Countdown to Puck Drop – Day 49 – Blackhawks Break the Cup Drought

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As we hit Day 49 in the NHL countdown to puck drop, the Chicago Blackhawks hit a milestone of their own. The 2019-20 season marks the 10-year anniversary of the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup win, which broke a 49-year championship drought.

So how can the Blackhawks best celebrate this momentous occasion? By winning another Cup of course! While we can’t guarantee that, the organization is doing their best to celebrate in style.

Blackhawks’ Convention Kickoff

At the 12th annual Blackhawks Convention in July, the team announced they would have many different events commemorating the 2010 Cup win throughout the season. They invited numerous 2010 alumni for the weekend including Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Adam Burish, Dave Bolland, and Brian Bickell and there was a special panel discussing some of the highlights of their playoff run.

The above video is a bit long, but it’s worth watching if you have the time. The panel discussed specific highlights and goals that were turning points in each series. There was also a lot of good-natured joking around. The players on that 2010 team were a very close-knit group, on and off the ice. During the discussion, Burish offered a good assessment of what it takes to win.

They all wanted to be the No. 1 star every night. And it wasn’t in a selfish way…it was a healthy competition…come playoff time we had everybody that wanted to steal the show every night and the I think that’s why we were so good. We had so many guys that wanted to be the No. 1 star every night and we all benefitted because of it.

Bolland added,

We all knew our role on that team…we all knew what we had to do to win. And we came out and we achieved that and we did that.

Bobbleheads & Replica Ring

The convention was a perfect way to get fans excited about celebrating the unforgettable 2010 win. The Blackhawks further announced they will feature six giveaways throughout the season: five bobblehead giveaways and a 2010 Replica Ring. The bobbleheads will feature Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews.

Kane’s bobblehead will be given to the first 10,000 fans at the Training Camp Festival on Sept.15. It showcases him celebrating his famous Cup-winning goal that nobody saw.

The dates of the other four bobblehead and replica ring giveaway events will be announced at a future date. All we know is the tiny statues “will honor marquee moments from 2010.” Based on this information, I would expect each bobblehead to feature a special goal celebration from that playoff run. Remember when Hossa scored in overtime against the Nashville Predators after stepping out of the penalty box? I predict his celly, down on his knees fist-pumping with both hands, will be emphasized on his signature bobblehead.

Related – A Blackhawks’ History: Irrelevance to Prominence & Back Again

Anniversary Nights

Aside from the Kane giveaway at the Training Camp Festival, each giveaway will coincide with a special anniversary game night, which will include photo opportunities and historical items on display in the United Center Atrium throughout the game.

The organization will also continue their “One More Shift” campaign on the same evenings, when former players are honored before puck drop by skating one last time in front of the packed crowd.

The final Anniversary Night will be in the spring, and will bring together members from the 2010 team for an on-ice celebration.

More Blackhawks’ Memories

It wasn’t an easy run. This young Blackhawks squad had to bypass the Predators, the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks, and then the Philadelphia Flyers before hoisting the Cup for the first time in 49 years. They won each series four games to two, with the exception of the Sharks, whom they swept in four games.

There was the Hossa goal, which was arguably the turning point against the Predators, but there was also the force of Dustin Byfuglien, who gave the Canucks fits in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Conference Final sweep over the Sharks might have seemed easy, but not for Keith. If you recall, in the final Game 4 he lost seven teeth.

Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith lost seven teeth in the 2010 Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks. – Photo Credit: Andy Martin Jr.


It all culminated in that famous Kane goal that nobody saw, but that nobody will ever forget.

Related – 5 Reason the Blackhawks Will Rebound in 2019-20

It will be fun to follow along as the Blackhawks relive their momentous 2010 season. Only a few players remain from that historic run; namely Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook. Sharp and Burish will be there as well, even if it’s only in the broadcasting booth. The festivities should provide plenty of inspiration for the team as a whole; to emulate the success of that great run.

In many ways, this year’s team is much the same. There are a number of young and hungry stars who want to find that ultimate glory. So here’s to the memories of 2010 and 49 years.  

But now it’s time to make new memories. Is it October yet?