FEATURED WRITING
All Roads Lead Home to Chicago for Chelios
Chris Chelios did it all in his hockey career. He won three Stanley Cups and three Norris Trophies as the league’s top defenseman. He was a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer and winner of the prestigious Mark Messier Leadership Award. And he was a four-time Olympian (thrice as Team USA’s captain), an NCAA champion, a gold medalist at the original World Cup of hockey and played a record-tying 26 NHL seasons.
But there is no Chris Chelios as we know today without the city of Chicago — a local outdoor rink, a handful of neighbors in Evergreen Park, a trip to Ace Hardware by his mother Susan, and a fortunate relationship his father Gus had with several Blackhawks players of the 60s.
That’s where Chris Chelios, the hockey player, was born.
Troy Murray: A Blackhawk Through and Through
For the better part of 40 years, Troy Murray's name has been synonymous with the Blackhawks. He skated 688 games over 12 seasons as one of the franchise's best two-way forwards. When he retired, he jumped into a role as an award-winning broadcaster for the last 20 years, 15 as a color analyst alongside John Wiedeman. And he's one of the pillars of the illustrious Blackhawks Alumni organization, which not only connects and supports anyone who has ever worn the sweater, but gives back to the community many have come to call home.
An Alberta kid who moved to Chicago at the age of 19, he fell in love with the city, the organization and the fans. Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more emblematic of the Blackhawks than Murray.
For the first two months of the season, though, there's been a void around the locker room, the team's road trips and the broadcast booth as Murray's focus has shifted from the job he loves to the fight of his life.
A ‘No-Brainer’ to Name Foligno as 36th Blackhawks Captain
As the Blackhawks wrapped up their opening meeting before the start of training camp on Tuesday night, General Manager Kyle Davidson told the players he had one last announcement to make to the team:
“Last year we had Seth Jones, Connor Murphy and Nick Foligno wearing letters (as alternate captains),” he began. “We’re going to keep that same group. We’re going to make one change, and we’re excited tonight to announce that the 36th captain in Blackhawks history we’re going to name: Nick Foligno.”
A surprise to all 55 players in the room, including Foligno himself, the immediate reaction spoke volumes about the choice.