How about a Dirk Graham night?
DENVER - OK, I'll join the discussion, even though I don't know how we got here.
Yes, the Hawks are going to honor Tony Amonte and Bob Probert with a "Heritage Night," which pretty much consists of them dropping the puck like Larmer did.
I can see saluting Amonte, but Probert? Why? Ya, he was popular and all, but that's about it. His best years were in Detroit and he'll always be a Red Wing.
I'm all for a Dave Manson night. Nobody loved Charlie more than me, one of my favorite Hawks ever, and a great guy.
But how about Dirk Graham? He's one of the greatest captains and leaders in Hawks history, playing on one leg on most nights later in his career.
Just putting in my two cents...
Kane practiced Wednesday and the decision will be made Thursday if he plays against the Avs. Why not sit him one more game just to make sure the ankle is sound. The Hawks have won two games without him and scored 11 goals.
Then again, the power play isn't the same without 88.
I'm waiting for Alain Daigle Heritage Night: http://betweenthepipes.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/next-year-finland-and-bo...
Matt Ravelich night
Lou Angotti night
Doug Jarrett night
Dennis DeJordy night
Gerry Pinder night
Ralph Backstrom night
Dave Dryden night
...and all those other guys that played for the love of the game and very little else.
Only if they give out moustaches like they did in Toronto for Wendel Clark.
I'm hoping he comes to this summer's Hawks Convention. I also would love to see Swoop show up. That would be maximum awesomeness.
I hope everyone can see what has happened to hockey in Chicago. All this cheap, expansion-team-like, dumbed-down marketing crap...
The past years' worth of cheap PR stunts (Mike North Night is just one) has made stupid nights like what Sassone writes about mildly contemplatable. And for what?
Tony Amonte? Bob Probert? Who is next, Tom Hanks as Jimmy Doogan from "A League of Their Own"? How shameful.
I suggest "Get A Clue Night" ASAP. Everyone attending gets a list of ALL of the Blackhawks HOF players and their history. Then, have a night for THEM - even at 4 and 5 at a crack. Hawks that are in the HOF deserve a night way before some of the slugs mentioned here. THERE ARE DOEZENS OF HAWKS IN THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME, FOR GOD'S SAKE!
Despite what the Wirtz family NEVER wants you to know, this team DID exist before they bought them.
Doug Wilson night, maybe Ed Belfour and that's enough.
Speaking of Eric Nesterenko.
This is what happened when one watched BH hockey on channel 9 during the sixties.
At the top of the TV screen you would see players from both teams chasing the puck in one direction.
At the bottom of the screen you would see Eric Nesterenko skating in the opposite direction.
True.
My list of great memories to honor in no particular order:
Dave Manson biting/gouging the eye of Scott Stevens at center ice...
A "natural hockey" night with Alpo...
A anniversarry of the Town Hall meeting with the smug Mike Smith...
a night remebering the famous ABC line of Arnason,Bell and Calder....
a night for Trent Yawney to be properly thanked for teaching Keith & Seabrook...
Lorne Molekon "sucker punch" night....George McPhee special guest...
a 1000 island night to honor all the great Russian players of the past 15 years...the only member to not be included will be Igor Kravchuk....
Regards,
Mr. Buttermaker
Why not Happy Gilmore? Isn't he the only guy to ever take off his skate and stab somebody? Or maybe a Joe Bach night. The only player to ever eat the ice shavings from the Zamboni. [He didn't play long for the Blackhawks by the way].
for virtually every home game cheapens the "honor" for the better players besides being a pretty transparent and imo brazen attempt to cash in on the current team's rise and to try to draw back long time fans who may have given up on the team under www.
it is needless and on top of that, what is mcdonough going to do next year when he doesn't have the winter classic or pilotte/magnuson number retirements to hype and runs out of legit hawks to honor or is he planning to make it a complete farce by bringing back fringe guys who only had a cult following or simply recycle these guys...like home game #20 permanently becomes wayne "elvis" presley night??
It would make more sense (and cents) to leave some of these nights for next year after they've hiked ticket prices again in the summer after this season's "success", but maybe he is looking to justify really jacked up prices (maybe a seat licencing arrangement?) by making current tickets a very scarce commodity???
as a long time fan, i still have some left over cynicism about what hawk management's real motivations are - the team certainly is improving on the ice, but i'm not sure they've fully caught up to the marketing department's vision of them...the goals of winning a cup and making money don't have to be mutually exclusive, but when it appears that the goal of making money takes precedence, to me that cheapens all the talk about winning a cup...
as for guys who might be deserving of a "night", i didn't see darryl sutter mentioned by anyone... his playing career spanned only 8 years, but they were all with the hawks, including a couple as team captain. He then also coached the hawks (as assistant or head coach) for another 6 years including assistant coach for the trip to the finals (which included a sweep of detroit) and losing in the semis as head coach a few years later.
perhaps the hawks could honor the 5 (of 6 nhl) sutter brothers with a single night who either played for or coached the hawks at some point in their careers - tho i may have just given them the idea for 5 more nights...
loved dirk.dont know if he should be honored though. probert? why should he get a night? is anaheim having grimson nite?
i agree then you should honor every guy who ever put on the sweater. noonan,matteau,hudson,tonelli,ect. these pregame ceremonies seem to sapp the life out of the team and its hard enough getting through the day to watch a game an then i gotta wait another 10 min.for thee puck to really drop. how bout we just play hockey and save the dog and pony shows for the convention.that way if you loved probert its your choice to get up and attend the convention and salute him. just knitpicking.i sat through season after season of ok players and fading stars not doing much.this has been an awsome winter so far20 years from now well be celebrating ben eagers goal at wrigly
I'd like to see Terry Ruskowski & Rich Preston night.
I'd also like to see Ivan Bolderiev at the UC for a puck drop.
How about a 1960-61 team reunion night ? Ed Litzenberger - Captain, Ab McDonald - GWG, Glenn Hall - overdue, etc. etc. etc.
It is very important to remember your past and to take the time to have these guys back to the UC for a few moments is special and will never get old.
Go HAWKS Go
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While Proibbies is here I hope he beats the H..E..double hockey sticks, out of Kane and Toes. Just make their faces look diferent.
I would like to see celebrations for the following ex hawks. Not nececsarily in this order.
Kenny Wharram. Fastest blue line to blue line skate'r ever
Glenn Hall. Of course, he wrote the book on goaltending.
Doug Mohns. A great addition to the "Scooter" line, replaceing Ab Mcdonald.
Al McNeil, Moose Vasko, Dollard StLaurent, Jack Evans, Bill, don't call me Red, Hay, Reggie Flemming And of course.........the ever popular Eric Nesterinko, who personaly taught me the art of stick handling after my buddy slashed him in the kneecap at a hockey school back in 1965. By the way, he was not wearing equipment or shin gaurds, Of all things he was in a bussiness suit. And I think he had a couple of pops in him cus he did not feel a thing.
Thanks for responding Tim i knew you would.Im serious about the tribute nites.What does it take 10 minutes? Im not talking retiring #s.WE pay for tiks 5.50 cokes beers etc.Imsaying guys like me and Al Secord who were there,and had fan faves that left with NO fanfare many times not even a blurb in the Trib or Times.Terry Ruskowsi was loved here then gone.Chico Maki,Lou Angotti,maybe im just a old man.But those guys brought me so many great memories.
Al Secord night works for me, he could fly in from where he lives I hear he is a pilot. Darren Pang night, I remember his debut in Minnesota, I was there. EX-Hawks who are or were coaches or GM's night, Bob Murray, Doug Wilson, Dirk Graham, Denis Savard, Trent Yawney, Dale Tallon all rolled into one. Mike Smith and all the bad Russians night, featuring Alex Zhamnov and Krispy Kreme Boris Mironov. Of course they could always welcome Pully back to the family too...naaaah thats really pushing it. The could have Billy Gardner back to do a game with Pat when Eddie-O isnt there. He is better than Konroyd.
Steve Larmer and Doug Wilson are the only former Hawks who need to be honored.
Is Glenn Hall to ill for a tribute night?Overdue
With the Hawks playing so well it's good to worry about a guy dropping a puck.
How about Terry Ruskowski night #8 Or Tom lysiak night #12 tripping a ref priceless.
How could they possibly forget Ken Yaremchuk?
No votes for Mironov night or Christian Rutuu night? and yes there should be a night for the Sega Jeremey Roenick of 1993- best player ever. (as seen in Swingers)
I'm all for Dirk Graham as he was one of the best captains we had. No one led as an example more then Graham, but just as everyone else seems to say when does it end?
Great players should be honored but just because you played on the Hawks doesn't mean you get a night. Sign autographs before a game but a whole ceremony kinda dulls the event for those who deserve one.
Flo Robidoux
Tony Tanti
& Everett Sanipass Night
When is the Mike Smith/Alpo Suhonen night scheduled for?
Seriously though? We should have a Rocky Wirtz night.
Greg Fox night? Dave Feamster? It is getting out of hand. I'd go for Dennis Hull or Pat Stapleton before some of the other names mentioned.
We need a Bannerman night!
I loved Probie, and I'm proud he wore the Indianhead as long as he did. He played on some bad teams for the most part. Not his fault.
Ok, maybe an Al Secord night would not be out of order. Or a Secord-Larmer-Savard night?
But what I'm really waiting for is ... KRIVO NIGHT.
(yes, I'm joking)
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Krivo Night!!
Classic!!
Maybe they should rename it slightly after what Patrick Roy called Krivo . . . Kurvos Night!
Here are some other possibilities:
Mark Janssens Night
Mike Maneluk Night
Denny Felsner Night
Cullimore Night
And my all time favorite (THIS MUST HAPPEN):
KRAPO NIGHT!! The first 15,000 fans get drunk and give pucks away!!
Don't forget Patrick Poulin Night.
I think they should also acknowledge the most dominant Blackhawk in history: the Sega Genesis version of Jeremy Roenick on NHLPA '93.
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I love both those guys, but what's next, a Joe Murphy/Bernie Nicholls night? One vote for Gramps.
Yes on Dirk Graham - maybe. But, as so many have humorously been noting, when does it stop. This is when one can begin to become pretty cynical; the Hawks are cashing in on a decade of terrible teams by stirring memories of the good times that came before. McDonough is no idiot, those good times seem even better because things have been so bad. And I long all the more for those good times when I see YouTube clips from the Stadium (and the Hawks in sweaters, by the way, that don't have the stupid baseball-style hem).
So how about Terry Ruskowski? Rich Preston? Tom Lysiak? I was in the first row of the first balcony, right on top of the face off, when Lysiak tripped the linesman back in 84 at the Stadium. Maybe the Hawks should commemorate that incident. Heck, why not do a Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito night????? Never mind that their Hall of Fame days were elsewhere, they were Hawks . . . . .
Make these things rare, that's the point.
I agree with you. The parade of bringing back older Hawks gets old. The Hull and Mikita tribute was nice, as was the cameos at games prior to their ceremony against the Sharks. The Larmer night was justified. The Pilotte night was justified, and I guess Magnusson.
However, if you go on the Hawks website, under promotional events, you can see all the "alumni" signings. I would probably burn any program that Eric Daze would sign right in front of him. Who gets hurt driving in a car from Montreal? HOw about flying you moron if your back was that bad?
McDonaugh has to spread these things out. With Wilson in charge of San Jose that won't come for awhile. Roenick, Chelios, Wilson, Secord, Belfour, and Manson I could live with.
Dirk Graham was a nazi as a coach, and god only knows where he's at. I love watching him beat the crap out of Konstantinov in Detroit on youtube as he pulls up his sleeves, and his hat trick against Pittsburgh was very nice. Maybe, a 20 yr anniversary of the 1992 team can happen, where you can honor him and some others who should be retired by then. That would be a nice night.
So that's my take. Very interesting to see what move(s) Tallon has up his sleeve......
PS---1993 NHLPA Jeremy Roenick was ranked 4th on the alltime sports video game players. He by himself made Sega introduce the manual goalie in the 1994 version.
Hey Al Reggie Flemming is in bad shape in a nursing home in Elmhurst.His son is asking for letters.You can go to you tube punch in his name and get about four interviews of Reggie by his son.He talks about the old Hawks,i cried.He was a great character.Keep him in your prayers