Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks Thread!!!!!!

[RedFlash]

I remember when the Blackhawks signed Niemi that a couple of fans who fancy themselves scouts were superexcited over on the Chicago Blackhawks official web site boards. I dismissed them (same as I did when they said Toews was more exciting to them than Kane).

 

Yeah I think hardcore fans were the only ones that saw Niemi coming. I read an article that was talking about how when Hawks scouts found him he was the backup goaltender on his Finnish team.

 

Don't forget Niemi was thisclose to signing with Detroit, before the Hawks signed him away.

[UMFan83]

LOL...did anyone else notice this? I saw this on the 300 level board and thought it was worth sharing

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFCkHc7Pos&feature=player_embedded#!

 

Check out Kane's goal celebration. He draws the shape of a heart with his hands, and then makes a stabbing motion right through the invisible heart. He does it not once, but twice in the video.

[17 Seconds]

LOL...did anyone else notice this? I saw this on the 300 level board and thought it was worth sharing

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFCkHc7Pos&feature=player_embedded#!

 

Check out Kane's goal celebration. He draws the shape of a heart with his hands, and then makes a stabbing motion right through the invisible heart. He does it not once, but twice in the video.

hmm

 

hmm, i guess thats what it could be. i was wondering wtf that was. the only thing i could think of was that it was supposed to be a swimming motion since they were moving onto to face the sharks, but i figured that was too lame/cheesy.

[Soul]

Man, I am in awe of Niemi right now. That was so much fun to watch.

[hawkeyecub]

So did the referee mistakenly send Versteeg to the box instead of Bolland or did Q somehow slip it past them?

[UMFan83]

Here's a random question for Hawks fans who are also Bulls fans. A friend asked me this and I did not hesitate in my answer. Which would you rather have happen, the Hawks win the Stanley Cup or the Bulls sign LeBron. You can't put a price on championships, without a doubt I'd take the Cup, even though signing LeBron would give me more long term enjoyment.

[seanimal]

Here's a random question for Hawks fans who are also Bulls fans. A friend asked me this and I did not hesitate in my answer. Which would you rather have happen, the Hawks win the Stanley Cup or the Bulls sign LeBron. You can't put a price on championships, without a doubt I'd take the Cup, even though signing LeBron would give me more long term enjoyment.

 

def hawks stanley cup, but i had to think about it. it came down to the fact that our sports teams win championships so infrequently, and the bulls have won most recently outside of that other team.

 

but i'll be disappointed if i don't get both.

[Magnetic Curses]

cup

[17 Seconds]

i'd definitely take the stanley cup, but i had to think about it for a second

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity, for those who chose the Cup, how much of that is due to the team not having won in almost 50 years? If the Hawks had won, say, 10 years ago, would your answer be any different?

[Flames24Rulz]

Here's a random question for Hawks fans who are also Bulls fans. A friend asked me this and I did not hesitate in my answer. Which would you rather have happen, the Hawks win the Stanley Cup or the Bulls sign LeBron. You can't put a price on championships, without a doubt I'd take the Cup, even though signing LeBron would give me more long term enjoyment.

 

Cup but that's really tough. I want both, damn it.

[Banedon]

Hockey newb question...are hockey contracts guaranteed like MLB, or can you cut your losses like the NFL?

[Soul]

So did the referee mistakenly send Versteeg to the box instead of Bolland or did Q somehow slip it past them?

 

According to this blog, the referee screwed up:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Referee-mix-up-keeps-Bolland-on-ice-for-Chicago-?urn=nhl,241322

 

The refs sucked that game. It resulted in 5 Hawks penalties vs. 0 for the Sharks. Now, I didn't watch every bit of action, but nobody's going to convince me that the Sharks played completely penalty-free.

 

So frankly, the Hawks were due to get *something* from these terrible refs. In fairness, I haven't heard a lot of complaining about it, but there definitely should not be.

[Derwood]

Cup vs. LBJ......does picking LBJ mean the Hawks can't win the cup next year (in this hypothetical)?

[jersey cubs fan]

Hockey newb question...are hockey contracts guaranteed like MLB, or can you cut your losses like the NFL?

 

They are, for the most part, guaranteed. However, there is some sort of mechanism where teams can negotiate out of a longer term deal, maybe paying something like 50% of the remaining. I'm not sure of the details, but I think it's more like baseball but not as stringent.

[shnsajax]

Just out of curiosity, for those who chose the Cup, how much of that is due to the team not having won in almost 50 years? If the Hawks had won, say, 10 years ago, would your answer be any different?

 

Cup just because I prefer NHL over NBA.

[Banedon]

Hockey newb question...are hockey contracts guaranteed like MLB, or can you cut your losses like the NFL?

 

They are, for the most part, guaranteed. However, there is some sort of mechanism where teams can negotiate out of a longer term deal, maybe paying something like 50% of the remaining. I'm not sure of the details, but I think it's more like baseball but not as stringent.

 

Thanks. Just wondered since, from what I've read, Chicago has some payroll issues to deal with this summer.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Hockey newb question...are hockey contracts guaranteed like MLB, or can you cut your losses like the NFL?

 

You can buyout a player by giving him 2/3rds of the remaining money on his contract. That money counts against your cap space, spread out over twice as many years as he would have had on his contract if you hadn't bought him out.

 

For example, Huet has two years left at about $5.625 million each. I think it's very likely they will buy him out this offseason (they'll try to trade him first, but the end of the season killed any chance of that). So they'll take the $11.25 million he's due and get a 33% discount, so they pay him $7.5 million. That $7.5 million will count against the cap spread out over four years, at $1.75 million per season.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Thanks. Just wondered since, from what I've read, Chicago has some payroll issues to deal with this summer.

 

I outlined them earlier in the thread but goofed up because I was counting guys like Kane and Toews at this year's cap numbers and not next year's.

 

They are more or less at next year's cap right now with seven or eight guys to resign. Sopel and Huet are goners, and probably one of either Versteeg, Sharp or Byfuglien (I'd prefer to move Byfuglien, but we'll see what the offers are).

[jersey cubs fan]

Thanks. Just wondered since, from what I've read, Chicago has some payroll issues to deal with this summer.

 

I outlined them earlier in the thread but goofed up because I was counting guys like Kane and Toews at this year's cap numbers and not next year's.

 

They are more or less at next year's cap right now with seven or eight guys to resign. Sopel and Huet are goners, and probably one of either Versteeg, Sharp or Byfuglien (I'd prefer to move Byfuglien, but we'll see what the offers are).

 

I think they'd be wise to trade Sharp and Buff.

[Banedon]

Huet was specifically who I was thinking of when I was wondering about that. But then they have to sign another back up goaltender...

 

The Hawks definitely have some big contracts to work around.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'd really hate to lose Sharp, but he's probably the one of the tradeables that you can definitely get a good return for.

[bukie]

Is Crawford still on the books for next season, or is he a FA as well?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Is Crawford still on the books for next season, or is he a FA as well?

 

He's signed for $750,000 for next season, but that doesn't count against the cap unless he's on the team.

[jersey cubs fan]

What a terrible line from the Tribune.

 

Fins typically help Sharks move forward, but there was Niemi stopping momentum by snuffing a San Jose power play from his back with 4 minutes