Hawks need to really get a move on
Now that the Blackhawks have conquered Chicago, it's time for them to relocate.
No, no, not to another town; to another conference.
The only thing wrong with the Western Conference finals beginning today between the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings is, well, that they're the Western Conference finals.
Both these teams should be in the NHL East, but if just one can be, then we can only hope it would be the Hawks.
It didn't matter when the Hawks were an afterthought around their own hometown. But it's clear now that they play too many regular-season and postseason games in Western time zones.
Those late starts in Calgary and Vancouver became a nuisance during the playoffs' first two rounds, don't you think?
So here's one more assignment for Hawks mover Rocky Wirtz and shaker John McDonough: Persuade the NHL to move the Hawks into the East.
It wouldn't be fair to Detroit, of course, which is a time zone further east. But maybe Wirtz and McDonough can use their growing league-wide influence to circumvent fairness.
As for now, thank goodness the Hawks play the Wings and not Anaheim in the conference final, meaning all games will end before it's time to wake up and go to work.
How about raising the stakes for the Hawks-Wings series and the winner gets to move to the Eastern Conference next season? Who would replace them out West? Who cares?
Seriously, last weekend in Vancouver the Hawks' biggest game of the season so far had a Chicago starting time of 9:30 p.m. and finishing time after midnight.
Not good for younger fans. Not good for older fans. Heck, not even good for middle-aged fans unless they were going to be out at sports bars until nearly closing time anyway.
The Wings' earlier playoff opponents were San Jose and Anaheim. That's almost bad enough to make a Chicago sports fan feel sorry for a Detroit sports fan, though not quite.
Anyway, both the Wings and Hawks survived and now will play the entire conference finals at a reasonable hour.
The respite is temporary, however, as long as the Hawks remain clumped in the West with Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Phoenix and Colorado.
A couple decades ago White Sox management hated being in the West when the American League had only two divisions. Too many road games started at 9 p.m. or later Chicago time and finished well out of TV's profitable prime time.
By contrast the Bulls, the Hawks' winter partners, are in the NBA East and play less frequently on the West Coast.
Last October the Cubs' one road playoff game started late from Los Angeles, which wasn't ideal either. But baseball's fan base is established here, while hockey's still needs to grow.
The only downside to a Hawks' move east would be would be diluting the rivalry with Detroit. But the Hawks would be with four other Original Six teams, not to mention Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin.
So I say pack the boxes, load the trucks and move the Hawks from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference as soon as possible.
Otherwise, eventually Tokyo will get a team and a Hawks-Tokers playoff game will begin at 4 a.m. Chicago time.