January 3, 2015: The Captain

And with the 3rd pick of the 2006 NHL draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select…

Those were some dark days for the Blackhawks.  They had missed the playoffs 7 out of the past 8 years, and that’s not counting the lockout year in 2004-2005.  Hockey in Chicago was in bad shape.  The attendance numbers were horrendous.  I remember going to a game back around 2001-2002, and you could hear the fans talking during the game; it was EMPTY!  In the 2006-2007 season, the Blackhawks averaged 12,727 for home games…  their lowest in 25 years.  Imagine that now?  How many of us were robbed of being bigger Blackhawk fans by William Wirtz putting the Hawks games on paid TV?  According to Dollar Bill, broadcasting home games on TV for free would be unfair to season ticket holders.  What a bastard.  The Hawks were named worst franchise in sports back in 2004.  It’s been quite a turnaround since then, and draft day in 2006 would prove to be a huge part of that.

It had been going the right direction through the previous years drafts, with Keith and Burish in 2002, Seabrook, Crawford, and Byfuglien in 2003, Bolland, Bickell, and Brouwer in 2004, and Hammer in 2005, but then came the Blackhawks best draft pick.  Ranked the 3rd best North American player available for this draft, he got drafted right where he was predicted.  Welcome to the Players Club Jonathan Toews.

Who passed him up?  The St. Louis Blues… thank you, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who did OK the year before by taking some kid named Crosby.  It was meant to be.  Toews didn’t play in that first season, but instead debuted in 2007, with our #1 pick that year, kid by the name of Kane.  This dual rookie debut coupled with the death of William Wirtz in September of 2007, was the birth of today’s Blackhawks.  Those Blackhawks that have been named the BEST franchise in ALL of sports.  Those Blackhawks that you can’t get a cheap ticket for.  Those Blackhawks who are a perennial playoff team, with 2 cups in the past 5 years to their credit.

Captain Serious as he is affectionately known, became the 3rd youngest captain in NHL history back in 2008, his 2nd year in the league.  GM at the time Dale Tallon had some pretty great foresight on that one.  Six years later, this guy has accomplished all anyone can wish to accomplish.  2 Stanley Cups, 2 Olympic gold medals, rookie of the year, Olympic forward of the year in 2014, playoff MVP in 2010, and multiple world junior championships.  Simply put, this guy is a winner, and boy am I glad he plays for us in Chicago.
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Looking up and down the Hawks roster nowadays, we’re loaded with talent.  Honestly, the Hawks could get past almost any injury.  The one guy that we could simply NOT afford to lose is Jonathan Toews.  No, not for his production on the ice, although he does put up the numbers.  It’s for his leadership.  He does not take that “C” on his sweater lightly.  He is a true captain in every sense of the word.  Even after all his accomplishments, he still remains grounded and focused.  He is the main reason why I don’t worry about the Blackhawks.  Honestly, we don’t have to worry until he retires.

He is one of the best two way players in the game in my opinion.  He does everything from scoring big goals to sacrificing his body, from being money in the shootouts to being a top penalty killer, from making sweet dishes to his talented teammates to even mixing it up a little… he does it all.  He does the big things, the little things… everything and anything that his team needs from him to win the game.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Are we possibly watching the greatest Blackhawk of all time?  There have been some great ones over the years, including the two individuals whose statues you see on Madison, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.  There are some great ones on this current Blackhawks team, the ones that have been here for the 2 most recent Cups and are still here.  However you feel on that subject, it’s hard to deny that right now, when we watch our Captain play, we are watching greatness.  We are experiencing a golden era of Blackhawks hockey led by Toews.  His #19 will be hanging in the rafters no doubt one day, along with probably a couple more Stanley Cup banners.  It’s those Stanley Cup banners, and how many of them he is a part of at the end of the day, that may rank him above all other Blackhawks when it’s said and done.  Winning championships is what legends do.

So we open the doors of the club to the first Blackhawk player, the best current Blackhawk player… the best current player on ANY Chicago team right now.  He will be “captain” of the current players inducted.  The humble, serious, leader by example winner from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is STILL only 26 years old.  He will be a Blackhawk for life, and for that, I am thankful.  We are lucky to have him, and as I say often, we should enjoy every minute of this ride.  We should enjoy every minute of Jonathan Toews.  There haven’t been many like him.  Thanks Toews-er, make yourself at home.