Chicago Bears: Chicago’s Biggest Loser

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Oct 7, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Members of the Chicago Blackhawks raise the 2015 Stanley Cup championship banner during a ceremony before the game against the New York Rangers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Members of the Chicago Blackhawks raise the 2015 Stanley Cup championship banner during a ceremony before the game against the New York Rangers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks had a long-suffering fandom of their own.  And when I say suffering, I mean they survived the Bill Wirtz ownership era when he did everything he could to try to push fans away including not televising home games.  After old man Bill passed away, the Blackhawks broke through in 2010 and brought their first Stanley Cup to Chicago since 1961.

The Blackhawks made a Stanly Cup Final appearance in 1992 when they were swept four straight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They were just good enough to make the playoffs into the late 1990’s before the bottom fell out.

Bill Wirtz passed away in 2007 and that’s when things started to turn around. (Really, some of their Cup pieces had already been in place).  Bill’s son Rocky took over and they started to re-build the organ-i-zation from the top down.  They added former Cubs exec Jim McDonough who started to turn the team around on and off the ice.

Perhaps one of the biggest moves the team made was firing beloved ‘Hawks player and coach Denis Savard and replacing him with Joel Quenneville ahead of the 2008 season.  At the time, it was an unpopular move among Blackhawks fans but Coach Q was the right guy to position the franchise to make a run at a Stanley Cup.  The ‘Hawks lost in the conference finals in the ’08-’09 season but were poised for bigger things the next season.

Powered by a core of young talent and key veteran free agents, the Blackhawks brought the Staney Cups back to Chicago after the 2009-2010 season.  But just one Cup wouldn’t be enough for this group.  They created a hockey dynasty by bringing back Cups in the 2013 and 2015 seasons.  The strict salary cap has made it tough for the ‘Hawks to sustain their Stanley Cup ways, but with their core guys still in their prime, they’re still well within their champioship window.

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