Dietz: So many memories during Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup run

When somebody celebrates their 100th birthday, usually it's a subdued affair with family and friends.

But when a franchise hits that mark, watch out. Because it's time to party.

The Blackhawks have shown that in spades this season and the highlight of their year-long love affair with the past hit a fevered pitch Saturday when more than two dozen former players showed up to celebrate The Banner Years of 2010, '13 and '15.

Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk shared a warm embrace during the ceremony. The group photo on the ice included Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Corey Crawford, Scott Darling, Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Shaw, Andrew Ladd and Brian Campbell. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane would no doubt have been in attendance as well — if they weren't still playing.

The Stanley Cup was there. And, yes, it was hoisted more than a few times.

It's incredible to think it's been more than a decade since the last title. But with time comes perspective — and Adam Burish, who was on the 2010 squad, so eloquently expressed what that Cup now means to him when asked during the TV broadcast.

Paraphrasing, he said: When a season ends, the next one arrives in no time. New teammates don't want to hear about your success. Your career moves on; your life moves on. But now? Now, you look back and think, 'Wow. What we accomplished was so special and there's a bond that will exist between us forever.'

The 2015 season was my first year on the beat — and it was the first and only time I covered a team's championship run from beginning to end. That postseason is thick with memories and ranks as the No. 1 thing I tackled in 30 years as a sports writer (the Ryder Cup in 2012 and World Series in 2016 aren't far behind).

With Saturday night serving as inspiration, I thought this would be a great time to give you a behind-the-scenes look at some fun, stressful and poignant moments from those crazy two months.

•  •  •

Nashville 3, Blackhawks 0. That was the score after 20 minutes at Nashville in Game 1 of the Hawks' opening-round series. Deadline would be an issue on most game nights, but that was especially the case here with puck drop coming at about 8:45 p.m.

So during that first intermission I banged out what figured to hold up as the game story. No way the flat-footed Hawks were coming back, right?

Ha! All it took was 14 minutes for the Hawks to knot things up.

“Welcome to playoff hockey,” NHL.com's Brian Hedger told me as I ripped up my masterpiece.

The Hawks prevailed 4-3 in double overtime on Duncan Keith's long blast from the point.

A rookie to covering playoff hockey, one thought hit me like a bolt of lightning: I need to have stories ready for a Hawks victory, a Hawks loss or for a game that ends up in overtime.

Every single time.

•  •  •

The game ends. The first story has been filed. Now comes the “fun” part — jostling for position inside dressing rooms or at podiums. Sharp elbows can be a plus, but it also helps to be tall.

I'll never forget dangling my tape recorder over the throng of reporters during Teuvo Teravainen's interview after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The soft-spoken Teravainen, who knotted the score at 1-1 with 6:32 remaining in the game, was asked what he thought when his shot found its mark.

“I think the first thing was: 'Oh, no. I have to go do media now.'”

No moment produced a bigger roar of laughter all year.

•  •  •

The hockey community is so unselfish.

Need a ride back to your hotel? Jump in my cab.

Need help setting up an interview? Try going this route.

Want a beer? I've got it.

Postgame is where everyone came together, though. That's when quotes from players popped into your inbox in rapid succession. This was possible because one reporter set up an email distribution list that included all on-site reporters.

You had only moments to scan these quotes and also had to keep your ears open.

I'll never forget hearing a reporter behind me say: “Did you see what Steven Stamkos said?!?!” after one of the Stanley Cup Final games in Tampa Bay. I quickly grabbed it and it worked perfectly in my story.

Reporters are fiercely competitive, but I've always been impressed with how hockey writers work together to make sure everyone has a chance to produce the best story possible.

•  •  •

Other memorable moments:

• Asking how designated team deejay Kris Versteeg selected songs for pregame warmups at the United Center. “Anything that pisses Patrick Sharp off,” he deadpanned.

• Sharing a quiet moment with former Chicago Tribune beat writer Chris Kuc about the Daily Herald’s Tim Sassone, who passed away in 2014 and covered the Hawks for most of his career.

• Wondering how my computer strap got tied around my chair leg in Anaheim. Hours later, I got a text that said: “Have any trouble with your bag?” That Troy Murray is a piece of work, let me tell ya.

• Realizing Nashville is one of the best cities in America. And for so many reasons. The music. The people. And the food! My favorite one-liner came just before Game 5 when Hedger took a bite out of a hot dog and exclaimed: “Everything tastes like ribs!” He'd eaten plate upon plate of them during the series and couldn't get the taste out of his mouth. “Even my Coke had a ribs aftertaste,” Hedger texted when we were reminiscing years later.

• Feeling a wave of exhaustion come down on me like an anvil as we prepared for Stanley Cup Final media day at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay. I had been on the road for 8 of 10 days, going from Anaheim to Chicago, back to Anaheim, back to Chicago and then to Tampa. That was the exact moment it all caught up to me.

• • •

Then, of course, came the moment we walked onto the United Center ice after the Hawks claimed the Cup. After interviewing Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and others, it was time to write the most important game story of my career.

And to put an exclamation point on a thrilling, inspiring, energy-sapping and truly memorable run.

“I was crying a little bit,” said 40-year-old defenseman Kimmo Timonen of Patrick Kane's third-period goal that made it 2-0 in the clinching Game 6.

“I blacked out,” first-time Cup winner Antoine Vermette said when trying to remember how heavy the Cup felt.

A dripping-wet Jonathan Toews, looking into the sea of red-and-black clad fans, echoed the thoughts of all his teammates by saying: “This is incredible. I mean, I'll stand here all night. There's nowhere else you want to be. This is crazy.”

And so it ended the way it should. With an indelible memory. And a story.

A banner ending to a banner run.

John Dietz, a sports writer at the Daily Herald from 1998-2024, covered the Blackhawks from 2014-24. You can reach him at jdietz6917@hotmail.com.