Hard worker Keith counting his blessings

                                                                                                                                                                                                   
  • Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa  celebrates with Duncan Kieth, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd and Brent Seabrook after scoring his second goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunda.

    Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa celebrates with Duncan Kieth, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd and Brent Seabrook after scoring his second goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunda. Associated Press

 
 
Posted6/14/2010 12:01 AM

It's good to be Duncan Keith.

First he was rewarded with a 13-year, $72 million contract extension.

 

Next he won a gold medal at the Olympics.

Then he was voted a Norris Trophy finalist.

Last week he hoisted the Stanley Cup.

Not a bad season for the Blackhawks defenseman.

"For me, I try to work hard every year, and every season I want to get better," Keith said. "For whatever reason a lot of success came this year - with the Olympics, and being fortunate to be on that team, and then being on a great team here in Chicago.

"There's a lot of great players that play and have good careers, they're great players and warriors and don't win anything. I think a lot of it is just lucky and fortunate to be on good teams. Having said that it's been a great year and a lot of fun."

The fun continues Monday night when Keith, Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane take the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

by signing up you agree to our terms of service
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 

"It's just a pleasure to be on that show and bring the Cup there," Keith said. "To be one of the guys going on the show with the Cup is awesome."

Don't forget Dale: Chairman Rocky Wirtz once said if the Hawks won the Stanley Cup, ex-general manager Dale Tallon would get his name on it.

The Hawks can have up to 55 names engraved on the Cup, and there will be discussions about including Tallon, said GM Stan Bowman.

"I'm not sure how that's going to work out, but I'm certainly open to any of that stuff," Bowman said Saturday. "He's been a big part of it.

"I've had a couple chats with Dale. He's been with this organization for a long, long time and I think he can appreciate what it means to the city."

Closure for Seabrook: Defenseman Brent Seabrook has patched up his differences with former Hawks teammate James Wisniewski.

It was Anaheim's Wisniewski who gave his friend Seabrook a concussion with a hit to the head on March 17 that earned the Ducks' defenseman an eight-game suspension.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 

"I talked to Wiz before the playoff started," Seabrook said. "I wanted to talk to him about it. I understand the game happens quick and things out there happen fast. You make a split-second judgment and things can happen that quick.

"I don't think Wiz was trying to hurt me, but at the same time it was a bad hit and there's no room in the game for that.

"I think he understands that and he admitted he made a mistake. We talked it out and laughed a little bit and had some fun. It was a good conversation. He just texted me (Saturday) about winning the Cup, so that part's over."