Experience talks, but vets Hossa and Madden lead by example
It's never easy to get the attention of young, confident 20-somethings who happen to be very good at what they do.
Yet for veterans such as John Madden and Marian Hossa, that doesn't seem to be a problem as they prepare to lead their young Blackhawks teammates into what is uncharted waters - the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.
Both players have been there, done that, and the young Hawks are all ears this week as they prepare for the Philadelphia Flyers and the experience of a lifetime.
"Hossa's been to the Finals the last three years now; he knows what it takes to get there," Troy Brouwer said. "It's a good thing to have that kind of player because he knows what it's like in crunch situations, tough situations.
"And the same with Madden; he's got two Stanley Cups and he's lost a Game 7, so he's been on both ends of it.
"That experience is really taken in by us young guys because we haven't been in this situation before and we don't necessarily know the atmosphere until we get on the ice for the very first game. For us, just to know what's to come really helps."
Hossa and Madden spread the word mainly by example on the ice, an approach that's just fine with Hossa.
"I've never been a huge talker," he said. "I try to do what I do on the ice. A couple of guys like the way I play (at both ends), and I do my best to play that way. The scoring hasn't been there - and it bugs me - but I try to help in other ways."
One of the players who appreciates Hossa's two-way style is Kris Versteeg, who credits the veteran with taking his game to another level.
"Hoss has been great for me this season in so many ways, not only for myself but for a lot of guys," Versteeg said. "If I have the puck and I screw up - which is quite a bit - he'll let me know and tell me plays I could have done or what would have worked better.
"It's a constructive criticism, and when you're getting it from a guy like Marian Hossa, you better listen."
Madden said the young Hawks occasionally will ask him about playing for the Cup, and he tells each of them the same thing, in one variation or another.
"You need some bounces, you need a lot of hard work, and you need everybody in the dressing room," Madden said. "One guy is not more important than the next, no matter how much ice time you get out there.
"Your three minutes on the ice or five minutes on the ice might be as important as someone else's 20 minutes on the ice."
The two veterans, brought in this season in part for their leadership qualities, haven't found those qualities to be in such high demand with this young group.
"You don't need to talk too much in this dressing room because the guys realize (what is at stake)," Hossa said. "It's great to be here, but we're not satisfied yet. You can just feel that in the room, so you don't have to make big speeches about it."
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