Anyone else confused by TB’s cap situation? It seems like they always find a way to re-sign important players without having to purge anyone off the roster due to cap constraints. Next season (‘19-‘20) they’re adding an additional $7M in salary with the Kucherov and McDonagh extensions, and will be needing to re-sign Point, Gourde, and possibly even Stralman. The following year they’ll need to re-sign Vasilevskiy and Sergachev.

And I’m sure that somehow they’re still in on Karlsson as well.

I’m sure they’ll find a way to move Johnson or Palat, and they’ve got ample talent, but it’s just fascinating to see how they continue to manage their cap space. They love locking in their players to long-term deals.
- TommyHawk

Yea, StanBow!!!

Anyone else confused by TB’s cap situation? It seems like they always find a way to re-sign important players without having to purge anyone off the roster due to cap constraints. Next season (‘19-‘20) they’re adding an additional $7M in salary with the Kucherov and McDonagh extensions, and will be needing to re-sign Point, Gourde, and possibly even Stralman. The following year they’ll need to re-sign Vasilevskiy and Sergachev.

And I’m sure that somehow they’re still in on Karlsson as well.

I’m sure they’ll find a way to move Johnson or Palat, and they’ve got ample talent, but it’s just fascinating to see how they continue to manage their cap space. They love locking in their players to long-term deals.
- TommyHawk

4.6 total in G, that helps

https://nhl.bamcontent.co...8534/binary-file/file.pdf

One thing to note about the Blackhawks prospect camp later this month is that none of the attendees are from Chicago or suburbs. Generally not a big deal but it is noticeably different from prior years when there were a handful of local kids invited to camp.

It's also great to see 3 NCAA goalies as invitees. There's a 4th university goalie from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Born in 1961, grew up in Park Ridge. Played travel team for the Park Ridge Hornets, and won IL State Championships my first 6 years (2 Mite, 2 Squirt, 2 Pee Wee). Switched to goalie as a Pee Wee. Played against Bobby Hull Jr. who was with the Elmhurst Huskies. My 2nd Bantam year we won IL and went to the USA Nationals in Rhode Island and finished tied for 3rd.

Attended the Olympic Development Camp in 1979 in Colorado Springs. Walked-on at UIC and got a puck in the eye during winter break of my Soph year (those old flush fitting masks). Torn iris and vision problems ended my career. Reffed and coached for a while, Dad was involved with the Park Ridge program for many years, and a good friend of his, Jim Smith, is now the President of USA Hockey.

Grew up with a rink in the backyard, watching the Bobby/Stan Blackhawks. Parents had season tix 15 rows up on the blue line at the end the Hawks attacked twice. I got to go once or twice a year. Mom and Dad were in attendance when Espo let in the shot from outside the blue line to blow Game 7 against Montreal.

Anyone else confused by TB’s cap situation? It seems like they always find a way to re-sign important players without having to purge anyone off the roster due to cap constraints. Next season (‘19-‘20) they’re adding an additional $7M in salary with the Kucherov and McDonagh extensions, and will be needing to re-sign Point, Gourde, and possibly even Stralman. The following year they’ll need to re-sign Vasilevskiy and Sergachev.

And I’m sure that somehow they’re still in on Karlsson as well.

I’m sure they’ll find a way to move Johnson or Palat, and they’ve got ample talent, but it’s just fascinating to see how they continue to manage their cap space. They love locking in their players to long-term deals.
- TommyHawk

I get what you are saying, but they are in for some hurt starting '19-20 (unless they can keep filling a quarter of the roster with ELC players). They currently only have 12 players under contract and about $13M available. I'm impressed with their handling of the goalies. Total cap hit of about $5M. I doubt that is sustainable, but they have it now.

I played for the Naperville Sabres
- HawkintheD

Guess it is my turn to chime in. I highlighted your post cuz I love to show people I take to arenas from the NHL down to Midgets when I see the beautiful Sabres jersey around that I played against these same Sabres in the early 70's and they are still around and believe they still play in the same arena. Same with the Elmhurst Huskies Black and Red, St Jude (Chelios) and TI which was the Chicago Saints (Edzo). These organIzations I'm proud to point out have been around nearing 50 yrs and have stood the test of time. I think the Franklin Park Jets are still around too.

Love this topic and reading the diversity of fans from all over the globe. Really hits home on how storied the Hawks are and highlights how really it is the fan that makes or breaks a franchise and is the "culture" of a club.

Also find it interesting how technology has a huge hand in the younger fans coming to the sport. I grew up with pong as advanced technology but the younger fans grew up with EA sports and it literally brought fans to the sport as well as an internet connection. Something I hadn't thought of until reading the stories.

Grew up in the south suburbs in the late 60's and 70's back when we had 4 seasons and no technology to keep us in the house. Baseball was God but as the calendar moved along we all went from playing one sport to the next both organized and with the kids in the hood in the street, parks, creeks, basements, fields, anywhere all the time all day long, every yr. Sports were everything, there was nothing else.

Of course even house hockey was expensive for a blue collar family. My old man never played a sport, didn't have brothers but I loved all 4 major sports, plus bowling, and played them all organized. Told the my pops I wanted to play hockey as a 5 yr old. He knew nothing about it but got me double runners and said show me you can skate and we'll find a team. Grew out of the double runners in a week down at the park and was set.

At 6 took me to Oak Lawn, it didn't have a roof back then and was not regulation length, to sign me up. They had a team, the Leafs, that needed a goalie and would I do it? Pops looked at me and I said sure and have been a goalie ever since.

Next yr moved to the Bridgeview Ice Lodge, soon after became Saints Spectrum, and played house for the Hornets. My pops was getting calls from travel teams to be their goalie. Moved on to the Cheyennes (a middle of the road organIzation) out of Willow Springs, great arena, at 9 and started my "career" playing AAA travel with doctors and lawyers' kids for the most part which lasted until I was 16 when I found Mad Dog 20/20 more appealing than anything but baseball.

Had no idea at the time was playing against Chelios and Olczyk (you must have too D as the Sabres were solid) but they were the best to come out of our area in that era when very very few played organized hockey.

But it was a different time without cable tv or the internet or a 12 yr old forced to specialize in one sport to play at the highest level. Rare was the Saturday and Sunday that I didn't have a hockey game in the morning, a football game or bowling in the afternoon and maybe another hockey game at night (many times the goalie up a level didn't show and I'd play up a level). Rare not to play 2 sports in one day and almost common to play 3 games in a day.

A great time to grow up as a white kid. An uncomplicated innocent time that the greatest memories as a family were made around sports.

Didn't really have the time or the family the money to get to major league sports but of course was a Hawks fan. Espo and Pit Martin were my guys and loved Korab cuz of his nickname, King Kong. That said for some reason I was always a fan of a sport before any jersey so I have vivid memories of Game of the Week on channel 5 with Peter Puck giving tips on the sport the times when I wasn't playing some sport that day. Flyers were my #2 team cuz of Bernie Parent and loved the Sabres too with their high wire style even though I didn't know what the hell I was looking at.

Remember well running up and down Archer Ave when I bought a house in Chicago to find a bar that was televising Hawk home games on the huge satellite dishes on the roofs. Remember the few times I got to the old stadium in the 2nd level. It was truly deafening, it would literally sway, weed could easily be smelled, looking down thru a thick haze of smoke to see the ice, fights in the stands, the yellow jackets were mean SOB, my shoes sticking to the stale beer on the floor that was never cleaned....... Win lose or draw one could not ever forget that arena, experience and era.

Walked-on at UIC and got a puck in the eye during winter break of my Soph year (those old flush fitting masks). .
- scottak

Nasty injury, hope you've recovered... Can't talk about the good old days without talking about the UIC hockey program before they canned it to put the money into the hoops program. Complete failure as the hoops program still sucks.

My eventual wife was a 30 yr old student at UIC and we'd go to a game for 3 bucks and zero to park. Powerhouse teams like LSSU (when they had a string of national championships), MI, MSU, Bowling Green would come thru.

IMO if that program was still around hockey would be even bigger in the area. A real shame it is not as it was high level hockey that was cheaply attended.

I became a Hawks fan at a very young age. My dad was a hockey player in the Chicago area and instilled the same love for the sport in me. I was on the ice skating at age 2 and loved it. Born in 89' I was catching the Hawks at a great time. I used to rush home on game days and be excited to wait for my dad to get home from work and listen on the radio to home games and be ecstatic for the road telecasts on sports channel. I went to the Chicago Stadium at age 3 and hid under my seat the whole anthem because of the noise. But once the anthem was over and I settled in my seat, I officially became obsessed with the Hawks and the sport. Roenick, Goulet, Savard etc. took up my bedroom walls. Then ame truly my favorite player to ever wear a Hawks sweater when Amonte was acquired from the Rangers. The way he played the game was electrifying. From the four goal playoff performance to the many hat tricks, Amonte did no wrong in my eyes. My dad bought me the black Amonte alternate Koho sweater for my birthday and some of my best memories watching the hawks was in that jersey. I always wanted 10 for youth teams but my one teammate had always had it so I wore 11 for a bit. Another Amonte number when he went to Philly.
When i started high school at Loyola Academy, I had to choose what would be my number for the next four years. A lot of different numbers were available, but one stuck out and that was 26. Steve Sullivan during his tenure with the Hawks was another guy that played the game with blazing speed and incredible skill. I remember going to a Sunday afternoon tilt against Boston for ST. Pats day hat giveaway and he and Eric Daze both buried three. My dad said it was Wirtz's way of getting the hats back and re giving them away to save cash. I would wear 26 through high school and into college. When we were juniors at Loyola, we would be done with our practice around 5:30 on weeknights with Loyola Gold. We used to hop in a teammates car and head to the UC to use our student ID's and get 8 dollar tix for the 300 level. We would do that once a week and even though the Hawks were garbage, the local hockey players still found so much enjoyment from heading down to he UC for the games.
I'm truly thankful that I have gotten to see three cups and to celebrate all three legally!

Guess it is my turn to chime in. I highlighted your post cuz I love to show people I take to arenas from the NHL down to Midgets when I see the beautiful Sabres jersey around that I played against these same Sabres in the early 70's and they are still around and believe they still play in the same arena. Same with the Elmhurst Huskies Black and Red, St Jude (Chelios) and TI which was the Chicago Saints (Edzo). These organIzations I'm proud to point out have been around nearing 50 yrs and have stood the test of time. I think the Franklin Park Jets are still around too.

Love this topic and reading the diversity of fans from all over the globe. Really hits home on how storied the Hawks are and highlights how really it is the fan that makes or breaks a franchise and is the "culture" of a club.

Also find it interesting how technology has a huge hand in the younger fans coming to the sport. I grew up with pong as advanced technology but the younger fans grew up with EA sports and it literally brought fans to the sport as well as an internet connection. Something I hadn't thought of until reading the stories.

Grew up in the south suburbs in the late 60's and 70's back when we had 4 seasons and no technology to keep us in the house. Baseball was God but as the calendar moved along we all went from playing one sport to the next both organized and with the kids in the hood in the street, parks, creeks, basements, fields, anywhere all the time all day long, every yr. Sports were everything, there was nothing else.

Of course even house hockey was expensive for a blue collar family. My old man never played a sport, didn't have brothers but I loved all 4 major sports, plus bowling, and played them all organized. Told the my pops I wanted to play hockey as a 5 yr old. He knew nothing about it but got me double runners and said show me you can skate and we'll find a team. Grew out of the double runners in a week down at the park and was set.

At 6 took me to Oak Lawn, it didn't have a roof back then and was not regulation length, to sign me up. They had a team, the Leafs, that needed a goalie and would I do it? Pops looked at me and I said sure and have been a goalie ever since.

Next yr moved to the Bridgeview Ice Lodge, soon after became Saints Spectrum, and played house for the Hornets. My pops was getting calls from travel teams to be their goalie. Moved on to the Cheyennes (a middle of the road organIzation) out of Willow Springs, great arena, at 9 and started my "career" playing AAA travel with doctors and lawyers' kids for the most part which lasted until I was 16 when I found Mad Dog 20/20 more appealing than anything but baseball.

Had no idea at the time was playing against Chelios and Olczyk (you must have too D as the Sabres were solid) but they were the best to come out of our area in that era when very very few played organized hockey.

But it was a different time without cable tv or the internet or a 12 yr old forced to specialize in one sport to play at the highest level. Rare was the Saturday and Sunday that I didn't have a hockey game in the morning, a football game or bowling in the afternoon and maybe another hockey game at night (many times the goalie up a level didn't show and I'd play up a level). Rare not to play 2 sports in one day and almost common to play 3 games in a day.

A great time to grow up as a white kid. An uncomplicated innocent time that the greatest memories as a family were made around sports.

Didn't really have the time or the family the money to get to major league sports but of course was a Hawks fan. Espo and Pit Martin were my guys and loved Korab cuz of his nickname, King Kong. That said for some reason I was always a fan of a sport before any jersey so I have vivid memories of Game of the Week on channel 5 with Peter Puck giving tips on the sport the times when I wasn't playing some sport that day. Flyers were my #2 team cuz of Bernie Parent and loved the Sabres too with their high wire style even though I didn't know what the hell I was looking at.

Remember well running up and down Archer Ave when I bought a house in Chicago to find a bar that was televising Hawk home games on the huge satellite dishes on the roofs. Remember the few times I got to the old stadium in the 2nd level. It was truly deafening, it would literally sway, weed could easily be smelled, looking down thru a thick haze of smoke to see the ice, fights in the stands, the yellow jackets were mean SOB, my shoes sticking to the stale beer on the floor that was never cleaned....... Win lose or draw one could not ever forget that arena, experience and era.
- Mr Ricochet

If you remember, the Zamboni was parked in the Northwest corner of the building in the hallway. And across from it was a small office room which was the security office. I used to exit the building in that corner and rarely was there not a yellow jacket soaking his hand in a bucket of ice. If you wanted to drink too much and be a hard guy the Stadium was not the place to do it.

Nasty injury, hope you've recovered... Can't talk about the good old days without talking about the UIC hockey program before they canned it to put the money into the hoops program. Complete failure as the hoops program still sucks.

My eventual wife was a 30 yr old student at UIC and we'd go to a game for 3 bucks and zero to park. Powerhouse teams like LSSU (when they had a string of national championships), MI, MSU, Bowling Green would come thru.

IMO if that program was still around hockey would be even bigger in the area. A real shame it is not as it was high level hockey that was cheaply attended.
- Mr Ricochet

Agree with that statement. Always wished UIC hadn't lost its hockey program.

Do you know of any notable UIC Flames who played in the NHL, even if just a brief stint?

Nasty injury, hope you've recovered... Can't talk about the good old days without talking about the UIC hockey program before they canned it to put the money into the hoops program. Complete failure as the hoops program still sucks.

My eventual wife was a 30 yr old student at UIC and we'd go to a game for 3 bucks and zero to park. Powerhouse teams like LSSU (when they had a string of national championships), MI, MSU, Bowling Green would come thru.

IMO if that program was still around hockey would be even bigger in the area. A real shame it is not as it was high level hockey that was cheaply attended.
- Mr Ricochet

Thanks, had surgery a few yers back, and it's almost 20/20 now. I was at UIC when we were transitioning from D2 to D1. Most of the team was from British Columbia.

Reading everyone's stories have been great to also see that many have roller hockey as part of their experience. Due to lack of ice rinks and resources growing up, I self taught myself how to skate and play hockey through roller blades. The transition to ice skates and ice hockey was seamless once I got to college.

I know the transition isn't as easy for some, and others have said going from ice skates to roller blades isn't easy either, so I feel lucky in that regard especially since I was never a gifted athlete or anything close to that.

Agree with that statement. Always wished UIC hadn't lost its hockey program.

Do you know of any notable UIC Flames who played in the NHL, even if just a brief stint?
- AEL_Fox

One guy I played with was Wade Campbell, a huge defense man fro western Canada. He played in the NHL, with Winnipeg & Boston. Really nice guy. I'm not aware of anyone else, although a few more of my ex-teammates went to NHL training camps. Probably a few more made it after I was done and they were full D1

Agree with that statement. Always wished UIC hadn't lost its hockey program.

Do you know of any notable UIC Flames who played in the NHL, even if just a brief stint?
- AEL_Fox

Iirc they had a Hobey Baker candidate who had a brief shot.

4.6 total in G, that helps
- riozzo

Won't be for much longer - Vasilevskiy is going to get a deal in the Holtby to Bobrovsky range in a couple of seasons.

The Lightning are doing what the Hawks did 2012-2015 in that their stars were paid higher (at the time) and they supplemented with talent on low end deals. With the cap rising, there are allowances for the stars to be paid more but the ELC/low end players are still paid pretty much the same so it offsets. Now, they need to win some cups for it to really work out but it's possible.

Here's 3 ex-UIC players that made the show that were at UIC after I left (thanks to Wikipedia)

Shawn Cronin - WSH, WPG, PHL, SJ
Mike Rucinski - CHI
Ray Staszak - DET

One guy I played with was Wade Campbell, a huge defense man fro western Canada. He played in the NHL, with Winnipeg & Boston. Really nice guy. I'm not aware of anyone else, although a few more of my ex-teammates went to NHL training camps. Probably a few more made it after I was done and they were full D1
- scottak

Iirc they had a Hobey Baker candidate who had a brief shot.
- 6628

Thank you both!

Before moving from Chicago to California in 2011, I remember playing in some rec league games against guys who played (or maybe were still students) at Robert Morris. Also played some rec and rat games against some women who played NCAA hockey and they were always by far the best players on the ice.

My turn:

I became a Blackhawks fan because a combination of my Dad forcing me to watch games with him and him bribing me with new GI-Joes and Transformers to spend 3 hours with him in front of the tube for away games or listening to the radio for home games. When he called in school for me to “work on a science project” but instead we caught a matinee game against the Nordiques, I was hooked for good by the National Anthem, red wooden seats and Connies Pizza.
Savard was initially my hero but he was quickly replaced by a rookie named JR who played with all of his heart every night. Although I couldn’t skate until 12, my participation in martial arts and wrestling made me particularly interested in the grappling involved with fisticuffs. I always liked that hockey players had to back up trash talking with their fists, so along with Roenick, Manson, Grimson, Marchment, Probert, etc. became my other favorite players. I was crushed when they traded Roenick, had difficulty when they traded Manson (although Smith quickly replaced him in my heart) and very sad when we lost Peluso to the Sens and Grimson to the Ducks in consecutive expansion draft years.

Some of my fondest memories are watching home playoff games at a bar in Palatine that had a dish called Oak Alley Saloon with my Dad during their run to the Cup against the Pens which let me in even though I was not even 13 yet.
Sadly I lived in Japan from 2008-2016 and missed all three cups, having to watch games during work at 10:30am in the morning there and parades on WGN’s website at like 1-2 am. With the current team and window closing I wonder if I’ll be able to see them win a cup while being in Chicago. At least I got back in time to see the Cubs win it all.

Why am I a hockey fan? Simply, good hockey is fast paced and enjoyable to watch. No knees are taken, hockey players are vastly underpaid compared to sports like baseball, and live it just beats any other sport.

Why am I a Blackhawks fan? My uncle started taking me to the closed circuit Sunday matinee shows. I got to see the Golden Jet and Stan most weekends play the ilks of Jean, Yvan, , Gordie, Gump, Phil, Bobby, Frank & Peter, and Glenn . A great way of indoctrinating someone to a sport.

I agree if they got rid of the instigator I think a lot of the questionable dirty play would go away, and it would also bring enforcers back. I just don't know why people hate on that part of the game, I can see and respect both the skill and toughness aspect of the sport and the right mixture of both makes it the best in the world. But a game with just skill is boring and then you add the lack of physicality and diversity in the league the game loses its uniqueness.
- vandymeer23

Looks like Kucherov has signed an 8 year extension with Tampa. No word on the cap hit yet but it should be interesting.
- DarthKane

Stevie Y does it again!! When you get to the chart look at where Kaner and Toews rank as a percentage of their teams' cap and where Kucherov and Stamkos ranks!

Hopefully this finds its way to Rocky's desk. https://www.hockeybuzz.co...-salary-cap-era/177/93879

Won't be for much longer - Vasilevskiy is going to get a deal in the Holtby to Bobrovsky range in a couple of seasons.

The Lightning are doing what the Hawks did 2012-2015 in that their stars were paid higher (at the time) and they supplemented with talent on low end deals. With the cap rising, there are allowances for the stars to be paid more but the ELC/low end players are still paid pretty much the same so it offsets. Now, they need to win some cups for it to really work out but it's possible.
- L_B_R

If I'm understanding you correctly you're wrong on this. That Kane and Toews' contracts are the same percentage of their teams' cap as Kucherov's and Stamkos'? This is even assuming Toews plays up to near his salary which he is not and probably never will.

Big fail on Stan's part by any measure. https://www.hockeybuzz.co...-salary-cap-era/177/93879

I'll wait for you to correct me.

Stevie Y does it again!! When you get to the chart look at where Kaner and Toews rank as a percentage of their teams' cap and where Kucherov and Stamkos ranks!

Hopefully this finds its way to Rocky's desk. https://www.hockeybuzz.co...-salary-cap-era/177/93879
- Mr Ricochet

This is a very interesting contract, timing is everything, note signing bonuses.

If you remember, the Zamboni was parked in the Northwest corner of the building in the hallway. And across from it was a small office room which was the security office. I used to exit the building in that corner and rarely was there not a yellow jacket soaking his hand in a bucket of ice. If you wanted to drink too much and be a hard guy the Stadium was not the place to do it.
- 6628

No, I had gone to too few games to remember things like that. But enough to remember the yellow jackets man handling anyone and they came in numbers. Was told they had a small jail in the old stadium, don't know if that's true.

My Uncle has had season tickets for as long as I can remember. He took me to my first game when I was 8 years old back in 1981, and I've been hooked ever since. Seeing Denis Savard play in person was amazing for me, but from what I remember of that game, most of the action was in the seats. The Hawks were playing Detroit, and there were plenty of "Winged Wheel" jerseys in attendance that night. I can't remember how many fights actually happened on the ice, but there were 3 in the stands - two of which were very memorable.

The first one was up in one of the vaulted corners of the Stadium. Initially, it was just a fight between a Hawks fan and a Wings fan. Security came to break it up, and that's when the guy wearing the white Detroit jersey decided it would be a great idea to punch one of the "yellow jackets" in the face. That prompted a pummeling to the point that when he was pulled up off of the ground, he was already in handcuffs, and his white, Red Wings jersey was now red.

The other one was an all-out brawl that happened just below the old pipe organ about ten rows up from the glass. It was a big enough brawl that the when the teams were lining up for a faceoff at the nearest dot, the linesman didn't drop the puck. When one of the centers asked what the delay was, the linesman pointed to the brawl. All the players stood there and watched the fight. I've never seen anything like that at a game since.

After the game, my Uncle looked at me and said, "Not all the games are like this."

JB