Hawks need healthy Havlat

Blackhawks coach Denis Savard is hoping for a big comeback season for Martin Havlat in 2008-09.

Havlat was limited to 35 games because of a shoulder problem, finishing with 10 goals and 17 assists. He had surgery last month but is expected to be 100 percent for the start of training camp.

"I hope Marty is going to come healthy," Savard said. "Unfortunately for us and for him, he's been through two years of (heck) here with his injuries."

Havlat injured his shoulder on opening night in Minnesota and missed the next 22 games. When he returned in late November, he wasn't the same dangerous scorer.

"With all fairness to him, he wasn't even close to 100 percent," Savard said. "We kind of hid that because we wanted to make sure he could play. For him to be at full force, his shoulder has to be 100 percent, and hopefully that is the case because he's a special player."

Havlat will start next season on the final year of the three-year, $18 million contract he signed after being acquired from Ottawa.

"We felt he was going to be our go-guy, which he still is, but he has to be healthy," Savard said. "If he's not healthy, it's impossible to ask him to do what he's capable of doing because when you have a shoulder, and I've had one, it's pretty tough to compete hard shift in, shift out, game in, game out.

"We've got to give him the benefit of the doubt here. If he had played the whole schedule this year being healthy, who knows where we would have been."

Attention-getters: Seven Hawks have been selected to play in the World Championships later this month in Halifax and Quebec City.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith will play for Canada, while Patrick Kane, James Wisniewski, Adam Burish and Dustin Byfuglien will join Team USA.

The seven already are looking forward to playing against one another.

"I'll definitely throw a couple extra stick checks out on the ice when I see those guys," Toews said. "I'm looking forward to that."

This will be the first international competition for Sharp, who is coming off a career-best 36-goal season.

"Anytime you can play for your country and put on that jersey, it's special," Sharp said.

Toews played in the Worlds last spring straight out of college and was one of the best players on the team.

"Us Canadians are excited because it's always fun to play for our country because so many people are watching," Toews said. "The fact that it's in Canada this year, I think it will be a pretty big deal even though it's at the same time as the playoffs."

Byfuglien might also play a few games for Rockford before heading to the World Championships. He is on Rockford's roster for the American Hockey League playoffs, along with Dave Bolland and Jordan Hendry.

"If they're healthy they'll probably play some games there," general manager Dale Tallon said.

Tip-ins: Denis Savard will spend the next several weeks watching Rockford play. … GM Dale Tallon said he has been given the OK by upper management to hire at least two more scouts, including one for Europe. …

The Hawks made two hires Tuesday, naming Chris Werner senior executive director of ticket and business development and Annie Camins director of youth hockey. … The club also announced an immediate advertising agency review process to select a partner for next season. Interested agencies were encouraged to contact the club.