Eight More Years!

Tommie Lee
Jul 9, 2014
4 min read

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Wednesday, Noon.

I leave work a little early for once and start contemplating my looming Blackhawks deadline. Not sure what to write.

I make a quick scan of my usual resources. Still no news on the Toews/Kane front, I think to myself. Not even a hint of when we could see it happen. That’s fine. I can be patient. We all know it’s going to happen, right? There’s no way we don’t sign 19 and 88 back up for a nice long stretch with the Indian on their chests.

So, what to write about? There were a couple of coaching changes I could talk about. Former Blackhawks goaltender Jimmy Waite has been hired as the new goalies coach. One of our alums is now minding the new generation of tendys. That’s sort of newsworthy. Even though he was in goal for us during a stretch for the team that was a bit lean on wins. Also…Assistant Coach Jamie Kompon left for the WHL. That’s newsworthy, too, I suppose.

Yep. I was bored just thinking about that article before it even existed. Don’t blame yourself, I said to myself. It’s July, I said to myself. Suffer the doldrums like a man.

Besides…there’s ALWAYS hope that today might finally be the day.

One hour later…

Lunch is sliced ham and pepper jack cheese, no bread. This is one of those “I’m in a hurry to eat so I can get to the keyboard” kind-of lunches we all know far too well when there’s work to be done.

A sound from my phone heralds the arrival of a new text. I tap the screen and see a tweet from the Blackhawks official account. It begins with those three magical words.

Eight More Years!

Both Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane agreed to earn less than the $12 million we were talking about last week. $84 million each, a $10.5 M cap hit each per year starting in the 2015-2016 season. We probably could have locked them up for less money, and both men could have easily gotten $12 million anywhere else. The impression we’re left with is that 19 and 88 did this because they are stand-up guys. The Captain and Kaner are the sort of players that bring to mind The Golden Jet and Stan Mikita. Guys who get it. Our kind of players. Guys who are the best there is at what they do, and are loyal to their franchise, their city, their teammates…and to their fans.

Is the deal too long? I don’t think so. These are guys who are still pretty young, top draft picks in 2006 and 2007. It locks them both up through the 2022-2023 season. I will turn 53 years old shortly after that season ends; assuming years of abuse haven’t shut my body down before that. A lot could change by then. Cell phone implants. Flying cars. I could sell another couple of hundred copies of my novels (probably not). The Vancouver Canucks could even become a real Hockey team again in the space of those eight years (again, probably not).

I think a lot of us anticipate that both players are only just now entering into the true strides of their careers. Heading into their 8th season together, they only barely missed the playoffs in their rookie campaign and have brought home two Stanley Cups home. Between the 560 assists between them, both are unselfish superstars who understand the importance of spreading the puck around.

The cost in the long run? This will likely be the last season with the true core of the team. Even though management seemed to put a protective shell over Patrick Sharp, we can expect a big move after the upcoming season. That could be Sharp’s time to find himself on another team, or maybe Brent Seabrook is that guy. The bench is too deep to not have a big name or two vanish on us in the coming year to help pay for Toews & Kane.

The Blackhawks are the odds-on favorites to win The Cup next season, mostly because they have an astounding stability with these two anchors. This is a league where so many rosters are filled with traveling mercenaries year after year that mostly result in early playoff exits. Chicago was on that same treadmill for a long time. Now, the Blackhawks find and cultivate their own talent. They create an environment where players like Toews and Kane can come into their own and develop something special. Having sat through so many seasons where Tony Amonte was the only guy I still recognized…it’s a wonderful thing to see.

As the deals were announced, Kane said “playing with the best organization in sports with the best fans in the game is a blessing.” Toews said that he “couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing moments and opportunities” the team has given him.

Neither could we, Captain.

Within hours of the news dropping, both of the hashtags #8MoreYears and #EightMoreYears were trending on Twitter — my new favorite hashtag.

Go Hawks.