Stanley Cup champions last June, long shots to make the playoffs now. What’s going on with these on-and-off Chicago Blackhawks?
At the risk of sounding like I have all the answers (which I don’t) I’m going to use this space to offer some opinions about our favorite hockey team.
First of all, a disclaimer. The Hawks are still one of the best teams in the NHL, on paper (always) and on the ice (usually). They are managed well, the fan base has been rebuilt, and they remain one of the biggest attractions in professional sports.
But they are in one of the worst situations any NHL team can be in: the year after winning it all. Worse yet, the year after they won for the first time in 49 years. So, what does that mean?
It means three things.
First, there is the business-of-sports factor. You know, that wonderful parity-producer that includes salary caps, free agency, and the annual daunting reality that money too often trumps talent and athletics in the highest level of a sport. The Blackhawks invested wisely and spent big to assemble the 2009-10 squad that thrilled us all last spring. And it was inevitable that much of that talent would disappear after the season. Guys like Andrew Ladd, Dustin Bylufgein, and so many other performers played a big part in that big year, and they were traded or lost to free agency because of the economics of pro sports. The Hawks simply could no longer afford them. This year, they don’t have the depth and breadth of talent they had last year, which I believe explains why they are so inconsistent this year.
Second, there is the hunger factor. No Hawk player would admit this, at least not publicly, but the fact is they are discovering that it is much more difficult to stay on top then to get there. Put another way, protecting something is harder than attacking it. They have lost a psychological advantage that motivated and guided them last year. It’s a subconscious change in the way they approach the competition on the ice. I believe this makes them more passive and less aggressive.
Third, there is the parity factor, which works against some clubs some years and helps others. The NHL’s talent is spread around in a wide area, with Pittsburgh, Washington, Vancouver, St. Louis, Boston Bruins, Montreal, and even some expansion clubs like San Jose and Carolina enjoying success. The Stanley Club playoffs are so entertaining because they are competitive. The chance to hoist the Cup has been passed around freely. Dynasties of dominance by one club have disappeared.
UCLA’s 10-year dominance of college basketball in the 1960s, the Yankees dominance of the American League and the World Series for so many years, and the mini-dynasties of Alabama, Oklahoma and Nebraska in college football are much greater achievements than one-and-done championships. But economics is making them disappear.
If the Blackhawks understand, and survive, all of this, they will continue to be successful. If they make the playoffs (I believe they will), it’s a new season with a whole new set of dynamics, which most of their players are comfortable with and understand.
