Hockey anyone?

[Da Coach]

The 2013-14 NHL Hockey season is starting after last year's magical Stanley Cup Championship season for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Exhibition games started this past weekend for most teams, and the Blackhawks play their first exhibition tonight in Chicago against the Detroit Red Wings, who they dominated last season. The exhibition game at the United Center is nearly sold out.

http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=682882&navid=DL|CHI|home

It should be another exciting season, as the Hawks were able to keep most of their key players this time, unlike after their 2010 Stanley Cup season when salary cap rules forced them to trade away or not re-sign many of their key players.
To demonstrate how crazy Chicago fans are for the Blackhawks, the team held their final inter-squad scrimmage Monday night and opened it up and sold tickets for fans to attend the practice. They drew a sold out crowd of about 20,000 fans!

http://www.csnchicago.com/blackhawks-talk/preseason-turnout-illustrates-hawks-growth-chicago

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/madhouse-enforcer/Kane-LeBlanc-Shine-in-Blackhawks-Training-Camp-Scrimmage-224020731.html

Only 3 NHL teams averaged more than 20,000 fans per game during the regular season last year, and nearly all of them draw very poorly for preseason games. One example was this Florida Panthers game yesterday- a preseason game against the Nashville Predators, when only a few fans showed up! -

http://nesn.com/2013/09/florida-panthers-have-rather-dismal-fan-turnout-for-first-preseason-game-photo1/

Yet the Blackhawks drew 20,000 for a practice, and will sell out all their preseason and regular season games this year as they have for many years. After a dissappointing baseball season for Chicago fans, hockey and basketball can't come soon enough. Is anyone else ready for hockey?

[tornado]

Chicago fans are pretty loyal fans...
lots of players love playing in New York for the fame & money but their fans are vicious and turn on their heroes at the drop of a hat...
that never happens in Chitown - even goats and cheats still get love from the fans

[tornado]

crucial game tonight -- Chicago needs to pick up a win in LA to even their semifinal series....

BTW -- 20 years ago -- 1994 - the Blackhawks were eliminated from the Playoffs in a 1-0 loss to Toronto - ending the Blackhawks' 65-year tenure in the Chicago Stadium...
The Chicago Stadium was built in 1929 for around $7 million, and the Blackhawks played there for 64 seasons...
The Hawks played their first game there on December 15, 1929 and played their last in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 1994.
Originally it seated 25,000 for some venues and over 18,000 for hockey although later safety adjustments reduced the capacity, and as anyone who has been there can attest - it was notoriously the loudest arena in the world with the sound uniquely amplified and reflected from the arched ceiling.
Other great events the Stadium has seen - Bulls basketball in the 60's, 70's, 80's, & 90's, concerts (Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis, Stones), political conventions from Roosevelt to Mayor Daley, and even NFL football in this famous CHAMPIONSHIP game where the field had to be shortened to 80 yards!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/national-football-league-playoffs-began-in-1932-when-the-game-was-held-in-a-hockey-rink/2013/12/31/5b367590-6f41-11e3-aecc-85cb037b7236_story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_NFL_Playoff_Game

Just curious - how many have been to an event or game at the old Chicago Stadium?





The current United Center was designed to look reminiscent of the old Stadium

[AZ BU Fan]

I was fortunate to go up to Chicago in the late 70's and attend a Blackhawks game in the old Chicago stadium.

What a night, loud, exciting, and I'll never forget the (Wurlitzer?) organ inside the arena....

From the upper deck, felt like I looked straight down to the ice.

As the Blackhawks moved the puck up the ice from their defensive end, the crowd got louder and louder until a shot was released.

Exciting

[Da Coach]

I was fortunate to see a lot of Bulls games, and Blackhawks games in the old Stadium, and was sad to see it go. Like you say AZ, even the "cheap seats" had a tremendous view of the ice or court because of the 1st and 2nd balconies that hung way out over the lower level. There were a number of posts supporting the balconies, and that made for a lot of "obstructed view" seats in the lower level and 1st balcony, but if you knew where they were, it was easy to avoid buying them.

[AZ BU Fan]

Do or die for Blackhawks tonight. Hope they have enough in the tank to run table vs King's.

Last night's game between Montreal and NY Rangers was amazing. Speed and skill, along with some big hits, make playoff hockey 'must see' TV on HD big screen.

[Da Coach]

Don't know how many people stayed up to watch the Blackhawks-Kings game tonight, but it was an incredible game. The Blackhawks finally won it in the 2nd overtime, 5-4 on a goal by Michal Handzus, who rarely scores (just his 2nd goal and 3rd point in 16 playoff games). The Kings still lead the series 3-2, but the 'Hawks are still alive!

http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400559018

[tornado]

Game 7 of the Blackhawks/Kings series was hugely successful for NBC...and would have been moreso had they had the foresight to put it on their regular NBC channel...

It drew the most viewers and best ratings of any game outside of the Stanley Cup Finals as far back as the Neilsen ratings have been tracked.
It was also the highest rated hockey game of any series ever broadcast on NBC
I think it shows people want to watch outstanding competition if they just make it available.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/kings--blackhawks-game-7-sets-ratings-record-for-nbcsn-154610280.html

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/24579183/game-7-between-kings-blackhawks-sets-tv-ratings-records-in-us

Check out how high the ratings were in Chicago - almost 1/4 of all the TV's in the city were watching the Blackhawks!

[AZ BU Fan]

Kings dominate Rangers in Game 3. Don't see Rangers winning Game 4 tomorrow unless Kings decide to take the game off so they can win Stanley Cup at home in Game 5.

Jonathon Quick was unbelievable in Game 3.

Some will say the Kings have been lucky, but, you make your own luck.

Rangers pulled their goalie last night with 3:30 left in the game and could hardly get a shot on goal with their man advantage.

[tornado]

the Hawks were only a tiny break from being right here..they would have handled the Rangers..

[Da Coach]

Maybe the Bruins or Penguins could have been a better challenge for the Kings, but they fizzled out. I think any of the top 6 teams in the Western Conference (the Kings were #6 in the West) would have handled whichever team came out of the East this year.