Hockey love

I have become a rabid hockey fan, and specifically a Blackhawks fan, in the last three weeks. I am ashamed to admit that I am a band-wagon jumper, as I am far too educated in sports to just jump on board like this. I am ashamed, but not too ashamed, because I have to tell you, it's a ridiculous amount of fun to watch the Blackhawks' playoff games.

I will admit that I have always loved hockey. There were actually quite a few Saturday afternoons in high school when I would turn on a hockey game and watch just because I thought it was entertaining. I also went to quite a few late-night games at my small Michigan college (lots of Canadians in our midst). What's not to love? Fast skating (which I could not do if I tried, ever, even with hours and hours of practice), a tiny, fast-moving puck (thank goodness they've gotten rid of the "tracking" beam that would follow the puck around the ice so you could see where it was going--an example of technology being used only for the sake of technology!), and lots of guys slamming into each other on the ice. It's SOOO fast-moving, you can score two goals in less than a minute and completely change the game just that quick. Also, in a very weird way, it's probably the most honorable of the sports. If an opposing team hurts one of your players, there are actual players designated as the revenge players, the players put on the ice specifically to return the favor. It's kind of like a war with rules. And handshakes after the series is over in a gesture of respect for a job well done on both sides.

Anyway, the Blackhawks are in the Western Conference Finals. Which is a huge deal for a number of reasons. First and foremost, because they haven't been to the conference finals since 1995. Which was a long time ago...I was still in high school. Secondly, because the Blackhawks are part of the "'Original Six" in hockey, part of the founding teams of the National Hockey League (originally 10 teams, but then during one of the World Wars, got reduced to just six). The six teams are the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins (I think I'm remembering that correctly, but if I'm wrong, know that I just rattled that off the top of my head from earlier Wikipedia research, so I might have misremembered!). One of the best thing about all of the Chicago professional sports teams is their long and storied histories, we've been around since the beginning of all the sports teams...we've always been a sports town. Thirdly, because our team is young. YOUNG, young. Our captain is 21 years old. The guy who got three goals (a hat trick) in the final game of the semifinals for the Hawks is 20 years old. YOUNG. And they're playing pretty well against the more experienced and mature teams in the playoffs. Mostly because they're feisty. It might haunt them in the end, that they're not as disciplined and more impulsive, but it has done well for them so far. Fourthly, because until two or three years ago, the team was owned by an owner who refused to allow Blackhawks home games to be televised so that people would come to the games. This long-time policy, along with many other detrimental policies that this particular owner instituted, meant that people became disinterested with the team, and therefore the game, and the Blackhawks became irrelevant until Mr. Wirtz died, and his son came back to take over the team and went about changing all of his dad's beloved policies so that people would come back to the team. Which they did. And from the management on down, this Blackhawks team is a new team. With passion and excitement. And the United Center has become the loudest stadium in the NHL. How cool is that? They play an instrumental chorus from The Fratelli's "Chelsea Dagger" after each goal (also featured in an Amsterdam-based Amstel Light commercial), you should look it up or just watch the Hawks game once to hear people singing along after they score! I find myself singing it throughout the day for no apparent reason...very catchy!

Finally, the Blackhawks are playing the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals starting this weekend. In addition to being two of the original six (I'm watching a third team from the Six fighting for it's playoff life right now as I type, the Boston Bruins are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes 2-2 in the 3rd period), the Red Wings have won the championship, the Stanley Cup, 3 of the last 4 years. So we're going up against the big guns for the conference finals. It's so exciting that you can't help but be excited about it, if you know anything about sports or hockey in Chicago (or in Michigan, my sister doesn't watch sports ever and is justifiably impressed that these two teams will play each other, and she'll be watching just like me!). I've just watched a lot of Blackhawks playoff games in the previous two rounds of the playoffs, but I can't get enough. It's fun to have something to cheer for in Chicago sports that's fast moving and exciting. I watched the Bulls until they lost in the playoffs, now the other United Center team is capturing my attention. And I hope that they distract me for a long time from the horrendously boring baseball season of summer, as the further they go, the more exciting it will be for this young team and this championship-hungry city. GO HAWKS!