The last time the Chicago Blackhawks made the NHL Stanley Cup Finals was 1992. I had recently graduated from 8th grade, and thought my black Finals t-shirt featuring Jeremy Roenick and Mario Lemieux squaring off against one another was really cool.
Hawks superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were alive, but mere infants at the time. I’m hoping these two young guns will make this Finals much more memorable for Chicago than the last one. I’ve repressed almost all memories of that Pittsburgh sweep disaster; today only two facts resonate with me.
The first revolves around 1995 Jean Claude Van Damme film “Sudden Death,” set at game 7 of a fictional Stanley Cup Finals where Pittsburgh hosted Chicago. I saw that low-brow shoot ’em up at the second run movie theater; everyone cheered loudly when the Hawks scored, and booed mercilessly when Pittsburgh lit the lamp.
Also during that Finals, a Pittsburgh local named Christina Aguilera sang the national anthem before the two games at Mellon Arena; 7 years before the rest of the world would meet, know and then get sick of her. Here’s to hoping “Kaner” and “Tazer” make sweeter music together, and give the Chi some better memories this time around.
By Paul M. Banks
TOEWS
KANE
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