En février 2004, une sombre étape a été franchie lorsque ESPN a désigné les Blackhawks de Chicago comme la pire franchise du sport professionnel. L’équipe autrefois fière était devenue un symbole d’apathie et de frustration pour les Chicagoans tout au long des années 1990 et au début des années 2000, en partie à cause de la sécheresse de la Coupe Stanley qui durait depuis près de 45 ans. mais cela était en grande partie dû aux politiques controversées du propriétaire Bill Wirtz, connu de manière désobligeante sous le nom de « Dollar Bill ». Sa décision de bloquer les retransmissions locales des matchs à domicile – affirmant que c’était injuste pour les détenteurs d’abonnements – a aliéné les fans. Couplé aux prix des billets élevés pour une équipe qui, lors de sa meilleure soirée, aurait pu être un produit solide dans la ligue de hockey américaine, les prix des billets étaient parmi les plus élevés de la LNH à l’époque, il semblait que Wirtz creusait un fossé entre l’équipe et sa ville. Les choses étaient si embarrassantes Alors que les Blackhawks trébuchaient, les Wolves de Chicago, une équipe de la AHL située à Rosemont, dans l’Illinois, se moquaient d’eux avec leur slogan marketing mordant : « Nous jouons au hockey à l’ancienne : nous gagnons réellement ». C’était un coup dur contre une équipe qui imposait autrefois le respect mais qui était désormais devenue l’ombre d’elle-même. À la suite du lock-out de la LNH en 2004-2005, une lueur de changement est apparue. Le nouveau directeur général Dale Tallon a pris les rênes, déterminé à reconstruire et à redonner à la franchise son ancienne gloire. L’été 2005 a apporté de l’espoir, alors que Tallon a pris des mesures audacieuses en signant Nikolai Khabibulin, qui venait tout juste de remporter la Coupe Stanley, et le défenseur étoile Adrian Aucoin. Pourtant, cet optimisme fut de courte durée. Les blessures ont ravagé les deux acquisitions clés et les Blackhawks ont connu une autre saison lamentable, terminant avec une fiche de 26-43-13, la deuxième pire de la ligue et l’avant-dernière de la Conférence Ouest. Le 16 mai 2006 a marqué un autre coup dur lorsque la voix bien-aimée des Blackhawks, Pat Foley, a été licenciée après 25 ans avec l’équipe, une décision qui a indigné les partisans. Le départ de Foley vers les Wolves n’a fait qu’approfondir le fossé entre les Blackhawks et leurs partisans. Pourtant, au milieu de l’obscurité, une légère lueur d’espoir a commencé à émerger en 2006, signe que peut-être la longue disgrâce de la franchise pourrait encore être inversée. hockeydoc #minidocumentaire
@Blackhawks de Chicago
36 Comments
My man, great video. Much like you I attribute my love of hockey to Tazer, wanted to play like him, emulate his style, and be a leader. Undoubtedly my favorite player on the Hawks. He, along with all the other greats in the 2010s made my childhood a dream.
Thank you for making this. What a privilege those years were.
Hey bud, I have a request. Can you make a Pavel Datsyuk piece? That's if you haven't already. Thanks, bud! Keep em coming!
Wonderful video. He was the best captain the hawks have ever seen and his mark on the franchise will never be forgotten.
Toews in that Ducks series will always hold him at the highest regard
Showtime was chopped liver
I am and grew up a Canucks fan and he still is one of my favourite players of all time
I’ve seen Toews comps for Celebrini, and as a Sharks fan I hope he can have a similar career. Toews was always fun to watch.
Man I miss this era but it was a privilege to witness!
Being a contemporary of Crosby is tough, wasn't for Crosby Toews would be held in much higher regard I think.
Crosby is just Toews but better at everything.
I will never be a bigger fan of a player than I am 19. Growing up watching this team so so special.
Great work man. Anyone else’s house super dusty right now?
Toews is a classic example of just how dominant a player can be without being a 100 point scorer. His importance to the Blackhawks and to those 3 Stanley cups cannot be measured in just offensive output. His ability on the Faceoff, his steller defensive game, his leadership on the ice and in the locker room, all those little things that make a true champion. I truly hope he gets a job in the Blackhawks front office. I don't want his time with the Blackhawks to be done. Chicago needs Jonathan Toews.
Man had he not had those health complications he would’ve been even greater
We love him in Winnipeg. He was a fantastic hockey player!
He’s that dude. Keys to the city were in his pocket for about 7 years
This video is beautiful… I hope someone from the hawks org can explain his crazy decline because i dont believe "long" covid.. and if so… its just so disappointing. As a fan if you asked me who was the last cup player on the team I woulda sworn toews/kane, not a teuvo free agency singing lol
Patrick Kane saved that franchise. 🇺🇲 only reason he's getting slurped is because hes Canadian. Bet he did nothing about Kyle Beach. Just like the rest of those scumbags. Your first game was after that Stanley Cup? Fairweather ass blackhawks fans. Blaming the owner of course. Not his fault nobody in Chicago gives a shit about hockey until they win. Hope they never get back.
Parents went to North Dakota. WE heard he was special from family, WE saw he was special at the frozen four 2 years in a row. His college hockey line might have been among thee best ever. Oshi, Toews, Ryan Duncan. Because Oshi and Toews played in Worlds, Duncan won the Hobey Baker.
First game my family went to was Hawks vrs Penguins. Toews scored 3 goals(4 if one wasn't disallowed)… On helmet night. Given a hat prior to a hat trick… Thanks to the disallowed goal there were 2 -10 min interruptions.
I have been going to Hawks games with my sister ever since.
Prediction, Toews will announce his retirement when Kane retires. On the Hawks the two were the face and heart of the team. They want to go to the HoF together.
This video made me very emotional. What an era. What a team. What a captain. We didnt know how good we had it
Jonathan Toews Is Currently Played With the St. Louis Blues 🎺
I was lucky enough to see him play for the Sioux, everyone knew he was meant to be a star in the NHL
I know it ain't that deep but the pronunciation of St. Boniface killed me inside lol
to all the Hawk fans out there. As a Leaf fan I am so f.n jealous. I never had the privilage to have a Stan Mikita Donut. 🙂
I remember watching his first seasons and that first Stanley Cup run at my friend’s house since his dad was a cop and did security at the UC during games. That dynasty really became part of the lives of Chicagoans.
Great player, sadly his comments on the how the executives handled the Kyle Beach situation changed my opinion of him as a human. Good people don't cover up or ignore blatant sexual misconduct. Period.
you were 8 when they won it for the first time in your life. I was 48. It was a big deal after such a wait.
…we’re already on career retrospectives of one of the greatest Hawks to ever strap on skates 😢
One of the greatest Blackhawks of all time! Very sad end to his career, but his career was so incredible the finish does not take away from the accomplishments! Long live the Captain Johnny Toews!
As a winnipegger I love how you said st boniface
50 something. MTL. guy here-biggest regret never going to Chicago Stadium.
Coolest Jerseys. Good fan baseplus Chicago is a great sports town eh
Who tf made this video 😂🤡 lifelong Hawks fan n this original 6 team in the city with by far the largest fan base of all 6 was never going to die. Love Toews and the dynasty of 2010-2015 but whomever titled this video is a grade A doofus
This video is spectacular. One of my best friends took his own life in 2013. His team was the blackhawks. When they hoisted the cup up that year, I still get goosebumps thinking of how surreal that was.
He got to see his team win, and then his team won for him.
Toews could’ve had many seasons of 100 plus Points but chose not to be selfish..: very similar to how Yzerman played once he became
Captain
Excellent video. One of the greatest captains in all of sports. Thank you for the memories captain serious
Great program Bud🙏🏽