Column: Blackhawks Fans’ Faith, Support Will Be Rewarded Down the Road

It was several of my uncles who solidified my love of sports, their fandom and loyalty to teams teaching me that fandom was through thick and thin. Sunday’s game reminded me of those lessons, watching a packed United Center cheer on a Blackhawks team on fumes, all the way down to the final seconds. I wrote before it sounded like a playoff game and it did.

There will be kid a few years down the road recalling that game when he or she was supposed to see Connor Bedard when the tickets were bought, recalling that disappointment that he wouldn’t play. But they still went, along with nearly 20,000 other people, and cheered the last place Blackhawks to victory.

That same kid will recall when Colin Blackwell scored a pair of goals, and how he just missed an empty net to get the hat trick. Or perhaps how that team was once again carried by Petr Mrazek, who gave it the old one-two with his stick after final horn sounded.

Games like that, where the unexpected happens, are where loyalty–and faith is born.

Blackhawks Show Fight, Resolve in Sunday’s Win

Blackwell commented on his style of play postgame and is the type of player fans love to have on their side.

“I’ve always played like this, but I’m 30 years old and a lot of people haven’t really given me the time of day my whole career, so I’ve always played like that,” Blackwell said. “I play with a chip on my shoulder and I recognize that I’m trying to fight for a spot on this team and also trying to make up for some lost time.”

The Blackhawks aren’t a great team, nor were they supposed to be. But there’s a fight, despite being down to only a handful of players on the opening night roster, that continues night in and night out.

They’ve had some clunkers for sure, and it likely won’t be easy tonight when they take on the Edmonton Oilers in what was supposed to be an anticipated battle between Bedard and Connor McDavid.

But the fight during the victory over the Calgary Flames was what the Blackhawks are building–a culture that leaves it all out there on the ice. Perhaps head coach Luke Richardson’s description of Blackwell’s playing style sums it up best.

“He’s a heart-and-soul type of player and sometimes his teammates or the coaching staff have to settle him down a little bit on the bench,” Richardson said. . “He gets revved up. But that’s good. It gets everybody’s spirits up and pushing in the right direction.”

Those fans, who saw their first or fiftieth game live were revved up, too. There will certainly be ups and downs throughout the rebuild process, but if it ends with a Stanley Cup and parade, well, moments like Sunday will stand out, too.

It’s where loyalty and faith are rewarded as a fan.