Blackhawks are selling a good product, and Chicago is buying
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
I go back long enough with Chicago and the Blackhawks that when I make the turn onto Madison Street I instinctively look for the old Stadium. I still miss it. The roars were never louder anywhere than in that creaky, sticky-floored, time-worn museum of a place.
The United Center, like so many of the new arenas that opened during the building boom of the 1990s, is a massive barn that lacks the quirks that made Chicago Stadium, Boston Garden and Maple Leaf Gardens so distinctive. But slowly, gradually, the new place is taking on character -- thanks to the revival of the Blackhawks since Rocky Wirtz took over the team.
The Blackhawks’ archaic and arrogant policies of not broadcasting games on TV, refusing to cater to their fans and letting go of players they developed alienated fans to the point where crowds were pitifully small. They lost an entire generation, and so did the game.
But instituting new fan-friendly marketing strategies and rebuilding bridges to their past that had long been severed have made the Blackhawks an attraction again, and it’s wonderful to see for this city and the league as a whole. They had sold out 83 consecutive home games (at a capacity of 22,309) before playing host to the Kings on Wednesday, and the place looked jammed again.
Riding in a cab to the United Center, I was startled by the number of people in the streets around the arena, walking from parking lots and trains wearing bright red jerseys and talking hockey. Five years ago, the area was a ghost town. Now it’s alive because the Hawks are a contender again and an exciting young team. A new emphasis on tradition and terrific game presentation make this a fun place to be. If you don’t get the chills when fans applaud and cheer during the national anthem, then you’re made of stone.
It’s not the Stadium, but I’ll always have my memories. The revival of the Hawks, a painfully long process that the Kings are enduring a beat or two behind them, is creating memories for a new generation of fans.
-- Helene Elliott in Chicago