The 2013 NHL (abbreviated) season was in the midst of the glory years for the Chicago Blackhawks, who saw their franchise rebound after being named the worst franchise in all of professional sports by ESPN not even a decade ago.
Not only did Chicago cruise through the regular season, but they also overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the rival Red Wings and then defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings before taking on the Boston Bruins in a Clash of the Giants game. Goals by Brian Bickle and Dave Boland, 17 seconds apart in the dying seconds of Game 6 in Boston, would become some of the greatest moments in Windy City history.
But things are very different now for the Blackhawks, who are in full rebuild mode and also emerging from a stunning controversy that left the organization with a permanent cloud of shame over how they handled the sexual assault of former player Kyle Beach by a video coach. Brad Aldrich during the 2010 postseason. Meanwhile, the era of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is officially over, with the former being dealt to the New York Rangers while the latter played his final game in a Blackhawks uniform last week.
A few of the former Blackhawks players from the 2013 Cup-winning team speak of the organization’s failure to acknowledge their achievement a decade later.
“We all hope they do one,” Brandon Saad said, shrugging. “I know there’s usually a 10-year reunion, and hopefully they do. Hopefully, whenever that’s the case, we don’t play and I have a chance to go back and enjoy it. It’s always good to be back with the guys I’ve been successful with.”
“I don’t know if it’s late or something. But we’re still hoping.”
Meanwhile, another participant, who asked not to be named, stated that it appeared to be part of a trend.
“It’s as if they want to get away from us completely,” said the player. “It doesn’t make much sense to me.”
Another former player recalled that “no one asked” the members of the 2013 squad for a date when they could all get to know each other at the United Centre.
Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, this is just another lump of coal in the stockings of fans who thought they were on top of the world at this point in 2013.