Seabrook's all-star honor well-deserved
Brent Seabrook will experience the NHL's all-star festivities for the first time as a player this weekend in Columbus, Ohio - which is kind of hard to believe.
It's one of the final jewels in the crown of his professional career, which already includes two Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks and a gold medal playing for Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
"I've always said I wanted to do one, but with the amount of talent and good players we have, it's tough to get into it," said Seabrook, 29, who is one of five Hawks who were voted by fans onto the All-Star Game roster. "It's something I'm excited and grateful for, for the fans to vote me in. That's exciting."
It's nearly as rewarding for his teammates, who most appreciate what the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Seabrook does for them.
"It's nice to see him get recognized," said Patrick Sharp, who has been Seabrook's teammate since the talented defenseman broke into the NHL with Duncan Keith. "It's amazing to think this is his first All-Star Game. He's been an elite defenseman in the league. Maybe he's a little overshadowed ... but certainly within our locker room, we know how much value he brings."
That was on full display last week, when the Winnipeg Jets were in town. The game had already become chippy in the first period when Winnipeg center Jim Slater sent Patrick Kane to the ice in the Hawks' end of the rink.
Seabrook didn't let it slide.
He whacked Slater's right side with his stick, drawing a slashing penalty, and next the gloves came off. Slater landed the first punch, near the spot where Seabrook's face was cut by a skate blade a week earlier, but the Hawks defenseman wasn't done. Despite briefly losing his footing, he popped back up and decisively won the bout.
"I told him he didn't need to do that," Kane said. "It was a good hit by the guy and he caught me pretty good ... (But) it shows the camaraderie here. If anything, it sends a message to the whole group that 'Hey, we have some guys that'll stick up for one another and we're not gonna get pushed around.' It was a great message."
It was a great example of Seabrook's role on the team.
He doesn't fight often, but will if the situation calls for it. He'll also deliver a big hit, score a huge goal or fire up the team before a period starts. He's a top-flight defenseman, yes, but he's also the Blackhawks' big brother - always around for support.
"He's a huge part of the team," Kane said. "He's very underrated. I think we sometimes take for granted having him on the team."
They're not the only ones. Seabrook often gets overlooked on the Hawks because he's just one of their collection of stars. The fact that he is usually paired with Duncan Keith - a two-time Norris Trophy winner symbolic of the NHL's top defenseman - doesn't exactly help.
But his stats are impressive.
Seabrook, whom the Hawks drafted 14th overall in 2003, continues to climb the all-time rankings of the franchise's defensemen. Playing his 10th NHL season, he's ranked in the top 10 in games played (seventh, 728), goals (sixth, 70), assists (eighth, 242), points (eighth, 312) and plus-minus rating (seventh, plus-111).
He also provided some memorable moments in the Stanley Cup playoffs, headlined by an overtime goal in 2013 against the Detroit Red Wings. It ended Game 7 of a classic Western Conference semifinals series between the former Central Division rivals.
Last season, Seabrook played a major role in the Blackhawks' defeat of the St. Louis Blues in the first round. His illegal hit in Game 2, which injured Blues captain David Backes and drew a three-game suspension, isn't the only thing Seabrook did in that series. He also scored 2 goals and had 4 assists in three games he played, including 2 assists in the Game 6 win to clinch the series on home ice.
Asked if the Blackhawks would've won that series without Seabrook, it didn't take Andrew Shaw long to shake his head.
"No, you don't," he said. "He's a big body and he's going to use it. He's going to chip in every possible way he can, and he's going to make sure his presence is heard out there."