'Thank all of you for giving a Mutt a home': Hawks honor Shaw
When Andrew Shaw was selected with the 139th overall pick of the 2011 draft, few would have predicted the Belleville, Ontario native would have as big an impact as he did on the Blackhawks.
From big goals to big hits to blood-bathed fights Shaw did it all on the ice. Off it, he was as loud and brash as they come - never afraid to razz stars like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and many others.
Last season, after just 14 games, Shaw decided to hang up the skates forever because of yet another concussion. The Hawks honored "The Mutt", as he was affectionately known, before Thursday's game against Montreal at the United Center.
"He was such an effective player for us, so he's definitely deserving of this night," Kane said.
Shaw was greeted by a long, sustained standing ovation. A tribute video featured Shaw's game-winner against Boston in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final; his disallowed head butt goal against Anaheim in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals; his NHL debut in which he fought Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo; and a bloodied Shaw hoisting the Cup in 2013.
"I want to thank all of you for giving a Mutt a home - a small kid from Canada," Shaw said. "You made me feel welcome. You guys made my job that much more fun, so I want to thank you for that."
Shaw went on to thank the Canadiens, whom he played with for three seasons, as well as Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz and his family.
Kane said Shaw left "an amazing" imprint on the Hawks from 2011-16 and 2019-21.
"He came in right away, established himself as a depth player for us, a guy that can contribute and score goals," Kane said. "Was obviously scoring some huge goals in playoffs and became a fan favorite right away, too. He was always good with interacting with the fans and the best thing about him was he never really changed from the moment he came into the locker room.
"He was always having fun, excited to be around the guys, excited to be playing hockey, was just always that young, energetic kid.
"That's something you can take from him. No matter what's going on, he just always seemed to have fun when he was at the rink."