Blackhawks raise Stanley Cup banner for home crowd
Give Jonathan Toews credit: He knows how to play to the crowd.
After Toews walked the red carpet on Madison Street to thousands of screaming, camera-phone clicking fans Wednesday afternoon, the Blackhawks' captain was asked what motivates him to want to keep winning championships.
"It's easy when you've got fans like this," Toews said.
And the Red Sea roared.
They roared for Toews, Brent Seabrook (who began the parade of players at 4:22 p.m.), Andrew Shaw, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith.
And yes, they roared for Patrick Kane.
The mid-afternoon festivities kicked off a celebration of a 2014-15 season that was equal parts thrilling and equal parts gut-wrenching at times. In the end, after clearing the myriad hurdles played in front of them on and off the ice, the Blackhawks emerged atop the hockey world for a third time in six seasons.
And Wednesday was their final time to celebrate.
"It was a special year," coach Joel Quenneville said Wednesday before the Hawks fell to the Rangers 3-2 at the United Center. "That was definitely the toughest Cup we ever had to win, or try to win. It was a tough one. It seemed like it was never gonna end. It was hard-earned. It'll be nice to reflect.
"But then let's turn the switch."
Before the Hawks set their sights on 2015-16, though, they took a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor during a ceremony that celebrated the past and present of the organization.
Chicago's very own Eddie Olczyk came out to thunderous applause, and introduced Hawks legends Denis Savard, Tony Esposito and Bobby Hull. Stan Mikita, who is suffering from dementia, was not in attendance but was well-represented by his wife, Jill, and 13-year-old grandson, Charlie.
Huge cheers went up for GM Stan Bowman, President and CEO John McDonough and owner Rocky Wirtz, with Olczyk actually having to pause for a bit as the crowd chanted "ROCKY, ROCKY, ROCKY!"
Then came the coaching staff and another slight delay when the 22,104 in attendance saluted coach Joel Quenneville with a long "Quuuuuuuuuuu!" roar. Play-by-play man Pat Foley took over for Olczyk at that point, and one by one the Blackhawks emerged. The crowd saluted the players and enjoyed a thrilling video montage recapping the 2015 playoffs.
Finally, the gaping hole between the Hawks' other five Stanley Cup banners was filled, the 12-by-20-foot monstrosity making its way to the rafters.
"To watch the banner go up is pretty awesome," Toews said Wednesday morning. "You realize how big it is and all of a sudden it gets all the way up there and it just looks like a tiny little thing."
The accomplishment remains huge, though, especially for the backup goalie who wasn't even on the team when the season began.
"I'm super excited to see it and remember feelings of last year and watch that banner go up," said Lemont's Scott Darling, the first Blackhawk from the Chicago area with his name on the Cup. "Just to know that for the rest of my life, whenever I come back to the United Center, I was a part of that banner and a part of that team; it's a pretty special feeling."