'Fan favorite' Shaw returns to UC to face Chicago Blackhawks

When Andrew Shaw hits the United Center ice Sunday in an enemy uniform for the first time, you can expect to hear one thing:

A loud, resounding cheer.

"Obviously Shawzy had lots of fans," said Hawks forward Marian Hossa. "He was a fan favorite, so I think he's going to (get) lots of cheers in our building."

Shaw, who signed a six-year, $23.4 million deal with Montreal on June 27, will try and help the Canadiens continue their magnificent start by beating his former team. Shaw was traded to Montreal for a pair of second-round draft picks after GM Stan Bowman and Shaw's agent couldn't come to terms on a new deal.

"His page was turned when he signed a new deal with Montreal and that's a part of the business," Hossa said. "Sometimes we have to make decisions to move on. It's a new chapter for him.

"But obviously it's going to be one of those players that's not easy to play against."

The Hawks are planning a video tribute for Shaw, who was taken in the fifth round by the Hawks in 2011 and made his debut that season. When last season closed, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville called the 5-foot-11, 179-pound sparkplug "irreplaceable."

Here's what Quenneville said Friday before the Hawks fell to Washington in overtime: "He brings that intangible … that not many players possess, whether it's his enthusiasm on the ice, in the room, on the bench. Keeps everybody honest.

"He's one of those guys (that's) tough to replace. But certainly you wish him well. You know he's going to be excited coming in here. … It'll be a good challenge for us. Let's be aware of Shawzy on Sunday."

Statistically, it hasn't been much of a season for Shaw as he has just 2 goals and 4 assists. Saturday in Montreal's 5-0 win over Detroit he was on the right wing of the third line with Phillip Danault - another former Hawks - playing center on that line.

Danault has 5 goals already and was named the first star of the game in Montreal's 4-1 win over Los Angeles on Thursday. GM Stan Bowman sent Danault and a second-round pick in 2018 to Montreal on Feb. 26 for Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann.