Ek's note: Zach comes to us with a wealth of knowledge in all things Hawks.
In 2017, he began covering the team as a host of The Windy City Benders Podcast. In the five years since its inception, he has talked with insiders, former players, and legends of the game, all helping provide a unique perspective into the “Second City” team. We are excited for him to bring his passion and insight to the HockeyBuzz community!
Hello HockeyBuzz and Hawks Nation. My name is Zach Jarom and I am super excited to be taking over as the Chicago Blackhawks Blogger. There have been some great writers great writers covering this team before me so I have some big shoes to fill but will give it my best shot.
A little bit about me, hockey has basically been in my DNA since birth. I have been on the ice since I was 3 and have been following this team as long as I can remember. Back in 2017 I started The Windy City Benders Podcast covering all things Blackhawks and other hockey news. In the 5 years of the show I have had the chance to talk with hockey insiders, former players, and hockey legends to get a unique look at the Hawks and hockey as a whole. I can’t wait to share my opinions and insights for what is going to be a very interesting few years for Chicago.
Thats enough about me, let's talk about the Hawks. We all know where this team stands as it just might be one of the worst kept secrets: Tank for Bedard. While that’s a conversation for another day, but for me there are a few interesting storying lines going into next season and one I don't think a lot of people thing about is how is the fan base going to react?
The way I see it the fan base is split into two groups. Group A, contains the fans that have been around for long period of time. They lived through the “dark ages” of bad hockey in the mid 90s/early 2000s and were their loyalty was rewarded with the dynasty years. Then you have Group B, the fans who discovered this team after the amazing Conference Final run in 2009 and fell in love with this team and sport.
For Group A we have already lived this story; we know the pain of bad hockey and an empty United Center. Even though it's going to be painful we know that once this team gets back on top it's just that much sweeter.
For Group B this is going to be the first time they will truly experience a team that is really bad. I know, this team hasn't been great since being swept by Nashville, but the last 6 years or so there has always been this false sense of hope that they can surprise teams, sneak into the playoffs, and go on a run. Now that Kyle Davidson has laid out the plan for a 3-5 year rebuild, will the “new” fans of this team stick around or will they bow out and check back in when things get better?
No doubt this is going to be a rough year for the Hawks, but let's look at the bright side, we are just 34 days away from regular season hockey once more and that much closer to hopefully landing Bedard.
If you want to check out The Windy City Benders Podcast you can find us on all podcast platforms and YouTube!
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