One-on-one with Blackhawks' McDonough

On a typical sweltering July day, nearly 200 people packed Chandler's Banquets at the Schaumburg Golf Club on Tuesday morning for a little hockey talk.

Next week, about 8,000 people will gather in downtown Chicago for the inaugural Blackhawks convention.

Hockey talk in July?

Blame it on the man they came to hear Tuesday, the same guy who invented the off-season convention - John McDonough.

More Coverage Links McDonough mum on Hawks-Wings game at Wrigley [07/08/08]

After 25 years working his magic with the Cubs, McDonough is doing it again, this time in his role as president of the Blackhawks. In less than a year on the job, McDonough has ensured that all Hawks games will be televised this season, welcomed back former greats Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito into the Blackhawk family, and brought back popular announcer Pat Foley.

And if the rumors are correct, the Hawks just might host the Detroit Red Wings in an outdoor game at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day in 2009. (McDonough, however, wouldn't confirm those reports, preferring to let NHL officials make any announcement on that game next week).

After McDonough regaled the audience on hand at the monthly Schaumburg Business Association breakfast with stories about his years with the Cubs and his rebuilding efforts with the Blackhawks, he sat down with the Daily Herald for more Hawks talk.

Q. Player-wise, how well do you know the league?

A. C+. I went to the draft in Ottawa, went to the awards ceremony in Toronto. What I'll try to do two or three times a week, I'll try to go through every team's Web site and go over every one of their players because it's something that I really have to become acclimated to.

Q. What was your role in the signing of free-agent defenseman Brian Campbell?

A. We were all together that day. I had been in conversations with (chairman) Rocky (Wirtz) earlier in that day. He knew what we were thinking. I've never met a business executive that understands the big picture as well as Rocky, and Rocky just said, 'John, do what you think is best for the franchise long-term.'

Q. What are the attributes of general manager Dale Tallon and coach Denis Savard some people might not get to see?

A. They're very gregarious personalities. They're alive, they're gracious people - it's so easy to work with. They've been incredibly respectful to me; you've got a new guy coming in that hasn't had a hockey background. Hockey players are a unique breed. They're approachable, grateful, appreciative. It's a very special group.

Q. With that in mind, why isn't hockey more popular?

A. I would say television. I think right now, hockey is more of a local sport than a national sport. I think ultimately it's going to become a major national sport. It's getting there. Overall around the league, the percentage of attendance in all facilities is well over 85 percent (of capacity). It's very strong locally, it needs to become more significant nationally.

Q. Fighting in hockey - yes or no?

A. Yes. It's part of the sport.

Q. How hard was it to raise ticket prices after not making the playoffs?

A. It's never easy raising ticket prices. Ideally in life, you'd never increase anything. We had the second lowest ticket price in the NHL - only the (Buffalo) Sabres were less expensive. We're still in the bottom half, but now it's important we put a good product on the ice and make sure it's money well spent for our fans.

Q. Tell the truth, did you ever get tired of seeing Neifi Perez' name in the lineup?

A. (Laughs) No, I didn't get tired of him. Dusty (Baker) did his best to win.

Q. Why aren't there any GMs like Boston's Theo Epstein - young, smart, never played professionally - in the NHL?

A. I don't know the answer. I think as our game continues to evolve, at some point you're going to get to that. In baseball there are a lot of general managers that never played before, and they're certainly proving that it's not essential that you had a career in the big leagues or the minor leagues. I'm sure that will be a part of hockey going forward.

Q. And finally, where will you be January 1?

A. In Chicago (laughs).