For Hawks' Keith, this is as big as it gets

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith's favorite TV show isn't 24, The Office or Desperate Housewives.

It's Hockey Night in Canada.

What else would you expect from a kid born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba?

To most Canadians, Saturday night for generations has meant gathering in front of the television with family and friends and watching Hockey Night in Canada, still one of the highest rated shows north of the border.

For Americans trying to grasp the significance of Hockey Night in Canada in a country where the sport is akin to religion, think Monday Night Football times 10.

The Hawks play the featured Hockey Night in Canada game tonight when they meet the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre, and many of them say it won't be an ordinary 60 minutes.

"I'm looking forward to it because it's what you grew up watching on TV," said rookie center Jonathan Toews. "Everyone at home is watching that game so it makes it special, and it's going to be my first NHL game on Hockey Night in Canada.

"It's Saturday night, CBC Hockey Night in Canada, that's as big as it gets, I think as far as NHL hockey goes," said Toews. "It's a way of life, something people look forward to all week."

Keith remembers watching Hockey Night in Canada and how it meant spending special time with family and friends

"Growing up as a kid in Canada, that's what you did on Saturday -- watched Hockey Night in Canada," Keith said. "We used to sit around after being at the rink all day playing games with some chips and my dad would make Coke floats. We'd all watch it together.

"You can probably compare it to people down in the states watching football," added Keith. "But kids in Canada, when they think of the NHL, they think of Hockey Night in Canada and Saturday nights. That's what everybody does in Canada."

Hawks coach Denis Savard understands how excited some of his younger players are about playing their first game on the big stage.

"The first time, hey, it's pretty exciting," Savard said. "You grew up watching it on the couch with mom and dad eating chips. That was it."

Brent Seabrook still makes it a point to watch Hockey Night in Canada whenever he can.

"And to get to play the game is exciting," Seabrook said. "All your buddies back home can watch. It's the big show in Canada for hockey."

Hockey Night in Canada debuted in 1952 and it's where the tradition of three stars of the game began.

A big part of any Hockey Night in Canada telecast is the first intermission, when the legendary Don Cherry takes center stage with his Coaches Corner segment. You never know what's going to come out of the controversial Cherry's mouth, but it's always entertaining.

And players know when Cherry talks about them.

"I do pay attention to a lot of things he says," Toews said. "He's an old-fashioned guy who I can definitely relate to growing up on the cold prairies. He's as patriotic as it gets as a Canadian.

"Some people obviously disagree with what he says and hold it against him, but it takes a lot of guts to sometimes speak your mind like that."