Brian Morefield
I remember it as if it happened yesterday. Sitting at a bar in downtown Naperville, donning my Corey Crawford jersey with a Bud Light in hand, I watched in horror as an Alec Martinez goal off of a Nick Leddy deflection led to a game seven defeat that eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Sitting in stunned silence, I simply did not want to comprehend that the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that has brought me an immeasurable amount of happiness over the past few years, could lose like that and make me wait another four months to see them take the ice.
I waited quite impatiently as the summer dragged on with disappointment after disappointment in Chicago sports. We had the White Sox, who showed some promise with Jose Abreu early in the season, only to see them end towards the bottom of the American League standings. Then there was the Chicago Cubs…let’s not even try to go there.
I heard countless experts talk about how the Chicago Bears were going to be favorites to win the Super Bowl and that Jay Cutler was going to be an MVP candidate. After an abysmal 3-5 start, my hopes for any success from the Bears have been greatly diminished.
With all of that being said, the Chicago Blackhawks have once again taken the ice and I could not be more ecstatic. After signing Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to lucrative contracts that will keep them in a Hawks jersey for my entire twenties, I believe it is safe to say they will be highly competitive for many years.
So with all of the disappointment going on with Chicago sports, it is time to get a little satisfaction with the Chicago Blackhawks. Hopefully this summer when I am wearing my Crawford jersey at a bar drinking a Bud Light, it’ll be a celebratory drink as the Hawks once again hold the Stanley Cup Trophy.