• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Sports Bank

News. Sports. Arts & Entertainment. Politics

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Archives
  • Media
  • The Sports Bank in Book Form
  • Premier League Book

Great Hawks Players You haven’t heard of

February 11, 2009 By paulmbanks 5 Comments

Share

By Paul M. Banks

Now that being a Chicago Blackhawks fan is as trendy now as it was in the 60s during the franchise’s glory days, the team’s marquee players: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and (to a lesser extent) Brian Campbell are all essentially local celebrities. But this team has some other All-Star level talent that you’ve never heard of. They’re currently fourth in the Western Conference despite having no one among the top 40 in the league in scoring- a testament to their depth. Beyond “Kaner,” “Taser,” and “Soupy,” (are you picking up the unofficial hockey player nickname generating formula yet?) these are the names you should know.

Patrick Sharp- “Sharpie,” the team’s leader in goals scored may be the most underrated player on the squad.

Duncan Keith- not to be confused with 90s one-hit wonder Duncan Sheik, he’s the Hawks other blue-liner with an All-Star appearance on his resume.

Kris Versteeg- Hawks bench boss Joel Quenneville described the NHL’s rookie scoring leader thusly: “He’s a competitive guy that doesn’t get distracted by any of the stuff that goes on during a game: got good quickness, good imagination without the puck.”

Martin Havlat- started slow, but came on in January, when the team badly needed an offensive lift and is now second on the team (behind Kane) in scoring.

Goalie tandem of Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin- Although they tried to shop Khabibulin earlier in the season, the fact that he’s playing solid hockey here now is a warm, fuzzy feeling. When the playoffs come, having both the Bulin Wall and Huet, another goalie the Hawks acquired via a big money free-agent contract, sharing the net will be advantageous over other teams that lack fresh goaltending.

In addition to hosting the NHL’s marquee regular season game (Winter Classic), the Hawks have the premier position in three key off-the-ice criteria. The Indian head was voted the most recognized logo in NHL and the Hawks currently lead the league in attendance and merchandise sales. This shows how much they’ve built the brand. If they go far in the ’09 Stanley Cup playoffs, and later make an annual habit of doing so, the names I mentioned above will be instantly recognizable in this city.

See more of Paul M. Banks’ work at the Washington Times and The Sports Bank

Follow paulmbanks

Related Posts via Categories

  • Blackhawks Dynasty Still Legit, Despite Being Forever Tainted
  • Popular Sports to Bet on in Canada in 2021
  • 2020 NHL Mock Draft 10-6-20
  • Robin Lehner Gets Emotional During Goodbyes to Blackhawks
  • Flashback: Patrick Kane at the University of Wisconsin on Cinco De Mayo
  • Jeremy Roenick Says He Wants a Threesome with Kathryn Tappen, Gets Suspended
  • Jonathan Toews Could Be Breaking Out of Season Opening Slump
  • Chicago Blackhawks Playoff Chances Better than Expected
  • Man with Blackhawks Face Tattoo Went in Sewer System to Evade Police
  • Jonathan Toews Makes Passionate Call for Action on Climate Change

Filed Under: Chicago Blackhawks Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet, Duncan Keith, Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, Kris Steeger, Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin, Patrick Sharp, Winter Classic

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. paulmbanks says

    February 11, 2009 at 2:17 AM

    Steeger rocks

  2. Peter Christian says

    February 11, 2009 at 12:48 PM

    Sharp is my fave Hawk. The ability to find the net on a regular basis is a skill that goes unnoticed these days. If the Wild had a player like Sharp they would probably be leading their division.

  3. Bruce Weber says

    February 11, 2009 at 1:43 PM

    Yeah, I like Sharpie too, he could find the net in Assembly Hall quite often if he traded in his skates for hi-tops

  4. David K. says

    February 12, 2009 at 2:33 PM

    What about former Badger Adam Burish? Does a lot of the dirty work…

  5. paulmbanks says

    February 12, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Yes, he’s a great enforcer, I like his game….checking is important. so is savings and money market accounts…hey hey!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

newsnow_f_ab
online casinos not on Gamstop

Best Paypal Casinos

Recent Posts

  • Man United Thrashed By Brentford 4-0; Some of the Best Football Pundit Reactions
  • Liverpool Starting XI, Match Prediction vs Crystal Palace
  • Liverpool Team News vs Crystal Palace: Thiago, Matip, Konate, Jota
  • USA, Barca Defender Sergino Dest Being Pursued by Manchester United
  • Mike Singletary Exclusive: Chicago Bears Legend Champions Clean Water Cause
  • Northwestern QB Ryan Hilinski Wages a Bigger Battle Off the Field
  • Notre Dame Coach Marcus Freeman on Brave New NIL Era
  • Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Chelsea FC
  • Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction Vs Tottenham Hotspur
  • Chelsea FC vs Tottenham Hotspur Team News, FYIs, Match Preview

From Our Sponsors

OnlineBettingMD

Online Sports Betting

Best football betting sites

 

From Our Sponsors


[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2022 ·Magazine Pro · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in