Bolland appreciates his ability to agitate

Dave Bolland didn't exactly make any new friends during the Hawks' nine-day road trip to Vancouver and San Jose.

The third-line center's annoying insistence on continually backchecking and harassing the best scorers in the Western Conference transformed him into one of the leading villains on the Hawks' roster.

"He's been awesome for us in the playoffs," captain Jonathan Toews said.

And maybe, just maybe, Bolland relishes his burgeoning status.

As the Hawks deplaned from their charter flight Wednesday afternoon and walked the O'Hare tarmac, it wasn't difficult to pick out Bolland from the rest of his bearded teammates.

The Mimico, Ontario, native, who'll turn 24 during the Stanley Cup Finals, wore a black suit with muted black stripes. Casual black shirt. Black belt. Black shoes. And, of course, his black playoff-issue facial hair.

Bolland even tapped away on a smart phone with a black backing.

Though the Hawks and the Sharks don't resume unpleasantries until Friday at 7 p.m., Bolland looked more than ready to spend more time Velcroed to San Jose's Joe Thornton.

Even if it means Thornton takes some more whacks at him, as he did on more than one occasion during the third period of the Hawks' Game 2 win Tuesday.

"Why not if it helps the team, right?" Bolland said.

Thornton spent two minutes in the penalty box for an unprompted slashing of Bolland's hand before a faceoff.

"Just out of nowhere," Bolland said. "I think he was just kind of frustrated with us backchecking and just always being around him. I don't think he likes it."

Bolland, meanwhile, acts like a giddy fantasy-camper who paid $5,000 to skate around with all-stars such as Thornton and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin.

Instead of buttering them up by asking for autographs and mentioning how much their exploits mean to him, Bolland butts into them repeatedly and mentions how much he enjoys doing it.

"When I know I'm in someone's head, I think that's a good thing," Bolland said. "I don't know what I do to get into (Thornton's) head, but it's fun. It's good.

"There's a bit of an energy that comes to me when it does happen because it's a privilege - right? - to play against (Dany) Heatley, Thornton and (Patrick) Marleau. They're probably the top players in the NHL and the world, so it's a privilege."

But Bolland has a way to go to become an all-time NHL agitator. A veteran hockey scribe made Hawks coach Joel Quenneville chuckle when he tried to compare Bolland's two-way talents with those of Dale Hunter.

Hunter, who posted 1,020 points and 3,565 penalty minutes during his 20-year NHL career, coached Bolland during his four seasons with London of the Ontario Hockey League.

"(Bolland) really is one of those players offensively, defensively, that you might underestimate him," Quenneville said, "but he's pretty tricky with his hands and his anticipation as well. He keeps himself in the right areas all over the ice."

While Bolland commits his share of penalties - though we learned late in Game 1 he doesn't always serve his time - he has a long way to go to catch his former coach. Hunter ranks No. 2 on the NHL's all-time list for penalty minutes.

"I think 'Huntsie's' abrasiveness level might go way up when you compare the two," Quenneville said with a smile. "So you give 'Huntsie' the lead in that department, but certainly we appreciate what 'Bolly' brings."