Jonathan Toews and Blackhawks Come to Soldier Field

The whirlwind summer of celebration may be soon be coming to a close, but it was certaintly not going to happen at Soldier Field today for the Chicago Bears opener against Detroit.

The Blackhawks players and their friend "Stanley" were there on a beautiful, albeit windy day on the lake to hopefully send good winning vibes to the beloved Bears (which barely worked).

The team showed off the Cup as Troy Brouwer raised it high at midfield.

Captain Jonathan Toews lead the charge as he waved the "fourth phase" flag in support of the Bears this season.

Other players such as Bryan Bickell, Jordan Hendry, and Niklas Hjalmarrson were in attendance. Dave Bolland was also at the game and wore a Cubs hat and Bears jersey in front of the capacity crowd. 

Players also took pictures with Bears owner Virginia McKaskey, whose father, "Papa Bear" George Halas, started the Bears organization.

Other notable interaction between the Bears and Blackhawks was an exchange of pleasantries between team leaders Toews and Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who looks to provide a great year for a team that invested first round draft picks and Kyle Orton for his services.

The Hawks also threw the ball around for a bit before Bears kicker Robbie Gould got things started on the kickoff.

It was a great sight to see the Blackhawks again in the public eye celebrating. The next big stop for the team will be when they raise the championship banner to the rafters in the United Center.

Rookies Lose Game #2 in Rookie Tournament

As the Chicago Blackhawks continue to evaluate their young talent going into next season, one of the avenues is the ongoing Rookie Tournament in Ontario. No doubt it will play a major factor in determining who is going to have the favor of the organization and coaches as the season opener nears, though it cannot be read into very much because of the major players not being in it; these are roster spots that eventually become key in playoff runs, and it is integral to every team to have standouts on the third and fourth lines of their clubs.

In their second game of the tournament, the Hawks had the same result as the first game, ultimately losing to the Ottawa Senators by a score of 7-3.

The team was coasting into the third period with a lead of 3-1, when a sudden collapse occurred in which the Senators tacked on six goals in the final period.

The Hawks got there goals from center David Gilbert (committed to University of Denver), Center Rob Flick (a fourth round selection), and Igor Makarov (KHL player and second round pick in 2006).

It would be nice to see the Blackhawks get a win under their belt, but obviously it is not something to become perturbed about.

The Blackhawks also lost their opening Rookie Tournament game, which was covered by fellow Featured Columnist Kyle Wahlgren:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/460024-chicago-blackhawks-prospects-lose-opener-in-toronto