Upping the Antti makes Hawks more compelling

Antti Niemi deserves a farewell thanks for providing me with two summer columns as he was leaving town.

Oh, and the Stanley Cup was nice, too.

Seriously, the last time I wrote an August column on the Hawks, much less two, much less two straight, must have been when the rink in hell froze over.

The fact it was news merely that the Hawks might let Niemi go and then that it actually happened - even though the Bears were starting up and the White Sox were in first place - screams how relevant the Hawks have become.

However, Niemi's departure was barely more heart- wrenching than bidding farewell to, say, Daniel Hudson or Ryan Theriot.

It's more like, "Antti, we hardly knew ye, thanks for the memories, see you in 10 years at the class reunion."

My goodness, folks, Niemi essentially was a wonderful one-year wonder. You could say he had a cup of coffee here, but most cups of coffee last longer.

At least no one is sarcastically asking, "What will you remember most about the Antti Niemi era?"

There's nothing sarcastic about the hoisting of the Cup. After all, Niemi was the first Hawks goalie to win a championship in 49 years.

So why isn't this divorce more traumatic? Why aren't fans protesting on Madison Street? Why isn't Tommy Hawk slitting his wings?

Marty Turco's arrival alone can't be the answer to all those questions even if he really is the Hawks' answer to preventing a net loss.

Well, the reason for my yawns and ho-hums is that the Hawks won with Niemi mostly because of puck possession and team defense.

Scotty Bowman, a Hawks consultant and the smartest man in any hockey room, said that's how teams that don't have a Top 3 goalie do it, and that's how the Hawks did it.

Now, I couldn't start to tell you who the NHL's three best goalies are. Martin Brodeur still, Ryan Miller maybe - then who? Probably not Niemi, but none of the others won the Cup and he did.

Since then the Hawks lost so many championship players due to salary-cap considerations, the question is whether they still can be adept enough to prop up Turco.

One thing is certain: Complacency shouldn't be a problem when the Hawks arrive for training camp.

Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and other surviving Hawks will be challenged to win again without Niemi, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and other former Hawks.

General manager Stan Bowman, Scotty's son, will be challenged to pick the right candidates to fill in around the championship core.

Coach Joel Quenneville will be challenged to unite the old and the new into as cohesive a unit as last season's Hawks comprised.

Fans will be challenged to remain patient and the media to remain understanding as the Hawks inevitably struggle to find their new selves.

The Hawks will try to repeat as Stanley Cup champions almost like a college basketball team tries to repeat as NCAA champion after players graduated, flunked out and turned pro.

That will make even next regular season newsworthy, which might be why to me losing Antti Niemi feels more fascinating than disappointing.

I guess I should thank him for that, too.

mimrem@dailyherald.com