Chris Chelios-Chicago Blackhawks (Picture Provided by Sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

Happy 51st Birthday to former Chicago Blackhawk star defenseman Chris Chelios.  Chelios played with the Blackhawks from 1990-1999 picking up 3 Norris trophies  on the way and helping lead the Hawks to the 1992 Stanley Cup final only to fall short to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux.

Chelios went from homegrown favorite player to the enemy on a single day when he was traded to the Red Wings for Anders Eriksson and 2 first round draft picks in 1999.  The exit of Chelios was one of the last pieces to fall before the dark ages of Blackhawks hockey.i

Chelios became villainous this fall when he was spotted by TMZ burning a Jay Cutler jersey, here is a link to our story back in September. Somehow Chelios has become more Motor City than Windy City, but for most of the 90′s he was every Blackhawks fans favorite defenseman.

Happy 51 Chelios maybe you will return back to your roots before it’s too late!!

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Dec 17, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks former player Chris Chelios (front, center) speaks as he is honored before the game against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

Former Chicago Blackhawk legend Chris Chelios made an appearance allegedly on TMZ by helping a lady burn a Jay Cutler jersey.  Cutler is not off to the start he had expected, but to have someone who played in Chicago burn his jersey is basically treason to me!

If you want to see the TMZ video of Chelios allegedly doing the unbelievable click here.

It’s very disappointing to me that a former player that spent 8 years in Chicago would do something only drunken fans out of their right minds would do, not an  NHL legend!!

photo courtesy of http://www.personainternet.com

I was going to do a write up on the CBA negotiations today but decided against it. It all reads like Greek to me so I will leave the CBA coverage to those much smarter than me.  It does look like the players have a very smart and savvy proposal on the table which will hopefully lead to the 2012-13 season starting on time.

With that being said it is time to reveal my eighth most hated Blackhawk player of all time, average defenseman Anders Eriksson.  It wasn’t anything that Eriksson did on the ice that caused my massive dislike for him, in fact I don’t remember anything he did do on the ice.  I hated Eriksson because he was involved in the worst trade of my life time, the deal that sent Chicago Blackhawks icon Chris Chelios to the hated Detroit Red Wings.  Good old Bob Pulford thought it would be a great idea to send the greatest American born defenseman to ever play the game to his team’s biggest rival, where he went on to raise the Stanley Cup twice.  In return the Hawks received Eriksson and Detroit’s 1st round draft picks in 1999 and 2001.  Those picks turned into Steve McCarthy (99) and Adam Munro (01), blah and double blah!  Eriksson played 97 games, where he scored 5 goals, had 36 assists and was a plus 6 before getting traded to the Florida Panthers for Jaroslav Spacek  in 2001.

It didn’t matter what Eriksson could do, his time was doomed in Chicago from the start.  He was traded for one of the Hawks’ most popular players. The was a major factor in the demise of a once proud and legendary franchise.  If you look back at the trade the Hawks got a two average at best defenseman who had a combined 8 goals, 49 assists and was a -12 in 231 games.  Throw in Munro, a goalie who made 17 career starts where he went 4-10-3 with a 3.30 goals against average and a .887 save %.  That my friends is a complete crap trade, a typical Bob Pulford/”Dollar” Bill Wirtz move.  I know my hatred for Eriksson is not justified but that is what happens when you trade away a player that was so easy to cheer for and gave his all in Chicago for nine years.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker

Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

Star winger Patrick Kane was a hot topic this afternoon as the 2012 Blackhawks Convention kicked off at the Chicago Hilton and Towers hotel.  The trending topic among reporters was Kane’s drunken exploits in Madison, WI last May.  This is a topic that the media has blown way out of proportion.  One reporter went as far to ask Kane if he had a drinking problem.  Patrick Kane does not have a drinking problem, he has a problem with being wasted in public.  If Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson or Chris Chelios had played the era of camera phones and Twitter their images would have taken a huge beating.  Tales of their drinking and crazy nights are legendary in the bars of Chicago and across every NHL city they played in.  Kane didn’t go out at do this the night before a playoff game like a couple of guys we know from Nashville.  If he wants to enjoy being a 23 year old sports star than be all means live the life most men dream about.  My only problem is Kane needs to be more responsible about it.  Stop acting like a sixteen year old who just had his first beer in public.  If you want to get wasted with your buddies, rent out a floor or two at a downtown hotel and go crazy.  Stop doing it in plain view of every puck bunny or douchebag with a camera phone and a Facebook account!

Patrick Kane did say a lot of the right things when being asked about his now infamous Cinco de Mayo weekend with the Cheeseheads.  He stated that “It’s something I put behind me and something I don’t want to put myself in that position again.” Kane later added “I know the person I am and I know the person I can be. I have to make those things stop happening.”  I really hope you mean that Patrick and you are finally ready to take being a Chicago Blackhawk serious.  Kane can be a scary hockey player if he wants to be.  He has the talent to be an elite player in the league if he desires to be.  I am hoping he finally has learned his lesson like he is saying he has.  There is nothing I want more than for Kane to have the breakout year where he is put on the same level as a Crosby, or a Malkin or a Toews.  If this happens good things will happen for the Hawks starting this fall.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker

The Hits Will Be Coming. Source: HF Boards.com

Hard Hawk Hockey, a phrase that you might remember Pat Foley saying during his broadcasts of games back in the late 80′s and early to mid 90′s.  Well at least I remember it.  It was at a time when the Chicago Blackhawks team was a forechecking and hitting machine.  Pressuring the oppostion, and hitting everything in site, those teams were tough to play against.  If you beat the Hawks back then, you earned.

If my memory is right, this all started back when Mike Keenan became the head coach in the 88-89 season.  I have a fondness for Mike that started in his days in Philadelphia when he coached the Flyers.  To this day there’s something about him that intrigues me.  His crazyness, his passion, his will to win.  All of it.  Sure some of you most likely can’t stand him, and with the dizzying roster moves he made once he became general manager, I can appreciate that.  I’ll never forget when he traded Rick Vaive to Buffalo for Adam Creighton and Christian Ruutu.  Pissed me off to no end.  But I also will never forget when he traded Denis Savard for my fellow countrymen, Chris Chelios.  That right there set the tone for the Hawks going forward, and how they would play for quite some time.  Many nights looked like this.

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Some things bring us joy. Source: Chicago Sun-Times

My name is Frank Rekas and as the NHL Director for Fansided Sports I wanted to tell you of some changes at Blackhawk Up, one of the first and one of the most successful sites here at the FanSided Sports Network.  Jeff Bartl the original Blackhawk Up writer is moving on to his own site with his commarades Tim Currell and Brandon Spinner.  Their new site which just went live a couple days ago is Cheer The Anthem.  Make sure you go there to check them out as they will continue to provide you with their views and opinions of the Chicago Blackhawks just the way you’ve been used to. Jeff and his crew were looking to go independent and we all parted ways on the best of terms.  I speak for everyone here at FanSided when I say we wish them nothing but the best.

Going forward, and I do apologize for the break in the action, things will continue on here at Blackhawk Up.  First of all I will be one of the lead writers of the site.  While I currently live in Florida, and some of you might know me from my lead writer spot over at The Rat Trick, I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there for 30 years before I left.  I’m old enough to remember Hull, Mikita, and Espo.  As well as Savard, JR, Belfour, Larmer, and Chelios.  I remember the roar.  I have a brick from the old stadium as a former season ticket holder. I was in the Stadium the night that Mario and his crew skated around with the Cup in 1992 after we were swept in the final round.  I cried like a baby.  Most of that pain was wiped away last season after Patrick Kane scored the winner in overtime to end the Hawks 49 years of misery.  I cried like a baby then too.  Even though I live in Florida I watch all the games and stay up to speed as much as possible….so no worries gang, Blackhawk Up will be in good hands.

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