Fans flock to see their favorite Hawks at Yorktown Center

Getting a hug from Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was just the birthday present Lindsey Brooks wanted Sunday.

The 18-year old comes from a hockey-loving family and was excited to meet one of her favorite players.

"He's cute and he's a good player," Brooks said. "But he's really cute."

Kane and teammate Jonathan Toews were at the Yorktown Center mall in Lombard Sunday afternoon to sign autographs. Earlier in the day, Ken Hodge and Johnny Bucyk did the same, and on Saturday, Tony Esposito, Doug Wilson, Ted Lindsay and Ivan Boldirev all made appearances.

Fans were able to purchase memorabilia from vendors who came to the event or could bring their own and, for a fee, get their gear signed by the players. The event was organized by Gate X Autographs.

For some, the day was about father-son bonding. John Fell of St. Charles and his son Matthew, 8, watch all of the games together on TV and were excited to get autographs. John said he has been a hockey fan for 20 years.

"I love the history," he said. "The original six."

Lauren Ebbole, 17, and her mom, Star, got autographs on shirts and a puck that they plan to put on the hockey wall in their home near Hinsdale. Lauren would like to play hockey herself but said she'd also be happy with a marriage proposal from Toews or Kane.

Kane said his penchant for attracting teen girls has earned him the title "the Miley Cyrus of hockey" from his teammates but he enjoys interacting with fans.

"It goes along way," he said. "You can do a lot of things like show your personality to them which they don't see all the time. They just see you on the ice."

Kevin and Tyler Bair of Mundelein both play the sport and hope to be in the shoes of Kane and Toews one day. Their dad, Ken, brought the 11- and 8-year-olds to get a picture, hockey sticks and a helmet signed by their heroes.

Kane said he played six or seven times a week when he was young but it didn't feel like work. He advises young players to find the right balance.

"Work hard and have fun," he said. "Those are probably two of the most important things."