It’s that time of year again for the Chicago Blackhawks.

If you are a Hawks fan you know exactly what I mean. This is the time of the year when the Circus comes into Chicago, forcing both the Bulls and Blackhawks to go on a 2-week road trip.

The Hawks go into their 2-week road trip confident after winning four straight games. They sit at the 3rd spot in their conference and 1st in their division.

For the most part the Hawks have avoided losing their top players for very long. Kris Versteeg didn’t play Sunday, but he is expected to practice Tuesday. Marian Hossa is practicing with the team, but isn’t due back til late November. Dave Bolland has recently undergone surgery and will miss 12-16 weeks. Finally, Adam Burish  is still expected to miss 6 months.

The Hawks have really nothing to worry about heading into this long road trip. They are playing their best hockey, scoring like maniacs, and their goaltender is making unbelievable saves. All those factors make this a road trip were I can see the Hawks winning 4, maybe 5, games out of the 6.

During the road trip the Hawks will play the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and the L.A. Kings in that order.

As the schedule shows the Hawks have some tough games, but they also have some easy match ups. Calgary, San Jose, and L.A. all post tough a tough challenge to the Hawks. Edmonton, Vancouver, and Anaheim are all struggling this year, and could be easy opponents for the much more balanced Hawks.

The Hawks play Thursday night in Calgary at 8:30pm cst. Get ready for some Hawks hockey!!

According to an article by the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Blackhawks are set to sign Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to new contracts. Both are restricted free agents at the end of this year.

The Hawks are also near an agreement with defender Duncan Keith.

This is fantastic news to all Hawk fans. There was a lot of speculation that some of the core players wouldn’t be signed due to salary cap problems.

“Our goal like I’ve said from the beginning is to keep the core of our team together, and they’re core players,” Bowman said before the season. “That’s the strength and the way you have to do it in the game today. Evaluate your players, determine who the core players are and keep that group together and fill in around them.”

Other Hawks who will become free agents are :Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Adam Burish, John Madden, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Antti Niemi, and Colin Fraser.

It was a happy return for the Hawks captain Jonathan Toews.

Toews scored his 2nd goal of the year, his first since missing two weeks from a concussion. Goals by Toews, Brouwer, Madden, and Ebbett helped the Hawks beat the LA Kings 4-1.

The win propelled the Hawks back into 1st place in the Central Division and 3rd in the Western Conference.

Toews’ return helped the offense regain it’s firepower. The team had been playing very sluggish the past few games without Toews, and this game showed how much Toew’s presence means to this team. Toews brings a much needed scoring ability to an already great scoring team.

Huet played another fantastic game. My hope in this guy rises every time I see him play. I think Huet might just be living to that contract the Hawks gave him. If he can continue playing like this, and with Hossa coming back, I see this Hawks team having really good chance at capturing a Stanley Cup Title

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the game Monday night, and let me tell you, it made my week a whole lot better. Seeing and hearing every Hawk fan cheering and going crazy after every single goal still pumps me up. The past two years I have a record of 8-0. I hope I don’t push my luck one day, but that won’t keep me from buying some more tickets this year.

Win or lose, going to a Hawks’ game is one of the most fun things I can think of doing.

The Hawks host Colorado Wednesday night at 7:30pm cst. It’s a chance to get some redemption after a devastating 3-4 loss to them in overtime in a game I thought the Hawks should have won.

It has been a long break for the Hawks, but you will finally get to watch them in action again Thursday night.

It is kind of a relief to finally be watching the Hawks again. Life is a little more dull when the Hawks aren’t playing. The way this season is going I don’t ever want it to stop as the Hawks are currently 3rd in the Western Conference with 17 points.

Phoenix is somewhat of a sleeper this year. After filing for bankruptcy and losing their coach, who just happened to be hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, they weren’t expected to put up points like they are this year.  Yet, Phoenix has 18 points in 14 games.

They are getting a lot of contribution fromm Shane Doen, who leads the team with 12 total points. Great goaltending from Ilya Bryzgalov has aided dramatically to this team prospering so early in the season. The 29-year old Russian is posting a a 1.78 GAA, 2nd in the NHL.

The Hawks do have their work cut out for them Thursday night, but there is some good news.

Captain Jonathan Toews practiced Wednesday for the first time in  2 weeks, but it’s not yet clear if he will be able to play Thursday. Nonetheless it’s great news for the Hawks and their fans. Toews was taken out of the game against Vancouver Oct. 21st after he was hit by defenseman Willie Mitchell.

It’s finally back to Hawks hockey after a  The Hawks play Thursday, November 5th, at 8pm cst.

Huet played yet another fantastic game, but the offense for the Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t produce anything Thursday night.

It was the first time the Hawks’ offense looked off key. The Hawks powerplay woes continue as they went 0-5 last night. The Hawks were unable to get anything setup during those powerplays, especially on a Nashville interference penalty  late in the 3rd period.

The lack of offense and not capitalizing on the powerplays lead to the Preds handing the Hawks their 4th loss of the season.

The Predators played an amazing game at home. They never let the Hawks get anything started offensively, and for that I give them a lot of credit. It hasn’t been a good start for the Preds this year, but they have now won 2 games in a row and are gathering some momentum and confidence.

The Hawks’ Jonathan Toews missed the game Thursday, and it looks like he will also miss tonights game against the Canadiens, but defender Brent Seabrook did play Thursday night. He recorded a little over 20 minutes of ice time and a 0+/- .

Huet was the man of the game for me. That is his 3rd straight game were he has just played phenomenally well. He is looking a lot faster going post to post, he looks much more in control, and he is finally making the huge saves. If he can keep playing like that the Hawks should have no problem this year staying in the top 3 in their conference.

The Hawks play again tonight in Chicago against the Montreal Canadiens at  7:30pm cst. Both teams are one of the original six teams, but this will be the only time these two play each other this year.

I was very fortunate to see the hockey team I love play at the United Center last Monday.  It’s always a great time at the UC (which is short for United Center). When the Hawks play the place is packed with red and white jerseys, and the occasional road team jersey.

Ten first thing you will get from going to a Hawks game is that the fans are crazy loud. The best part of any Hawks game is the National Anthem. During the Anthem the crowd cheers and claps and cheers and claps more. The last line is answered by a deafening scream.

It surely will make any first time goer feel the love and just pure adrenaline that a Hawks game gives to its fans.

While you might not like hockey, I suggest you at least see one at the UC. It could change your mind.

The Hawks are a franchise moving in the right direction, and one of the only sports teams in Chicago that can say that besides the Chicago Fire. This year the Hawks are already putting up huge numbers. They are first in their division and 3rd in the conference.

What you will find is a franchise that loves its fans. The management knew they needed to do something to make fans believe in them again, and with the signings of Kane, Toews, and other young guns, they have successfully done that. The Hawks have great leaders, something that is overlooked in sports.

The Hawks will continue to grow, and that’s why i suggest you check out Chicago’s best franchise. See you at the Hawks game!

This is the Cristobal Huet that fans had been hoping they would see. Huet had a spectacular night against the Predators. He had 27 saves and didn’t let one single puck go in the back of his net. Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd both had goals in the 2nd period.

It was a nice thing to see Huet play so well, but Huet always has good days. They just seem to be spread out. Huet’s problem is his lack of consistency. This game will sure make Huet look good, but it won’t completely destroy the criticism that he gets for under-performing. He still has a job to do, and that is to prove to the fans he can live up to the high expectations they have of him this year.

The Hawks played without their captain Jonathan Toews and top defender Brent Seabrook, which makes this victory evermore sweeter. This proves to me the Hawks can find ways to win without their top players. The Hawks, over the past two years, have been a very good offensive team, and while they will always have a person with the most points, they do a very good job with getting other players to contribute. The fact every player can contribute offensively is the main reason why a lot of people see them winning the Stanley Cup this year.

The win let the Hawks keep their 3rd place in the Western Conference. It’s still early, but there is already a tight race in the Western Conference. While I do expect the conference to thin out during the course of the season, it’s essential that the Hawks keep a good winning pace because you don’t want to fall to much behind. A lot of teams are off to a hot start, and it’s really nice to see the Hawks with that group.

The Hawks will play the Minnesota Wild this Monday at 7:00pm cst. Former Hawk Martin Havlat, is expected to play. Havlat netted 3 goals in just 2 games against the Hawks in the pre-season so it will be interesting seeing what goes down Monday night at the United Center.

Keep in touch with Midwest Sports Fans as I will be writing more stuff about the Blackhawks all season long.

During the 2-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the Hawks’ captain Jonathan Toews and defender Brent Seabrook were injured.

Both are on the injury report with upper body injuries, and the report says that they “PROGRESSED WELL OVERNIGHT, COULD PLAY SATURDAY.”

“Seabs and Johnny both presented well today,” Quenneville said after practice on Thursday. “They progressed well overnight, so it’s encouraging in those regards.”

This is great news for the Hawks. Toews and Seabrook are two very talented players, and the Hawks rely on their skill and presence on the ice.

The Hawks were plagued with dumb penalties, and a last minute defensive failure that lead to the winning goal.

“I have to get on that guy a little quicker [after the turnover] and shut down the play,” Campbell said. “Maybe you realize it’s three minutes left in a [tie] game and make sure you get pucks out of your zone.”

The Hawks fall to 5-3-1 and are now 3rd in the Western Conference. The Hawks’ next game is Saturday, October 24th at 7:30pm against the struggling Nashville Predators. Nashville are currently 14th in the conference with only 5 points.

Before 12 minutes had passed, the Hawks found themselves already down 0-5, as well as being booed by their fans. Huet had also been benched. It looked like we were seeing total beatdown,  but did that stop the Hawks?

Not one bit.

The Flames were shut out in the 2nd, 3rd, and OT.  John Madden scored late in the 1st. Kane, Big Buff, and Bolland all scored in the 2nd to cut the deficit to 1. Sharp’s goal in the 3rd tied it at 5-5, and Brent Seabrook’s OT goal, a goal that was scored in just 26 seconds,  clinched the win for the Hawks.

It was a record-tying comeback for the mighty Hawks.

It was a night to remember at the UC. The win had the fans estatic, the total opposite of what they were in the 1st period. Hugs were shared all around the Hawks’ bench. The players saluted the fans with their stick and were rewarded by screams so loud it seemed to shake the building.

It is now clear to me that Huet is not starting material, and may never live up to the money he is earning. The Hawks’ best bet is to start the youngter and less experienced Niemi. Niemi has looked sharp in his two appearances. I hope Quenneville agrees with me about letting Neimi start the next few games just to see how he does.

Offensively the Hawks have looked amazing, and I can’t wait to see how much better they will get once Hossa comes back from injury. This Hawks team is no underdog. They can skate with the big dogs now.

The season is looking bright for the Hawks. Lets hope they can keep it up. The Hawks’ next game will be at 7:30 at Chicago against the Edminton Oilers on Wednesday. It should be very interesting because the Oilers picked up Khabibulan.

The Blackhawks were able to get 3 out of 4 possible points this weekend against the Florida Panthers. The Hawks offense looked very sharp against a below average defense, totaling 88 shots on goal.

Antti Niemi surprised with his performance Saturday. Niemi started in net for the Hawks on Saturday, and stopped all 23 shots that came his way, ending in a 4-0 win for the Hawks. Niemi has been battling Corey Crawford for the backup goalie position, and with performances like that, he will be the backup for a long time.

Patrick Kane had a very productive weekend, scoring twice and also getting 2 assists. It’s nice to see Kane perform this well after he had an off-season that he would probably like to forget.

Dustin Byfuglien is reaping the benefits  of being moved up to the 1st line. Big Buff has 2 goals and 1 assist. This is the 2nd year that the Hawks have tried to get Buff more involved in the offense. It has worked so far.

While the Hawks impressed me this weekend, there were some problems I saw that hurt the Hawks.

Cristobal Huet played like I expected him to play: terribly. Huet started the first game, a 3-4 OT loss. The Hawks gave Huet the lead 3 times, but Huet let Florida come back. The Hawks have all the right parts to win the Stanley Cup, but Huet seems to be the only person in the way. The way Niemi played Saturday made me think he deserves the starting job.

Another problem was that the Hawks weren’t being physical enough. They weren’t pushing the Panthers players around, giving them an open passage to the net. This was a problem that the Hawks had last year, and I had hoped that they would fix it, but that doesn’t seem to have happened.

Other than that the Hawks two game series couldn’t have gone any better. The Hawks look like a fresh, young team that is ready to end the Cup drought.

The Hawks next game is Thursday October 8 at 6:30pm cst against rival Detroit. It’s a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Final series.

*UPDATE: The Hawks have assigned Corey Crawford to the The Rockford Hogs, the AHL affiliate of the Hawks.

Chicago Blackhawks fans can now rejoice, for the season opener is now finally here.

The long-awaited return of Chicago hockey is now over, and I couldn’t happier. This year has a Stanley Cup feeling to it as long as Huet plays sharp for most of the season.

The Hawks will play the Florida Panthers in Helsinki, Finland. Florida missed the playoffs last year, and it’s a franchise that is still trying to find its footing. The Hawks come in without forward Marian Hossa due to surgery on his rotator cuff in his shoulder and forward Adam Burish due to a ACL surgery.

But the Hawks have more than enough young talent to break the Stanley Cup drought.

The Hawks are lead by captain Jonathan Toews. Toews is one of the finest example of Tallon’s contribution to this team. Toews, in my opinion, better than pretty-faced Kane. Toews has matured into a seasoned player that has become a offense threat. His leadership abilities can be seen on the ice, and fellow players respect him. His leadership and talent will drive this young team to success for years to come.

I recommend you check out the Blackhawk’s season opener. Hockey is one of the fastest paced sports out there. With its big hits and jaw-dropping goals and passes, hockey can seam surreal.

The game starts today 11:00am CST and will be televised on Versus.

Hossa said the recovery was coming along well, and that he doesn’t have a different timetable other than what the doctors have said. Hossa is scheduled to miss two months of the regular season.

Hossa said it was his choice to have surgery because the pain was just getting to be too much. He also added that having surgery seemed like the “smart” thing to do, and that he is “happy with that decision.”

So far the recovery looks like it is going pretty well, and that Hossa should be back in the time they said he would be.

Losing Hossa to surgery could have a huge effect to the Hawks this year. They will need their young forwards to produce, and to keep them in the race early on.

The Hawks are currently in their pre-season. Opening game occurs this Friday October 2 at 11:00am cst in Switzerland. The Hawks will be facing off against the Florida Panthers that Friday and Saturday.

For more Blackhawk updates, including game analyses, injury updates, and more, keep checking here at Midwest Sports Fans.

Why you might ask?

Well this off-season the Hawks had told their fans that they had interest in re-signing forward, and points leader for the team, Martin Havlat. Havlat said he would love to stay in Chicago, and that Chicago was the only place he wanted to be.

As you might know, Havlat was released.

The Hawks signed Marian Hossa before Havlat was released, but fans knew once they signed Hossa, Havlat wouldn’t be returning.

Jump forward a couple of months.

Upon his return to Chicago, Havlat scored two goals. I don’t know what you think, but I think that’s a statement. Releasing Havlat was a cruel thing to do. After all, he was your season MVP. It was just the wrong thing to do. Havlat understandably probably wanted some renvege against his former team.

If I am the Hawks, I would watch out. This guy can hurt you from all angles of play. He was a valuable player to the Hawks, and now he might bite them in the butt.

The Hawks were one of the most talked about hockey team last year, and they proved they could compete against seasoned teams. The Hawks team was made of mostly young players who battled all the way to the Western Conference Finals only to lose to rival Detroit Red Wings. While the fans and the players were disappointed they didn’t make it the big game, it did show them that they can compete against the big dogs.

This year has the same amount of hype, only notched up to a whole different level. Fans know they can play for the Cup. Now they want to see them win the Cup. If there was a year for Chicago this is it. Salary cap problems will trouble the Hawks next year, which will for sure make the management cut some very good talent. With this problem looming just over the horizon, the Hawks have their best chance this year. It is all or nothing for the Chicago hockey team.

It wasn’t all good news this off-season. The Hawks lost two great and fan-loved players, Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin. Havlat was the top points leader for the Hawks last year, and Khabibulan was the Hawks first-string goaltender. Losing both your #1 goalie and scoring could be devastating for the Hawks.

Lets not forget that 2007 #1 draft pick Patrick Kane was arrested on robbery and assault charges last August. It was the type of news the Hawks did not want. While it didn’t end up to anything that serious, it was bad press nonetheless, and bad press is never good for a team.

The Hawks signed Marian Hossa to replace Havlat, but Hossa is injured and it’s not 100% known when he will be healthy enough to return. This has all the ingredients to backfire on the Hawks. The team is now relying on the young core to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive while Hossa is gone. Fans can only hope the Hawks don’t fall too behind the #8 spot in the Conference.

The Hawks will also have to rely on yet-proven goaltender Christobal Huet. Huet has been given a huge contract, but he did not live up to it last season making Hawk fans scratch their heads and thinking “Did we make a mistake?” Khabibulan was the better goalie last year, but with Huet’s contract being so high and because of the team already close to the salary cap, the management had no other choice but to release Khabibulan. So it’s Huet’s year whether fans like it or not. There is one good thing going foir Huet, and that is he played really well in the Conference Finals against the Wings.

Was that a sign of better things to come?

Lets hope so.

The full schedule is up on the Hawk’s website. Their first regular season game is on October 2. It will be unique because the Hawks will not in the United States or Canada, but in Finland. It will be the 1st out of 2 games played in Finland.

The Hawks said that they were aware of the shoulder injury before they signed him.

“Marian’s injury did not respond sufficiently to our non-operative treatment over the last three weeks so we have collectively decided today to go ahead with the surgery,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “Marian is a franchise player, and we want what is best for him and the Blackhawks long-term. This was a mutual decision and one we feel very confident is the right one.”

Hossa is expected to miss 4 months, which will shelve him for 2 months of the regular season. I can’t help to feel a little mad. We sign this guy to a huge contract, and give up our #1 leader in points, and the guy we get to replace him can’t even play the first 2 months.

Hawks trainer says that after the surgery Hossa will be 100 percent, and that this surgery will be better for Hossa long-term. I hope that is true. I want Hossa to be around and give the Hawks some really good years, but most importantly, aide them to wining a Stanley Cup.

I am sure that the young players on the Hawks will do fine without Hossa, but I can’t be totally sure. The Hawks did lose their best goalie, and our MVP this off-season. Two big losses that could hurt the Hawks even more now that Hossa will be gone for the first 2 months. Hawk’s fans will have to hope that the Hawks really don’t struggle so much early on.

Still I am still optimistic about this year for the Hawks. I really want to believe that Huet will have a more consistent year in the net. Speaking of goalies, the Hawks have not announced who the back-up goalie will be. They have signed Crawford and Niemi, but have not announced who will be behind Huet. I would like to see Crawford get the spot. He was supposed to be the next thing, and I really liked what I saw when they did play him. Niemi wasn’t bad, but he seemed slow form post to post, the same problem Huet has.

As big of a hit this is for the Hawks, I am confident we have the skill to tough it out, and to get back into the playoffs this year.