Hawks plan on plenty of bonding on circus trip

The circus trip.

It's always sounded daunting, but lately that simply hasn't been the case for the Blackhawks.

In fact, the Hawks have thrived on this two-week trek, going 22-11-4 since 2007, including a 6-1 mark last season.

For an already close-kit team, it's all about the bonding.

"At home, but more so on the road it's nice to be around the guys," Kris Versteeg said. "A lot of the guys have families now, so it's nice to get on the road, hang out and go to dinner and stuff."

"We pretty much hang out the whole trip," Patrick Kane said.

"By the end if the trip you're kind of sick of one another but at the same time if you're winning and doing the right things on the ice, it makes it that much more enjoyable."

Birthday boy:

Maybe because bad weather back home kept his family from coming to town and celebrating, or maybe because he thinks he's getting old, whatever the case, Patrick Kane didn't sound too enthused about his birthday Wednesday.

"Now it doesn't even feel like a celebration anymore," Kane said. "You're getting older ... I'm 26 now.

"I remember when I was 21 I was spending my birthday in Calgary - feels like that was yesterday."

"I can't believe he's 26 already," said Joel Quenneville, who didn't get No. 88 a gift. "Time is flying."

In the wings:

Until he was sent to Rockford to start for the IceHogs on Sunday, the last time Antti Raanta had been between the pipes in a game was way back on Oct. 25.

"You just have to keep yourself ready and have the mentality like you're going to play every game, even though you're not playing," Raanta said. "It's hard, but I think I've done a pretty good job with that."

With a couple of back-to-back games on the upcoming circus trip, coach Joel Quenneville said he plans to get Raanta some time between the pipes.

He said it:

"He's stepping up."

- Joel Quenneville, after being told that Bryan Bickell planned to get Patrick Kane a birthday cake … from Walgreens.