On Thursday, after weeks of speculation, the Chicago Blackhawks finalized their new deals with young stars Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. In a previous era of Hawks hockey, these three guys likely would have been headed out of town a la Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour. Chicago puck fans should be thrilled that Rocky Wirtz is running things a little differently than his dad, the late Bill Wirtz.
Now, the Hawks need to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1961 in a hurry. With approximately $60 million committed to just 15 players for next season (the salary cap upper limit is not expected to rise much -- if at all -- past its current level), the 2010-11 Blackhawks will have a much different cast of supporting characters. In other words, in Chicago, the future is now ... right now.
Here are Five for Friday.
To read which potent team is better -- the Hawks or Pens -- as well as why the Red Wings could miss the playoffs, you must be an ESPN Insider.
E.J. Hradek
Senior Writer, ESPN The MagazineABOUT THIS BLOG
E.J. Hradek
E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.
In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.
Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.
