, but this was putting a contact number to almost challenge the reader. There has not been one negative response, everyone knows what they are supposed to do—they sign is an effective reminder. When spring arrives, Jeff will post signs at the other park districts sporting locations,

“Anything that would allow a parent, kid, official a moment of clarity at a youth (and high school) event and remember why they are there,” he said.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

How the NHL lockout affects hockey's young fans

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:47:00 -0600

Blackhawks fans will soon be able to see their favorite players back on the rink after the NHL Player’s Association reached a tentative contract agreement.

Some of the team’s youngest fans are already working to score a ticket.

“My kids keep bugging me about being able to take them to hockey games again,” said Mike Mullaly, former President of the Ameteur Hockey Association of Illinois.

But Mullaly said even though fans are excited, he is worried that the lockout will discourage children from starting the sport.

“We’re going to lose kids because of the lack of NHL games, absolutely” he said. “Particularly the youngest ones.”

Mullaly said the Blackhawks have a trickle down effect on the sport as a whole.

He said that was clear after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

“When you have this huge groundswell with the Blackhawks and the enthusiasm for that, you also have an increase in (hockey) participation,” Mullaly said.

Facilities supervisor at the Northbrook Park District Bruce Friedman disagrees.

He says maybe if the lockout had continued.

“(If) the kids didn’t have the professionals to look at and so forth that it could have made an impact in a negative kind of way eventually,” Friedman said. “But I don’t think it’s gotten to that point.”

Waiting for the NHL? Why not watch the Chicago Wolves?

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0600

While the NHL tries to untangle its messy labor dispute, there's an alternative for hockey aficionados fiending for a live game: the Chicago Wolves.

The Wolves, who play in the American Hockey League, are in the middle of the season out at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. According to Lindsey Willhite, the team's Public Relations Director, the Wolves had a 10 to 15 percent increase in ticket sales to begin the season (mirroring an early season sales jump from last year). However, the real bump could come now that the calendar has turned to January: no Bears, no Blackhawks, at least for now, and a team owner who likes to win.

The lockout means good play in the AHL

The AHL has benefitted from the NHL lockout in other ways, too. On each team there are a number of players that would otherwise be playing in the NHL, or spending time with parent clubs. (The Chicago Blackhawks are affiliated with the Rockford franchise through former Wolves like Nick Leddy and Andrew Shaw who are now on the Blackhawks' roster.) The quality of the play had been fortified since these young players have remained in the AHL.

The Wolves have five or six players who could be elevated to the NHL when the lockout ends. Luckily for the team, owner Don Levin always thinks in terms of championships, so the team has a number of veterans, like Brett Sterling and Darren Haydar, who anchor the club.

It’s a family affair

This is where the team really excels with fans: The Wolves embrace a family experience at a reasonable cost. “You can come see a game for nine bucks,” Willhite said. “There are fireworks and lasers before the show; there are T-shirt tosses; there are tons of stuff for kids to do on the concourse.”

Players sign autographs after games and sometimes there is a post-game skate for the fans. On a recent Saturday, the stands were filled with thousands of Girl Scouts to kick off the cookie drive. Cheap, fun and Thin Mints? Sign me up.

Community involvement

The Wolves are invested in their community, too. Last Friday the club sponsored a blood drive with Life Source, and on January 16, 18 and 19 the team will salute the armed forces with its Military Appreciation Nights. The Wolves will offer one complimentary ticket to all active-duty military and veterans to any of those games, and players will be wearing specially made camouflage jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity after the January 19 game.

The product

Bottom line, just look at what the Wolves have accomplished: four championships (the last in 2008) and a strong and growing fan base. So while Blackhawks fans wait for that season to begin, they can still see a good game of hockey — and not break the bank doing it.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and on Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

Serving up a feast of Chicago sports: "May I ask you for a moment of silence…for last week's game?"

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 06:00:00 -0500

There has been a smorgasbord of sports news on and off the playing field/court, some more appetizing than others. Here are some of the morsels:

First an appetizer:

- My quote of the week came on Wednesday from the Bears media sessions at the practice facility. No, it wasn't Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall opened up his session, "May I ask you for a moment of silence…for last week's game?" Yes, we will put that game to rest--permanently. (Unless they play like that again.)

Main course:

- No Rose-no problem for the Bulls Opener; it was just one game and it was Sacramento. It was rough watching the opening video of the team just before the intros and seeing flashes of Rose, a painful reminder to the fans and his teammates.

Off the court, the team and Taj Gibson did get a deal done just before the 11pm deadline on Halloween. Gibson signed a four year deal worth $38 million. As Gibson was talking about it in the locker room, his teammates were yelling at him that the big contract meant he was buying dinner.

- Wednesday night was also a MLS playoff night for the Chicago Fire, they fell 2-1 to Will Bruin and the Houston Dynamo. Bruin tallied both goals. And I was thinking about covering their next game…next year.

- White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn (strange to have a new GM) is already making noise, and it seems to be directed at the Detroit Tigers and the AL Central division-they are going to compete with them next year. By re-signing Jake Peavy to a two year and an option for the $29 million plus and picking up Gavin Floyd's $9.5 million, this team has secure their starting rotation. They also have good news on pitcher John Danks; the lefty is throwing weeks after his surgery. Not at all surprised the Sox didn’t pick up the options on third baseman Kevin Youkilis and reliever Brett Myers. That was $23 million that would have bloated the payroll. Unless they find difficulties with free agency...it was nice knowing you.

That brings me to the one free agent that filed and will be testing the market: A.J. Pierzynski. In all likelihood, the Sox catcher is gone. He will be getting some decent contract offers. If A.J. leaves there will be only one player left from the World Series team: Paul Konerko.

- Kudos to Peavy and Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney, both won the Rawlings Gold Glove for their defense. We were used to Mark Buehrle winning that honor for the Southsiders. Buehrle did win it in the National League. The real story is Barney, it has been a long time for a Cub second baseman to earn that honor; Ryne Sandberg was a fixture for it.

I spoke with Darwin from his home in Oregon. He said Sandberg helped him when Ryne was his minor league manager. One of the few bright spots for the Cubs this dreadful season was the 141 errorless games streak by Barney. He told me it wasn't hard physically, but tough mentally. “There were times when it was tough, it was on your mind all the time," said Barney. It was also treated like a no-hitter; no one wanted to jinx it so it was not talked about. Darwin said it was “uplifting” during a tough season. Maybe now the Cubs management will consider him a core player.

- Anyone interested in seeing Patrick Kane play hockey in Switzerland? You don’t think the Blackhawk brain trust is squirming a little bit with this development? There will be more players leaving as the NHL lockout continues. The league is now making rumblings of cancelling the “Winter Classic” between Detroit and Toronto, scheduled January 1^st at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That is over one-hundred thousand seats to refund and big network dollars lost.

- Rack up another Bears honor: Cornerback Charles Tillman was named Defensive Player of the Month. He is having an incredible season.

Dessert:

- And finally some college football: love them or hate them, an undefeated 8-0 Notre Dame team-third in the BCS rankings and a competitive 7-2 Northwestern team is always good for Chicago. While the Wildcats take the week off, The Irish are hosting Pittsburgh. Have you ever watched head coach Brian Kelly on the sidelines or hear one of his press conferences? He is as wound up as you ever want to see in a coach. Obviously, Kelly is getting his message across and making ND very relevant for a shot at the National Championship. If you are a sports fan and love to see cool venues, I highly recommend a trip to South Bend. Seeing an Irish home game is really a terrific experience--even if you don’t like Notre Dame.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and on Facebook: Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

With no Blackhawks, what's a hockey fan to do?

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:00:00 -0500

A offer made to players by NHL management Tuesday could bring an end to the hockey league's fourth lockout in 20 years. The six-year deal would give the players and owners a 50-50 split of the approximately $3.3 billion in revenue (the previous deal gave the players 57 percent). If the players approve, the season would begin November 2nd with a full 82-game schedule.

We'll keep our fingers crossed for a quick resoultion. In the meantime, what can avid hockey fans do to whet their appetite for the sport?

The American Hockey League (the hockey minor leagues) just opened their season over the weekend. Locally, the Chicago Wolves and the Rockford IceHogs just played head-to-head twice over the weekend. Rockford is an affiliate of the Blackhawks and half their roster has several players that have played for the parent club and were placed with the minor league team prior to the lockout. For the price of a minor league ticket you can see Nick Leddy, Brian Bollig, Andrew Shaw, Jimmy Hayes, Ben Smith, Brandon Saad, Marcus Kruger and Kyle Beach. All of them have spent time with the Blackhawks.

And, just because there's no hockey at the United Center doesn’t mean the area is devoid of the game. There is Johnny’s IceHouse East and Johnny’s IceHouse West, both located on Madison just blocks away from the U.C. In fact, that has been the center for work-outs of several locked-out Blackhawk players.

If you want to catch some NCAA Division I hockey, Notre Dame has a program down in South Bend. There are a few Big Ten teams that have ice hockey as part of their school’s athletic programs: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Michigan State and Penn State. The captain of the Nittany Lions has a very familiar name —Tommy Olczyk. He is the son of former Blackhawk and team TV analyst Eddie Olczyk. (Speaking of Eddie, he may not have a broadcast audience to talk to, but he did have an audience at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Olczyk was inducted into it on Monday for his long playing career that included winning the Stanley Cup with New York. It’s a shame that the NHL lockout diminished the luster of that event.)

The NHL and the Blackhawks have to realize they are playing with fire if they don't get this deal done. Right now, many people are pre-occupied by plenty of other sports and activities. The Bears are dominating the headlines and could through December and beyond. Northwestern and Notre Dame and other college football are presently enjoying great success. In the next few weeks high school playoff games will occupy many sports fans.

If the proposal on the table doesn't resolve the dispute it will be a blow to the Chicago Blackhawks' relationship with their fans. After years of repair and a championship two years ago, it's doubtful fans will be as forgiving this time around.

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