Youth, hope and excellence spark suburban hockey revival

Before Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Duncan Keith lost seven teeth against the San Jose Sharks - and earned hero status in Chicago - he had a fan in Zac Bishop.

The 11-year-old Lake in the Hills resident plays defense for the AA Pee Wee Leafs hockey team out of the Leafs Ice Centre in West Dundee.

"(Keith is) really fast and he's defense and he's got a good shot. He leads the team," Bishop said of his favorite player.

The fifth-grader also believes the Hawks will defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in five games to bring home the Stanley Cup, but he'll settle for six.

"They're really good because they check, they have good passing, they stick up for each other," Bishop said. "I think everybody is going to start liking the Hawks."

A few years ago, the name "Duncan Keith" would not resonated with many folks in the suburbs or even Bishop's classmates.

These days, Keith is known for his defense - and toothless smile.

No one is mispronouncing the last name of Hawks captain Jonathan Toews.

And "Kane" is a Hawks winger and playmaker, not a wrestling character.

With the arrow pointing down for the Bears, the Cubs and White Sox being mediocre at best, and the Bulls in disarray, hockey fans contend the budding Hawks can be come the city's next sports icons.

Steve Ink, a St. Charles resident who moved from Minnesota 20 years ago, believes it's possible, especially if the team can bring home the first Stanley Cup since 1961.

"The excitement around the team rivals what I've seen in Minnesota (when the North Stars were good)," said Ink, as he browsed through Hawks gear recently at the Dick's Sporting Goods in Geneva with his son Stefan, 5, clad in a Marian Hossa T-shirt.

"They've completely changed it around - the attitude and the team," Ink continued. "Of course, winning is everything, too. They're filling a void. With Kane and Toews, kids really connect with the team."

Mark Olson of Aurora bought a Kane jersey to surprise his 17-year-old, Mark Jr., with before the start of the Stanley Cup Finals with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Mark Jr.'s favorite player is Kane because he's tough, athletic and can stick handle circles around the league's best.

"He's only going to get better. They're just kids and they're doing this," said Olson of Kane and the team. "They've definitely brought back attention to the city. It used to be Bears, Bears, Bears. Now it's Hawks, Hawks, Hawks."

Bob Gohde, hockey director at the Leafs Centre, said the team's success has really sparked in interest in hockey from youths and even adults.

The number of kids ages 5 through seniors in high school playing on hockey clubs is up 10 percent from last year. But the number of people taking basic learn-to-skate classes jumped from 150 a year ago to 265 right now - an increase of 75 percent.

"It's definitely been a positive for the hockey community," Gohde said. "It's one team, it's not the city split between two teams and people fighting over the North Side and South Side. You don't have to choose an alliance and hate your relatives."

While ownership has created a more fan-friendly environment - putting home games on television and extending olive branches to former players and legends - Gohde said the difference ultimately is the product on the ice itself.

Zac Bishop's dad, Victor, hopes the team's success will turn more people on to hockey, where watching the playoffs is already a family event.

"This year is definitely changing (attitudes). Last year helped," the elder Bishop said. "I think it's going to change and hockey is going to be the new football. That's my thinking. It's the fastest-paced game you can watch."

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