My Kind of Team, The Blackhawks Are

As the token Chicagoan on staff, I was asked to write a post about the winner of the Stanley Cup—the Blackhawks. My initial reaction:

Who’s this Stanley person and what’s so great about his cup?

So, I went to a source that I knew would provide me with all the information I would need, plus some bonus anecdotes for good measure. Ladies and gents, meet my brother.

When asked about the Blackhawks, Andrew first scoffed at my lack of hockey knowledge, but eventually forgot about it completely as he got caught up in the retelling of what turned out to be one of his favorite sports moments of all time. Little did I know, I was in for quite a story.

Game 6 found Andrew at a local bar filled to capacity with Blackhawks fans. Apparently, the Blackhawks hadn’t won the championship since 1961, so it was quite a big deal when they started to prove themselves worthy of the title this season. And this was it: the Blackhawks were 3-2 in the playoffs with the Philadelphia Flyers, and this game could win them the infamous Cup.

“We were all pretty confident we’d win since we were the most talented in the league,” Andrew boasted. “And game 6, the Hawks came out and played like they knew it, too.”

But somehow, the Flyers kept up with our ice heroes and the game went into overtime. The bar was sizzling with anxious energy as they all watched their beloved team fight to the very last minute.

“Patrick Kane scored the winning goal, but no one knew it at the time,” Andrew explained, excitedly.  “We were all waiting for like 2 minutes while they figured it out. And once they declared it a goal, everyone just went crazy!”

As the entire bar sang, “We Are the Champions,” providing the soundtrack to a beer shower of celebration, it seemed as if life couldn’t get any better. But, unbeknownst to Andrew, the party was just beginning.

A team filled with young players, the Blackhawks made the most of their win and took the celebration on the road. Hawk fans could follow the Cup on Twitter as the boys took it partying around town to various bars and clubs, and to other team events as well. Then, two days after the big win, an estimated 2 million people showed up for a parade honoring their favorite hockey team—and my brother was among them.

“It was absolutely crazy. People were just everywhere! But it was great because we were all cheering and yelling and…just celebrating. It felt like we all won.”

Andrew’s Facebook page is filled with videos and pictures from these various events, and he was more than happy to tell me every last detail of these momentous past few days. But with the excitement wearing down now, I wondered what made this win so great, since Andrew wasn’t a hockey fan in the past.

“It was the first big Chicago win that I could really be a part of,” he explained. “The Bulls won when I was too young, and then the Sox won when I was [away at school]. But this time, I was there for it all.”

There’s no doubt my brother will always remember this win, as will millions of other Hawks fans. But it’s always nice to have something to remember it by. Ice Jerseys is now offering official 2010 Stanley Cup Blackhawks gear—everything from shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and jerseys! In fact, the Blackhawks’ jersey was voted best in the NHL, so you’ll be stylin’ as you show off your bragging rights around town. Just be sure to stop by 58Coupons first to save even more with the latest Ice Jerseys coupons, discounts, and promo codes. Go Hawks, go!