Ep. 102: Giving Thanks to the Blackhawks

On a special Thanksgiving Day edition, Pat Boyle and Slavko Bekovic give thanks for the last 11 seasons of Blackhawks hockey. From the way the city of Chicago embraced the franchise (7:00), to the evolution of Patrick Kane from 18-year-old talent to 30-year-old superstar (11:30), they touch on everything that has happened since the Blackhawks franchise was “rejuvenated and reinvigorated” in 2007. Blackhawks fans have been spoiled by success over the last 11 seasons and there is much to be thankful for! However, the Blackhawks success has also proven costly (3:30) in the salary cap era because winning Stanley Cups means you have to pay players, and that makes longevity difficult in today’s NHL. We asked the listeners of the Hawks Talk podcast to tell us what they were thankful for and the resounding response was the return of Corey Crawford (14:25). Other responses were the return of Jonathan Toews to top form (17:00), the prominsing start to Henri Jokiharju’s career (21:00), and the health of Eddie Olczyk (25:45) allowing him to return to the broadcast booth. As a bonus, Hawks fans are also thankful for the challenge the St. Louis Blues have had winning a Stanley Cup…but could there be a reunion with Joel Quenneville in St. Louis? The guys discuss the fit (23:30) and where Joel Quenneville might eventually end up.