Blackhawks plot emotional Madhouse throwback against bitter rival

There's hardly a city quite like Chicago when it comes to hockey. I mean, the Blackhawks were one of the NHL's Original Six, they've enjoyed dynasty runs, and they play in one of the league's largest markets.

Overall, the Hawks are NHL royalty in so many ways, along with one of their most heated historical rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. The Hawks and Wings not only have a storied history playing against one another, one that continues to this day.

But they've also played in historical venues, from Olympia Stadium in Detroit to Chicago Stadium, affectionately known as "The Madhouse on Madison." And is there a better opponent to capstone the glory days of The Madhouse than the Red Wings come December 13th?

When the Original Six era was going on, these two clubs were the westernmost teams, and they carried that heated rivalry with them when the NHL doubled in size before the 1967-68 season. It continued throughout the old days of the Clarence Campbell Conference, and even when it was renamed the Western Conference.

Chicago Blackhawks picked the right opponent to capstone "The Madhouse on Madison"

While the Blackhawks and Red Wings are far from looking like perennial contenders, don't think for a single second this matchup won't have its fair share of bad blood. If we're throwing back to the old days of "The Madhouse," expect every fan in the building to try and relive those decibels at the United Center and make life miserable for the still-hated Red Wings.

No, nobody on the Red Wings played the Hawks during the old "Madhouse" days, but it doesn't mean the fans can't give those Wings players visions of what once was decades ago. You will see that live and in person if you plan on attending that game, and it'll be one memorable matchup regardless of who takes the W.

So, what exactly is this capstone game, anyway?

Think of it as the finale in each chapter of the 100 years of history the Hawks plan on celebrating. Chapter 1 will be "The Originals," and another former Original Six team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, will capstone that chapter on November 15th.

"The Madhouse" will be Chapter 2, and that's been the focus of today's topic. Chapter 3 will cover "The Banner Years," and the capstone game will come against the Boston Bruins on January 17th.

And, finally, the Hawks will close things out with the "Next Originals," capstoning the game on March 6th vs. the Vancouver Canucks. For me, that second capstone game jumped out more than any other since the Hawks arguably have more history with the Wings than any other NHL franchise.

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