Hawks Quenneville excited about trip to Europe
The way Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville sees it, there's nothing not to like about spending the next week in Europe to finish training camp and start the regular season.
It worked out just fine for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who opened last season in Europe and wound up hoisting the Stanley Cup when all was said and done.
"Pittsburgh at the end of the day was the champ so I think it's something we should be excited about and look at as a positive experience," Quenneville said. "I don't find too many negatives of this experience."
The Hawks should be over any jet lag when they open the regular season with back-to-back games next Friday and Saturday against the Florida Panthers in Helsinki, Finland.
Before that, however, there are two exhibition games in Zurich, Switzerland, on Monday and Tuesday against European clubs HC Davos and ZSC Zurich.
The Tuesday game against ZSC Zurich is Europe's second annual Victoria Cup game.
The Hawks flew to Zurich immediately following Friday's 4-3 win over Minnesota at the United Center and practiced upon their arrival to get their feet under them.
"I think the biggest challenge is going to be getting on a regular schedule as quickly as we can," Patrick Kane said.
Captain Jonathan Toews views the week in Europe as a great chance for the team to be together as a group in preparation for a regular season where the Hawks are expected to contend for the Stanley Cup.
"I don't know if there will be less distractions because I assume we'll get a lot of attention," Toews said. "But what matters is we hang out together and we build that chemistry and bond a little bit as a team. Our on-ice game is going to get a lot better.
"It's going to be a fun trip to meet different people and see the culture, but these last couple games here we've got to remind ourselves that business is business and when we go out on the ice it's time to go to work. This isn't some holiday trip we're taking as a team."
The games in Helsinki against Florida will be the first NHL games ever played in Finland, a country that Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell said is crazy for hockey.
Campbell played in Helsinki for Jokerit during the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 NHL season and called it a memorable experience.
"They have great fans and great arenas," Campbell said. "I'm looking forward to the chanting and the flag waving and all that stuff they do. It's going to be exciting."
The Hawks took 29 players on the trip. Quenneville plans to use Monday's game against HC Davos as the final opportunity to evaluate, starting with goalies Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi, who will split the duties.
Quenneville plans to dress his regular lineup for Tuesday's Victoria Cup game provided Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg are ready to return from their injuries.
"Up front we've got some decisions to make," Quenneville said. "There are opportunities here for not just the guys that played last year but the guys that want to make the hockey club.
"Our health will play a factor in that and we also have some economic decisions. We'll be making some decisions here that might be business decisions. That will all play a part of it."
Jack Skille's salary cap hit of $1.275 million works against him when compared to Colin Fraser ($700,000) or Jake Dowell ($500,000). On defense, Jordan Hendry has a cap hit of $625,000 compared to Aaron Johnson's $540,000.
Niemi's cap hit is $827,000 while Crawford's is $750,000.