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Welcome to the February version of Blackhawks Bytes, a sequence that includes quotes and feedback from gamers, coaches, administration, journalists and followers alike regarding all the things Chicago Blackhawks. The goal of this ongoing column is to seize a slice of the present outlook, attitudes and tradition surrounding the workforce. Please be part of me as now we have some enjoyable with the on a regular basis, albeit fascinating side of human nature; the facility of phrases.
The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend has come and gone, which at all times receives combined opinions within the hockey world. The excellent news is Blackhawks’ younger star Connor Bedard was there in any case. He participated as a guest passer within the one-timer taking pictures competitors on Friday, regardless of recovering from a damaged jaw. While we look ahead to the Blackhawks’ game-action to choose up once more this coming Wednesday (Feb. 9), let’s get caught up on a few of the extra memorable quips and quotes from the previous month.
Coaches Tocchet & Richardson Exchange Mutual Respect
Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet and Blackhawks’ head coach Luke Richardson each loved lengthy and profitable careers as gamers, Tocchet as a ahead and Richardson as a defenseman. They crossed paths as teammates with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2000-2002, and now discover themselves matched up as competing coaches within the NHL. The Canucks and the Blackhawks met on Jan. 22, which finally resulted in a 2-0 loss for Chicago.
In pre-game interviews, each Tocchet and Richardson expressed their appreciation for one another’s teaching kinds. Said Richardson on Tocchet,
He’s teaching simply the way in which he performed. The [Canucks] play a ferocious, offensive, forechecking, assault recreation. … He’s such an important motivator and he’s at all times excited — he’s acquired a number of power when he involves the rink. That festers proper into the workforce, and so they appear like they’ve been remodeled.
Tocchet has solely been with the Canucks a bit of over a yr, however in that point he has them rotated. They’re presently tied within the standings for first place within the league, together with the Boston Bruins (each have 71 factors).
The present Canucks’ bench boss is in his eighth season as a head coach, so it is smart that he would take pleasure in some type of success. But that didn’t cease him from giving a glowing report of his counterpart who’s solely in his second season as a head coach. Said Tocchet,
I’m an enormous fan of Luke Richardson and his work. [The Hawks have] handled 1,000,000 accidents. I don’t even know half the fellows within the lineup generally as a result of they’re arising from the minors. But the one widespread denominator is that they work laborious. They play a number of 2-1 hockey video games.
That just about sums up what Richardson has carried out for much in his Blackhawks’ teaching tenure. He taken a ragtag squad with not a number of expertise, but in some way put the items collectively to nonetheless ice a comparatively aggressive workforce.
It’s not simple to get probably the most out of what others would name cast-off veterans, nor to develop a plethora of younger, inexperienced gamers. But Richardson has carried out an admirable job up to now. Time will inform if the Blackhawks proceed on an upward trajectory, and whether or not Richardson would be the proper man for the job as soon as they’re nearer to competition. But all indicators level in his favor proper now.
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Crevier Manages “Ups & Downs” of 1st NHL Season
What’s it prefer to be a bubble participant on a rebuilding workforce? Well, Louis Crevier can let you know all about it. The 6-foot-8 defenseman made his NHL debut on Dec. 3 in opposition to the Minnesota Wild, and he’s suited up for 14 extra video games since then. But there’s additionally been a number of again & forth in that point. He was referred to as up within the wake of the Blackhawks re-assigning Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips to the Rockford IceHogs, however then additionally sat because the seventh defenseman a handful of occasions.
When the Blackhawks claimed Jacob Megna off waivers from the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 3, that was just about the writing on the wall for Crevier. He was despatched again to Rockford on Jan. 9. But an harm to Nikita Zaitsev gave Crevier one other shot; he performed on Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 earlier than as soon as once more being despatched to the IceHogs to get in some enjoying time over the break.
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For his most up-to-date call-up, Crevier solely had quarter-hour to arrange for his flight to hitch the Blackhawks. It will be fairly the curler coaster experience to have that a lot upheaval in a single’s life, however that is all a part of the method for many younger gamers making an attempt to make it within the NHL. Crevier is dealing with it fairly nicely, contributing 13 hits, 32 blocked photographs, 4 takeaways and three assists whereas averaging simply over 16 minutes of ice time in his first 15 video games. Perhaps probably the most important part is his positive attitude.
Going up and down, I can’t complain. That means I’m doing good issues if I’m referred to as up. It’s a part of hockey, proper?
It’s a privilege to have that insecurity.
That’s the proper angle certainly! It’s unclear whether or not Crevier will return to the massive membership after the break, or whether or not defenseman Connor Murphy (decrease physique) will probably be wholesome sufficient to return as a substitute. But I’m assured this isn’t the final we’ve seen of Crevier this season.
Dickinson’s Direction
Forward Jason Dickinson is at a very completely different stage in his NHL profession than Crevier. He’s solely six years older (28), however he’s in his ninth season within the NHL. Dickinson is now thought-about the wily veteran. He lately signed a two-year extension with the Blackhawks, and so they’ll most actually profit from his strong two-way play because the workforce rebuilds. But that’s solely a part of why the workforce prolonged him.
Dickinson is predicted to be a pacesetter and mentor to the youthful gamers, exhibiting them the ropes and what it’s prefer to be an expert within the NHL. His will get straight to the purpose with the beneath statement on the present state of the Blackhawks.
We’re lacking guys that may rating targets. There’s no shying away from it. The guys we’ve acquired enjoying proper now within the top-six function perhaps aren’t top-six guys, and perhaps aren’t going to supply for us the way in which a top-six participant would.
(from ‘How bottom-heavy Blackhawks are coping with dearth of goals, wins’, The AthleticCHI – 1/28/24)
That would possibly sound harsh, however it’s simply the sincere reality. Dickinson doesn’t imply this to be a jerk, he’s merely calling it like it’s, stating the info. That sort of management goes to assist these gamers which are so down about all of the shedding. I like the metaphor Dickinson makes use of subsequent.
There’s pleasure in doing what you do nicely. If you do what you do nicely, you’ll be able to’t be mad. You can’t ask a fish to stroll; it may well’t do it. But it may well swim very well. So once you ask it to do what it does nicely and it does it, you’re going to be fairly proud of what you get. It’s not at all times going to be fairly, and it’s not at all times going to be the consequence we would like. But if we do what we do nicely, we will be happy with the product and not proud of the consequence.
Ah, if solely all of us could possibly be this philosophical. But you’ll be able to’t deny Dickinson makes a sound level. Imparting that outlook to the others is an effective factor, and helps the workforce preserve a constructive outlook. It’s not so fairly proper now, however take pleasure in what you’re doing nicely.
Just suppose how good these guys are going to be at what they do nicely as soon as the pure goal-scorers come again (be part of the workforce)?!
How Richardson Rolls
Anyone who reads my content material regularly is aware of I’m an enormous fan of Coach Richardson. Like Tocchet indicated from the primary part, we all know the Blackhawks’ bench boss calls for a robust work ethic from his gamers, and so they reply to him. But he additionally looks like a legitimately good man. In interviews he’s considerate in his responses and respectful to the media. He occurs to be fairly humorous too. Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune’s Phillip Thompson requested Richardson how he was coping with all of the accidents to the workforce. Here was his response.
Had to submit this:
Luke Richardson’s response to how he has handled the Blackhawks’ rash of accidents: “Exercise and wine.” pic.twitter.com/qXbpoYKMlQ
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) January 7, 2024
Obviously that acquired an enormous snigger from the room. But the joke didn’t cease there. Fast ahead three weeks, and Thompson made the error of asking Richardson what he plans to do through the All-Star break.
Made the error of asking Luke Richardson what he plans to do through the All-Star break:
“Exercise and wine. I’m not kidding, I’m going to Napa Valley.” pic.twitter.com/a52PSDABiV
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) January 27, 2024
Well there you might have it! I like how he responds even earlier than the tip of the query. Who’s making the T-shirts?! “Exercise & Wine, Coach Richardson Style”, with an enormous “Blackhawks” throughout the again. But significantly of us, it’s laborious to not like Richardson as an individual and for what he’s introduced as far as a coach. Throw a bit of humor in there and you may’t go flawed.
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That’s all for as we speak’s Bytes! The Blackhawks go well with up once more on Feb. 7 once they host the Minnesota Wild on the United Center. This is the primary of a February homestand the place the workforce will host 9 of ten video games in Chicago. Hopefully this, and a few well-rested gamers, can lead to extra success and extra wins for the Blackhawks.
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