My inside Blackhawks sorce claims Wiz (James Wisniewski) tore his ACL while training with a swiss medicine ball. He'll have immediate surgery, hopefully he'll be back in time for the opener. :-(

That hurts.
Hope he's fine for the beginning of the season.
Can't wait for the season to start, and glad there's at least one other Hawks fan here, even if he is a cub fan....

News that the Hawks will host the Red Wings at Wrigley on Jan 1st, in the annual outdoor game....Only curious why they chose Wrigley and not Soldier Field, which seats more people and have seemingly better sight lines for hockey.....just wondering...

Yes, huge Blackhawks fan here. My partner does PR/Marketing work for the Blackhawks. I went with him to quite a few home games this past season. During the season, many of them hang out at The Drawing Room on State Street (Le Passage).

Cubs fan, yes...but not a Sox hater as many Cubbies are. I actually like the Sox, unless they are playing the Cubs.

You are my hero!!
I'd love to get up there for a game, but it's hard for me to get away during hockey season...plus it's just too damn cold!
It's nice to be able to wear my Hawks jersey down here without getting laughed at!

I'm just guessing here - because I agree sightlines would be better at Soldier, but I recall from some interviews done with the NHL ice makers that they found it to be a real challenge to have the ice in decent condition on the crowned football field at Ralph Wilson Stadium within just 7-8 days after the last Bills home game. Areas that they had problems with the ice in the game at Buffalo were in the areas where the field below the ice began to slope down towards the sidelines as all football fields do for drainage purposes. They said if they had another week or so they may have been able to correct that problem.

The Bears have a home game on December 22 and again that would only leave 8-9 days to put in the rink. So I guess they figure with weeks to work on it they may be able to have better ice at Wrigley.

Having the game at Wrigley is not only bad because of the sight lines, but because they can sell fewer tickets by a wide margin. I'm going out on a limb early -- this game (is it official yet? I haven't seen anything) will be an afterthought compared to the game in Buffalo.

I don't disagree with you on that point....

I think having Sidney Crosby and the Penguins as an opponent in that game played a part in its success. The league would be wise to have either Crosby or Alex Ovechkin in the next one. They're not at the point where the New Year's game will sell itself on a national level.

But I think the fact that two larger TV markets are involved will help sell the game for NBC and the NHL. Remember the share of the TV ratings in Buffalo and Pittsburgh were something like 56% in Buffalo and close to 30% in Pittsburgh - both relatively small TV markets so huge local ratings like that would only add a tiny blip to the overall national ratings because of their small size.

With significant renewed interest in the Hawks - with many of their games even being carried locally in Chicagoland on WGN this year - interest in the Hawks will likely be the highest BY FAR in years in that very sizeable TV market. Plus they have some very exciting young stars of their own who should in short order start to rival the popularity of Crosby and Ovechkin - and the NHL (and NBC) should be doing everything they can to assist in that star making process.

Plus - both teams being original six teams they both have long time (and in some cases dormant) fans who are now scattered all over the US who may be energized by this outdoor at Wrigley match-up. I read somewhere during the Stanley Cup final this year that the Wings have more fans than any other US based team spread across the country.

I know somebody mentioned here earlier that it is a mistake to put the game on New Years day if Detroit is involved because it may conflict with a Michigan football bowl game - as this year's Buffalo - Pittsburgh game did. But I don't think the NHL or NBC should really worry about that. For one thing - it won't be Lloyd Carr's last game which helped spike local interest in Detroit last year - and I'm sure most Michigan fans are hoping that Michigan is not in a bowl game that takes place in the early afternoon eastern time on New Years day. I'm sure their preference would be a BCS game - which would not conflict with an afternoon game at Wrigley on New Years day. And also remember that many were quite surprised when locally the Red Wings - Penguins TV ratings topped the ratings for the Pistons - Celtics.

I know I for one will be watching if that game happens on New Years day - but I know I don't count because I'm in Canada..

It's official, just hasn't been announced publicaly yet. It will be announced to the public very soon.

How cool is that?

I like the Hawks. In my quest to get to every NHL arena someday, I saw two Hawks games at United Center in Dec. 2006. I love the respect for tradition and the up-and-coming talent the Black Hawks have.

I miss old Chicago Stadium, though. Of the old hockey "barns," it was my favorite.

Feb 19th. Blackhawks at Florida! We are SO there!
My partner, who HATES sports, was genuinely upset to find out that I would be wearing a Hawks jersey to that game! He actually likes hockey.....

(I do pull for the Panthers against every other NHL team....just not Chicago....)

Hey, are you guys looking for any (charming, witty, fun) new friends??? Hmmm??? Need some company at the New Year's Day game???

[I'm a Blackhawks fan from long ago, when i was in high school and growing up and have recently in the past couple years gotten back into being a fan, due in large part to Mr. McDonough. BTW, I hear that Toews lives in Roscoe Village...]

He does live in that part of town, as do several other Blackhawks. Some are in Wicker Park too. :-)

Have you seen the logo yet? I like it...