Fractured left shoulder? No big deal for Ladd

Now it can be told.

Andrew Ladd returned for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals despite a fractured left shoulder and various tears while Marian Hossa never considered coming out of the lineup after spraining the MCL in his right knee in Game 1 against the Flyers.

Ladd was hurt in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against San Jose trying to reach for a puck around Patrick Marleau.

"It was sore, but it was frozen," Ladd said Saturday. "Our doctors and training staff did a great job getting me back. We tried everything possible to get me back as soon as possible, luckily enough to get three games in there."

Ladd admitted it was frustrating thinking he might not be able to play in the Finals.

"I don't know if I had any doubts; I knew I was determined to get back," said Ladd, who still might need surgery at a later date. "We tried everything. I would get to the rink at eight in the morning and probably get home at eight o'clock at night, trying different stuff like the hyperbaric chamber and things like that. I was determined to come back."

Not only did Ladd return, he scored a huge goal in Game 6 last Wednesday that appeared as if it might be the game and Cup winner until the Flyers scored late in the third period to tie.

"He would not even have been thinking about playing in the regular season and maybe even in the playoffs, but he's a competitive guy," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

Hossa said his knee was bothering him in Games 5 and 6 but that there was no way he was coming out of the lineup.

"It was kind of difficult, but you don't feel the pain as much as when you lose," Hossa said. "I was lucky (it wasn't worse) because I wear two braces. I just tried to take the most break between games and not skate."

Simply overwhelming: The Hawks on Saturday still were talking about Friday's parade through the Loop with amazement.

John Madden won two Stanley Cups in New Jersey and said their celebrations were nothing like the one Friday.

"It doesn't compare, honestly," Madden said. It was crazy, nothing like I ever experienced before. The other two celebrations didn't even come close to the celebration we had."

Andrew Ladd won a Cup with Carolina and that their parade in Raleigh paled in comparison to this one.

"I was telling guys when we won in Carolina we had it on one street there with all the restaurants and stuff," Ladd said. "I was walking down the street with the Stanley Cup and most people didn't blink an eye. Here you can't walk two feet without getting mobbed, so it's pretty crazy.

"We have a young group and I think we enjoy the attention. That parade yesterday you can't put into words how great it was."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville tried.

"That was an amazing, amazing display - one of the coolest things I've ever seen," Quenneville said. "That was spectacular. I used the words inspiring or inspirational. You'll always remember that and it's a motivator as a group. It doesn't get any better than that."

Stanley and Jay: It's off to the West Coast with the Stanley Cup for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook for a second appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno on Monday.

The four Hawks also will make an appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Monday.

But first the Hawks will bring the Cup to Wrigley Field tonight for everyone to see prior to the Cubs-White Sox game.

The last word: Patrick Kane on his Cup-clinching goal: "I've probably watched the clip on YouTube 50 times already. You try to get every angle on the goal and the celebration and see different things."

Kane and the Hawks still don't know what happened to the puck and really don't care - even if Chris Pronger has it.