Prior to 2009, I could not have cared less about hockey. In fact, if you were to ask me about it as a 22 year old, I probably would have told you I thought it was stupid. The team that I was supposed to root for was largely irrelevant, and had horrible ownership. Why should I have cared? Then towards the end of the 2007-2008 season, I heard Adam Burish on the then quite good Mac, Jurko and Harry show on ESPN1000. I fell in love with the guy. His personality was what I imagined all hockey players were like. Goofy, humble, hard working and appreciative of support they got. So I ended up watching the end of that season where they just barely missed the playoffs. But I was hooked.
The 2008-2009 season started and was a pretty great ride for my initial foray into hockey fandom. A fun team to watch, with a cast of likable stars. I would say they had a successful season that year, making the Western Conference finals when nobody really though they would. That set the stage for what is to this point in my life, my favorite sports memory of all time.
The 2009-2010 Blackhawks season was awesome for so many reasons. For starters, at the time me and just about all of my friends lived at home with full time jobs. So as one can imagine, the disposable income to spend at bars during games was flowing. We would go out in big groups and all have a great time no matter where we went, just about always half in the bag. One of the best specific memories I have from that season was the debut of Marian Hossa. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving against the San Jose Sharks. He had a huge game and the Hawks won handily, all while me and the entire bar were piping drunk with pre-Thanksgiving beer.
The season went on and the Olympics were almost as fun to watch as the NHL season itself. But that was just the tip of the amazing iceberg that was the second half of the 2010 season/play offs.
It was such a great time being at bars packed to the gills with Hawks fans, losing their shit with every ebb and flow of play off games.
I watched game six against Philly at my house. With my mom, dad, uncle and most of my closest friends. It was awesome. I don't really count watching Bulls championships as I was a kid and I didn't really appreciate it. So to me this was the first championship I was ever really able to enjoy. And let me tell you, I did. A lot. Work was hell the next day but so worth it.
What made this whole run really special was the fact I was with just about ALL of my friends through the whole thing. It's something that I don't think will ever happen again in my life. It was our last couple years of not really having responsibility other than being to work on time, and living just blocks away from one another.
The next couple of years really stung. Now that I was an actual fan of the game, and trying to understand it more and more each day, the aggravation set it. Two first round play off exits, and a couple broken remotes later, we arrive at today.
This season was spectacular in its own right. Short, sweet, and in the end, just what we all wanted. It was truly different than 2010, but didn't lack for its own memories. The regular season was so short it was kind of a blur. But the play offs, man... I remember yelling to loud my throat bled when the Hawks beat the Wings in game 7 (thankfully I was just in my parents basement). Kane's game 5 hat trick during the Kings series was at the tail end of my best friends bachelor party. Fighting every natural instinct I had to say awake for the Cup Finals opener.
And finally, watching the Hawks win their second Cup in 4 years with my mom, dad and uncle. Celebrating in a very different way than I did at 23 years old. High fives, a single fist pump, some social media, then bed.
I'm really thankful that the Hawks got their shit together as an organization and helped me become a fan. I'm thankful that I have something to do on nights in the dead of winter. I have a valid excuse to go to the bar in the middle of the week and rub elbows with people. I'm just thankful that I've become a hockey fan. So, thanks, Hawks.
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