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The Best Team in Hockey: The Chicago Blackhawks

There’s just something about the red, white, and black on the Blackhawks jerseys that really draws you in. Maybe it’s the fact that it is clearly the best jersey in the world, let alone in the National Hockey League (according to a poll of NHL players). Maybe it’s the fact that they have been the most successful and dominant hockey team of the 2010′s, winning 3 Stanley Cup Championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Or maybe because the most electrifying hockey player on the planet, Patrick Kane (who just recently played his 1000th game in the National Hockey League) has his number 88 stitched to the back of that beautiful sweater. The point is that this team has been so important to me in my life, as well as the lives of most people from or living in the Chicago area, because of their success as a team and really just as a part of growing up in Chicago.

There is a lot of history behind the Blackhawks organization that makes it one of the most special and one of the most historic franchises in all of sports. When the National Hockey League first came to fruition, there were only 6 teams, and these teams were known as the “Original Six”. This group of teams consisted of the New York Rangers, the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Chicago Blackhawks. Being among the group of first National Hockey League teams automatically brings a ton of history to the franchise that other teams, other than the remaining 5 members of the “Original Six”, simply do not have. Not only does the team itself have a ton of history, but the Blackhawks have had a load of players that have gone down, or will go down, as all time great players that the National Hockey League has ever seen play the game. According to the National Hockey League’s website, which continually updates its “Top 100 Players of All Time” list, the list consists of former Blackhawks players Chris Chelios, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Denis Savard. All of these guys are historic players that suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks for the majority of their career, if not their whole career. Even better than having 6 former Blackhawks on the list, is having 3 current Blackhawks, that made the cut, with those guys being Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews. I obviously don’t have much memories of the 6 former players on the list, but I am extremely familiar with the 3 current players on the list, as they have had a huge effect on my life and are honestly extremely important to my childhood.

Duncan Keith has been the core of the Blackhawks defensemen since he first made the Blackhawks roster after being drafted by the team in June of 2002 (he was drafted less than a month after I was born, which I find absolutely crazy sometimes). When he first became a part of the Chicago Blackhawks organization, they were in a bad spot. They were not winning many games, they were going through a lot of changes when it comes to the management positions and the coaching staff, and they were starting to become a young team that really lacked experience. However, Duncan Keith was the first guy that was a part of that young group of guys that showed a ton of potential. He was the beginning of the dynasty that was the 2010′s Chicago Blackhawks, and it showed in being a key part of winning 3 Stanley Cup Championships, and 2 Norris Trophies, which show that he was the best defenseman in the league for two of his seasons in his career.

Patrick Kane is the most electric, fun to watch, skilled player that the Chicago Blackhawks have ever seen, as he rightfully obtained the nickname “Showtime” throughout his career in this organization. Drafted in 2007 with the first overall pick, everyone knew that he was going to be something special. I can still remember watching him skate all over the ice when I was 6 or 7 years old and just being astonished at how good he was, and how much better he was than almost everyone I have ever seen play the game of hockey. Not only is he known as probably the best Blackhawk to ever put on the red, white, and black jerseys, but he is also almost undoubtedly the best American born player that the league has ever seen. Hockey in Chicago was on a serious downward trajectory before Patrick Kane arrived, and it’s safe to say that he was the key in bringing the hockey fandom back into Chicago. Throughout his career, he has won 3 Stanley Cup Championships, as well as a Calder Trophy for being the best first year player, and a Hart Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the National Hockey League.

Jonathan Toews has been the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks since the start of the 2008 season. He was just 20 years old when he was named the captain of the team, and was the third youngest captain that the National Hockey League has ever had. The first memory that I have of Jonathan Toews, or “Captain Serious” as Chicagoans have grown to know him as, is looking at the Blackhawks calendar that showcased a different player on the team for each month. One might think that his name would be pronounced “Toes”, but quickly we learned that it was actually pronounced “Taves” (somehow). “Captain Serious” was my favorite player that the Blackhawks have ever had throughout my life, and he probably had the biggest impact on my life as a Blackhawks fan. Toews was the young guy, but he was also the leader of the team from the day that he stepped foot in that locker room. He was a no nonsense type of player and worked harder than anyone else when he was on the ice, but you could tell that he was a super fun, energetic, and positive guy off of the ice as well. Recently he has been away from the team and unable to play with an unknown illness, which is very scary. Everyone hopes that he can return to the team next year, healthy and ready to go. 

The Blackhawks have been a huge part of my life. Growing up in the Chicago area, sports were just always prevalent in that area, and throughout my whole life, the teams have been extremely successful, but none more than the Chicago Blackhawks. They have the most championships in the league in the 2010′s, proving that nobody could really compete with them as far as team success in the league goes. Also, the players on the team have formed such a connection with the city of Chicago and all of the Blackhawks fans, that we all feel like they are truly part of our city and our culture. People that are my age have grown up with the guys that are currently on the team, and it really feels like myself and my peers have been a part of the team ever since the first championship season in 2010. My life has been infinitely better as a Blackhawks fan, and I couldn't thank guys like Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews enough for helping with that, as well as every single player that was a part of the team since I've been a fan. Nothing else that I have ever encountered or that has been a part of my life has effected me like sports, and out of all the teams that I have been a fan of since I was born, the Blackhawks have been the most successful and the team that I felt the most connected to.