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Prospect Camp Wrap-Up: Wait Until Next Year
Jul 12th
Every year the draft occurs, people get jacked up about the new crop of hungry young pups, and talk turns to which of these sled dogs will be mushing with the team straight out of camp.
Settle down, people. This year’s draft picks still aren’t weaned yet…
Blackhawks Sign Stalberg: Are we happy about this?
Jul 11th
Photo: Mark Piscotty/Getty Images
On Sunday the Blackhawks announced that they had signed restricted free-agent winger Viktor Stalberg to a two-year contract worth a total of $1.75 million. Terms of the deal are believed to be $875K/year, though that has not been officially confirmed as yet.
Stalberg was one of three restricted free-agents still to be signed, and one of two that had filed for arbitration. The contract terms represent a raise of just $25K per year for Stalberg, likely a token amount so his agent could say that he got him something. The arbitration results were unlikely to get him much more.
So, okay, nice deal for the Blackhawks. Under $1 million was likely what they were shooting for, and they got that for two years instead of just one — which the arbitration award would have been had it gone to that stage. But Stalberg is another winger, one of 9 now under contract, and that assumes Patrick Sharp plays center and we don’t re-sign Michael Frolik. We’re overcrowded at this position: where does Viktor Stalberg fit in?
Prospect Camp Preview: Who’s The Next Star?
Jul 7th
The Chicago Blackhawks are holding their annual Prospect Camp starting today and running through Monday at Johnny’s Ice House West from 10am – 1:30pm (roughly). Sessions are open to the public, and I do suggest getting there somewhat early — seats are very limited, and they fill up quickly!
For those of you who are going to see any of the on-ice sessions this weekend, we thought we would put up a who-to-watch-out-for post here to give you at least some idea of who is likely to stand out.
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Free-Agent Signings: Now What?
Jul 6th
All right, here we are.
Stan Bowman made his free-agent moves early. His choices most likely knew exactly where they wanted to go and exactly what the Blackhawks would be offering (not that I’m suggesting Stan, or ANY of the NHL GM’s were tampering at all, noooooo…). Then Stan took the long weekend off. With the exception of Steven Stamkos, the big fish have all been caught and eaten.
The “Free-Agent Frenzy” is over. Now, the actual work begins.
Numbers Game: Newest Blackhawks’ Uniform Numbers
Jul 6th
Here’s a quick update for those of you who missed the announcement by the Blackhawks late Tuesday. The newest members of the Blackhawks have chosen their jersey numbers for the 2011-12 season.
What’s Next for Chris Campoli, Blackhawks?
Jul 5th
Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The shift in leverage for Chris Campoliwith the Chicago Blackhawks has been pretty dramatic in a little more than a week.
When Stan Bowman dealt Brian Campbell to Florida on draft night, it seemed Campoli had the ‘Hawks by the babymaker. No other defensemen within the organization to promote worthy of a second-pairing spot and, hell, none seemingly even ready to make the jump to the big club. It looked as if Campoli would be able to demand a significant raise and get it, given the lack of NHL-ready defensive depth.
Then came July 1, followed by a salary abitration filing Tuesday. With plenty of defensive personnel now signed, what’s next for the man whose nuts are surprisingly still attached after committing The Turnover in Game 7?
Honoring Norval Nelson, a True American Hero, on Independence Day
Jul 4th
Norval Nelson with Jim Cornelison (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Ciepley)
When fan of the site Jennifer Ciepley contacted me back in April about her husband’s 92-year-old grandfather, I was touched with a wonderful story about a man who is the true definition of an American hero.
Before Game 6 against the Vancouver Canucks, World War II veteran Norval Nelson stood next to Anthem singer Jim Cornelison as the crowd cheered every word. Jennifer gave me the story behind Mr. Nelson, and I felt the need to write a post detailing his experiences as one of the few surviving U.S. Navy divers during the D-Day invasion June 6, 1944.
Jennifer informed me through email Mr. Nelson died Saturday, surrounded by his three daughters after passing away peacefully in his sleep.
Mr. Nelson’s family likely won’t forget the night he was able to be honored by the Chicago Blackhawks’ wonderful tradition, and Jennifer wrote of how much fun Mr. Nelson had that evening.
Here’s to a true American hero. Thank you for everything, Mr. Nelson.
Have a fun and safe 4th, everyone.
They Signed WHO? What The… Why Did… JESUS!
Jul 2nd
Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images
I know that was my reaction, and based on his reputation and the proliferation of fight videos on YouTube, I expect a lot of you said pretty much the same thing.
Daniel Carcillo is now a Chicago Blackhawk. That’s going to take some getting used to.
Blackhawks Add Veterans: Sign F Jamal Mayers, F Andrew Brunette, D Sean O’Donnell to 1-year Deals
Jul 1st
You’ve got to hand it to Stan Bowman if you’re a fan of a veteran presence.
After rolling through a disappointing season with an extremely young roster, Bowman added Jamal Mayers (36), Sean O’Donnell (39) and Andrew Brunette (37) to go along with Steve Montador (31).
It’s quite obvious the Blackhawks are trying to balance out the locker room by adding tough, no-nonsense veterans to a roster which didn’t seem to understand the magnitude of their failures last season.
While Duncan Keith admitted packing it in and most others continued with their versions of, “We’ll be fine,” the team pretty much fell apart and nearly missed the playoffs, which would have given Chicago an increased suicide rate.
Now, with a locker room full of guys who likely won’t take much shit, there aren’t many excuses.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Blackhawks Free-Agent Targets
Jul 1st
Photo: Aerys Sports
Okay, this is it! Free agency starts at 11am Chicago time. Speculation is rampant as to who the Blackhawks will go after, so we thought we’d add to the prognosticating with a quick summary of who, why (or why not), and what the chances are.
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