Down Time? Not So Much.

Tommie Lee
Jan 16, 2015
2 min read

Greetings from The Madhouse on Edison, where an incredibly long week without a Blackhawks game is nearly complete.These ocassional long rests in the schedule are like a trap, waiting to snap around the ankles of a great hockey team and impede their progress. The teams see a little extra skating to stay frosty. They see a little extra contact in practice to keep their guard up. The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.

At least that’s what we, the fans, hope is going on as the Blackhawks prepare to take the ice Friday night for the first time since Sunday’s most recent taming of the Minnesota Wild.

The Hawks are home Friday against Winnipeg, something that didn’t work out so well right before Christmas. By the way: Is it just me or is Dustin Byfuglien WAY better as a Jet than he was in Chicago? And I really LIKED him in Chicago, too. I was proudly in that minority. Buffy is getting scary. Anyway…Sunday the team plays host to Dallas, and then the Insert Future City Here Coyotes come to the United Center on Tuesday.

After that, there’s a road game against those pesky Penguins, and then it’s All-Star time.

A smile-worthy number of Blackhawks, of course, will not be resting during the All-Star break. In the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game on the 24th. Five Blackhawks are headed to the game in Ohio. One of the two teams that will play, which has been called Team Toews, will be Captained by Jonathan Toews.

Hmmm. Did NOT see that coming.

Additionally, Team Foligno will feature Patrick Kane sporting an A on his sweater. Two Buffalo natives skating together to lead that team agaisnt Toews. Outside of the Captains and Assistant Captains, the lineups are a mystery until the the team leaders sit down for their draft Friday night. Toews’ Assistant Captains will be Rick Nash of the Rangers and Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks. The other A on Team Foligno, again…surprisingly Captained by a certain Nick Foligno who will be skating on his home ice in Columbus…will be worn by Drew Doughty of the Kings.

Coach Q was able to surprise Toews and Kane with the good news of their leadership designations on Wednesday before practice. Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford are also headed to the showcase on the 24th. It will be interesting to see if Captain Serious chooses any of them to be on his eponymous team.

Hey now. You’re an All-Star. Get your game on. Go play.

(Sorry about the earworm)

Go Hawks!