Dietz: Like all of us, Blackhawks are thankful for their blessings

With Thanksgiving upon us, I thought this would be a great time to let some Blackhawks tell us what they are most thankful for over the last year.

Many families carry out that tradition every year - gathering around the table and expressing gratitude for the things that brought smiles to their faces, or just made their lives happier.

But before we get to the players, here are three things I'm most thankful for in 2015.

1. Tops on the list has to be the news that the tumor doctors found during my wife's mammogram came back benign. It's the first time we've had to deal with something potentially serious, health-wise, and it was a huge relief when we received that news.

2. My wonderful parents and in-laws, for always being there for their kids (even as we've reached middle age) whenever there is a need. Never take a strong family unit for granted.

3. Finally, the opportunity to cover the Blackhawks full-time as well as their third Stanley Cup title in the last six years. The chance to provide stories and features about the city's most successful pro team is a dream come true.

Many of you may not know this, but I spent the majority of my 16 years at the Daily Herald designing sports pages, writing headlines and editing our writers' copy. While I've always wanted to write full-time, those years allowed me to learn from our incredibly talented reporters on a daily basis. I picked up so much from all of them - from Bruce Miles to Scot Gregor to Mike McGraw to Bob LeGere to Barry Rozner to Mike Imrem.

Of course, the biggest thanks must go to Tim Sassone and Mike Spellman, both of whom left us far too soon. Tim's passion for hockey and knowledge of the league came through every day, and the things I learned from him could fill a 100-page notebook. I know our readers and fans of the Hawks still miss him dearly.

Mike's versatility was second to none. As we shared the beat last year (Mike honestly doing 90 percent of the work), he did more than you can know in terms of guiding me around the locker room and making me feel comfortable in those first few months.

May God bless their souls.

That's all from me. What follows are some thoughts from the Hawks. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Scott Darling

"I have way too many things. Thankful to be on the team, thankful to be a Stanley Cup champion. Thankful for my health and happiness in Chicago. My girlfriend and I bought a house here and we're happy as can be living here. So it's been a great year for me personally. Thankful for a lot of things."

Corey Crawford

"I'm thankful for so much. Friends, family. The fact that we have a chance to play the sport we love and have people enjoy watching us so much."

Teuvo Teravainen

"The success we had with the team and going back home with the Cup to see all my friends and family and celebrate (with them). That was pretty awesome."

Marian Hossa

"Healthy family. I think that's the most important in my life."

Marko Dano

"There's a lot of things. Thankful for the opportunity with the Blackhawks. Thankful for my family. I have a 2-year-old sister. It was fun when I was back home (in Trenchin, Slovakia), hanging out with her. Thankful I could be with my family in the summer."

Trevor van Riemsdyk

"Good doctors. Over the past year, to have the support of my family like I did. It was obviously some tough times with all the injuries. (Thankful) to have my mom flying out to stay with me for a few weeks; my dad coming out as much as he could with work and whatnot. My brothers always reaching out to me and making sure I was all right. That's definitely what I'm most thankful for after the year I had."

Viktor Tikhonov

"My wife being able to deal with the (3-year-old) kid while I'm away and now with her being (six months) pregnant, it's tough. She always handles it like a champ. Even when I'm home she manages to give me some break time. Definitely thankful for her; just her being a mom."