Emma: Blackhawks Challenged To Keep Together
By Chris Emma-
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ever since one of Chicago's brightest marketing minds, John McDonough, became Blackhawks president in 2007, this storied Original Six franchise has held a pristine image.
The United Center compares to Disney World, with McDonough molding his Blackhawks brand to near perfection. There's a locker room full of likable guys who draw fans — Kaner, Patrick Kane; Captain Serious, Jonathan Toews; Sharpie, Patrick Sharp; Duncs, Duncan Keith.
Chicago's hockey revival began with names — and nicknames — that draw Instagram "likes" and sell shirseys. Kane and Toews were Nos. 1 and 2 in NHL jerseys sales, respectively, in February. The new generation of hockey fans bought in, too, because these players are relatable. These Blackhawks are down to earth, the kinds of guys you want to have a beer with.
More important than anything else, the Blackhawks have won. They made history with a championship in 2010, then got a refill with the Stanley Cup in 2013. It's their "One Goal" to do it again in 2015, and they're considered the Vegas favorites.
"Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup," general manager Stan Bowman recently reiterated after revamping the Blackhawks' roster with three deadline acquisitions, each a veteran piece who can make an immediate impact.
Adversity has rocked the Blackhawks' serene locker room this season. The most recent allegations were "a list of rumors" from a Chicago sports blog that questioned Sharp's off-ice life, speculating he'd engaged in infidelity. It reached such a fever pitch that the Blackhawks felt compelled to respond, unprompted by the beat writers, with support loud and clear for Sharp, with Keith calling it "BS."
"I don't think anyone who spreads rumors like that understands what it's like to be targeted, to be a subject of those rumors," Toews said. "It's definitely unfair to that individual when it's obviously completely false. For us, in the (locker room), as teammates, we support the guy.
"There's false rumors like that. Sometimes, you can laugh about it, but when it's serious and it affects someone's family, then it's good to put it to rest and move on."
Yet the perception that something is off with the Blackhawks remains. 670 The Score's Dan Bernstein reported that the Blackhawks' locker room has been "complicated by untidy personal lives." Another high-profile name, NFL analyst Dave Diehl, crossed the sports spectrum to tweet about a fight in the Chicago locker room. The players' denials could be genuine, or it could just be an attempt to protect that cherished logo and a prestigious hockey brand.
Through it all, the Blackhawks have supported one another, at least publicly.
"They're almost like brothers," Keith said of his teammates. "Nothing is going to break that. We've had a lot of games — going into a Game 7 against Detroit, the whole city is behind you and hoping."
Right now, only the Blackhawks know if the elephant is lingering and standing right on the logo in the center of their locker room or if there's nothing to be made of it. We just know the image-conscious Blackhawks will handle their drama internally, as they've long done.
"As a professional athlete, you're always under some form of scrutiny," Toews said. "Especially in the city of Chicago, where we're more and more in the spotlight, where people talk about stuff that happens — or, things that they think happen, obviously — off the ice. We just focus on our job, which is the number one thing. I think we're happy with the way we've gotten through it as a team."
On the surface, the Blackhawks' biggest problem is getting through the next 11 weeks without Kane, whose broken clavicle likely won't be healed until the Western Conference Final. Coach Joel Quenneville must also find playing time for the team's top prospect, the talented 20-year-old Teuvo Teravainen. And who's the best fit as the backup goalie, Antti Raanta or Scott Darling?
Yet if a rift truly exists — or if it has lingered — the Blackhawks must also keep it from breaking their pursuit of another Cup championship, because that opportunity is once again real.
"That's our jobs," Toews said. "That's what we try to do."
The Blackhawks insist unity remains, and Chicago continues to celebrate their brand, even in a sport many don't fully understand. Wait for the puck to go in the net, the horn to blare and sing and dance to a song that has no words.
With another chance to hoist the Stanley Cup coming, Chicago is united around its hockey team, but that prize won't return if the Blackhawks aren't united with each other. Only time will truly tell.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.