Tonight the Chicago Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings to begin the preseason. They opened training camp this past weekend at Notre Dame’s Compton Ice Arena in South Bend. Camp opened with a dumpster fire of a press conference that featured Patrick Kane, John McDonough and ND grad Stan Bowman.
We’ve already covered what a huge mistake it was for Patrick Kane to do Q&A. We’ve already detailed how the biggest loser of that day might have been Team President McDonough, as he was everything on Thursday that he’s not known to be.
Now it’s time for a break from that.
The Patrick Kane investigation looms like a shadow over everything the Blackhawks did last night in their training camp festival and will do tonight as they begin their slate of meaningless games. It’s also something we’ve written about on nine separate occasions, so it’s time for something different and unique in regards to Blackhawks content.
The team was ND’s pep rally Friday night before the Irish took on #14 Georgia Tech, and they were honored on the field before the game, with the Stanley Cup, prior to kickoff of ND’s 30-22 win over the Yellow Jackets.
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This is the second week in a row the Cup appeared on field before a college football game. It made an appearance at Northwestern’s Ryan Field prior to the NU-Eastern Illinois. And the Blackhawks presence (not to mention the trophy itself) inspired a few Notre Dame football players this past Saturday
Running back C.J. Prosise: “I always love following the Blackhawks, they’re a great team, just the feeling of them being here to watch us play was an incentive to play a little bit better. They started their season here last year and they won the Stanley Cup, so hopefully we can give them a little momentum to go into the season again this year.”
Prosise had his best game ever (198 yards rushing, 3 TDs) with the Blackhawks in attendance.
Wide Receiver Will Fuller: “It’s cool to have the World Champions, they’re the best at what they do, watching us play.”
Fuller hails from Philadelphia, so his team is of course the Flyers.
Chris Brown had a couple humorous quips about the Cup itself: “I see it all the time, I’m sure it’s pretty heavy (you could) eat cereal out of it and all.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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