advertisement

Blackhawks win good for ratings, retailers

After the Chicago Blackhawks put out the Tampa Bay Lightning in 60 minutes of intense play, it took fans just 10 minutes to clean out the stock of locker room hats Monday night at the Sports Authority in Mount Prospect.

The key to their success was location.

"We had a dozen people watch the game in the store and they were the first customers to buy gear," store manager Jeremy Johnson said.

After the Blackhawks clinched the Stanley Cup in a 2-0 win, his cashiers served about 250 customers in an hour.

"Everybody was energized and happy," Johnson said.

Locker room hats donned by the players after the victory, retailing for around $30, flew off the shelves first, followed by locker room T-shirts, costing between $20 and $32.

Many sporting goods stores, like Dick's Sporting Goods in Schaumburg, opened early Tuesday to ride the Blackhawks wave.

Dene Schoo of Hoffman Estates made her early-morning trip a family affair, bringing along kids Megan, Bryce and Logan.

And when supplies ran out at Dick's, Julian Zbotaniw of Palatine vowed to wait until replacements arrived.

Johnson, interviewed at noon Tuesday, said he expected another order of hats and T-shirts to arrive in the afternoon.

Already, 30 fans were standing in line at the Randhurst Village store and the new supply was expected to evaporate in a half-hour.

As for hockey jerseys? Forget about it - for now. "We're sold out," Johnson said.

What was the most popular jersey for Sports Authority consumers? Right wing Andrew Shaw's "because he's hard to find," Johnson explained.

The Blackhawks win was the third most-viewed Game 6 on record, NBC Sports reported.

For the sake of comparison, Nielsen reported the game had a 41.0 household rating in Chicago and 15.2 in Tampa, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Blackhawks parade route updated - the best ways to enjoy it

  Dene Schoo of Hoffman Estates brought her kids Megan, from left, Bryce and Logan to shop for championship gear shortly after Dick's Sporting Goods opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Schaumburg. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
  Early arriving shoppers sort through stacks of Stanley Cup champion gear Tuesday at Dick's Sporting Goods in Schaumburg. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
  Shoppers looking for Blackhawks championship shirts and hats head inside as the doors opened early Tuesday at Dick's Sporting Goods in Schaumburg. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.