49 years... a crazy long time to wait but just an average drought in Chicago sports when you think about it. To be honest, the thought of the Stanley Cup ever being in Chicago was a thing I thought I would never see. I think back just a little under 5 years ago when I brought my then girlfriend/future wife on a date to see the Hawks take on the Michigan Red Wings as she thought they were called. We bought tickets the night of the game, got first row in the upper balcony and hoped for the best.
The Hawks started off well and actually led 2-0 midway through the 3rd period. This was a team that had just three guys from the team that went on to win the Stanley Cup this year; Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, and Brent Seabrook. The rest of the team was a bunch of journeymen and guys who probably are not on NHL rosters these days. With a bunch of Wings fans in the United Center, I was feeling good about this night until with under a minute left, the Wings decided to make it interesting by getting a goal with 39 seconds left. The bad thoughts and feelings of being a Hawks fan crept in and I had a bad feeling this game wasn't over. With 7 seconds left, my fears were realized when Niklas Lidstrom found the back of the net and sent it to overtime where the Wings won with 1 second left.
I asked myself why I still tortured myself by following this team. Things were never going to change, the Hawks were never going to acquire the talent needed to contend with a Red Wings team that just brought up new All-Star players every year. It seemed every draft pick the Hawks called up ended up flaming out after a few years or catching on with another team after the Hawks let them go. It was the never ending spiral that was just brutal to be apart of.
Then something happened, the Hawks got lucky for once. They had the 3rd overall pick in the draft the next year and actually drafted the right guy. A center from the University of North Dakota who seemed wise behind his years. I remember watching a game between North Dakota and Minnesota and seeing this Toews kid and wondering just how good he would be for the Hawks. I had seen too many Mark Bell's and other draft picks not perform up to expectations. Toews looked different though, it seemed liked he "got" it out there. I couldn't have predicted what we know today, but I got excited after watching that game. It makes me smile today knowing I was watching the guy who would raise the Stanley Cup for the team I grew up rooting for.
The Roar is back in Chicago, and I don't think I'll be able to get walk up tickets to a Red Wings game at the United Center anytime soon. Fine by me!
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