Welcome to the Chicago Blackhawks' Bandwagon

"Here come the Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks!" A fight song that's been put away in a drawer somewhere for over a decade has re-emerged on the Chicago sports scene, and with good reason. There's plenty of room, so jump on board the Blackhawks Bandwagon.

I recently sat through a fantasy hockey draft in which almost every member of the Chicago Blackhawks was picked in the first ten rounds. I sat back and scratched my head...nearly replicating Jim Mora's famous "Playoffs?" rant replacing playoffs with "Blackhawks?" Were these the Chicago Blackhawks?

There is a feeling in Chicago among those of us that know the names Secord and Larmer that this team has a special touch. The mix of youth and experience, speed and skill, goaltending and physical defense and overall depth lead those that appreciate hockey to see a team that has definite late-postseason aspirations.

Let there be no underestimating the impact of an ownership change. In less than twelve months, Rocky Wirtz has taken the crusty cause for empty seats on weeknights at the United Center and returned it to being the crown jewel of the National Hockey League's non-Detroit fan base in the Midwest.

Wirtz began the transformation before his father, Bill Wirtz, passed away by gently moving the puck away from losers in the general manager's office and a few places on the ice.

Once he had control of the team, the swift actions of adding marketing Jedi John McDonough to the front office and loosening the purse straps of general manager Dale Tallon have enabled the team to look like a winner for the first time since Chelios, Roenick, and Belfour were in town.

Perhaps most importantly, Rocky brought back the past. Lost in the shuffle of a strike and arguably the worst mismanagement of any professional sports franchise in America was one of the greatest histories of any team in the NHL. Gone were the faces of The Golden Jet, Bobby Hull, and the only Stan Mikita sightings were when "Wayne's World" was on cable.

Wirtz not only committed to the future, but he did so with a respectful eye on the past. This season will see more legends of the Hawks come back, and another number retired. All part of the perfect orchestration of Wirtz to make the team relevant to those who have loved the team for years, and backing it up with a product on the ice that's worthy of the legend's attendance.

From there, a contract has been signed to put home games on television, there has been interaction with players, advertising, and even a fan convention has popped up as parts of this dramatic, yet smooth progression from obscurity back to the forefront of the winter sports world in Chicago.

On the ice, the Blackhawks have drafted well and made sound investments in free agency the past couple offseasons. But while the impact on the Chicago sports scene has been quietly building, the impact on players around the NHL is palpable.

Brian Campbell noted that the reason he came to Chicago (other than the ungodly amount of money he got) was because the roar is back. The top free agent goaltender, Cristobal Huet, also came to Chicago to be part of "something special."

Now the Hawks are selling out their preseason home opener, something they couldn't do against even the likes of Detroit since the late '90s. The Blackhawks have built momentum carrying into a regular season that has all the signs and promise of something special.

And with the Bears off to a struggling start and the Bulls having done nothing to make anyone care since a certain player named Michael left, the Blackhawks have struck gold.

It won't be as cold a winter by Lake Michigan this year with the Blackhawks keeping us in the seats at the United Center and, thankfully, in front of our televisions. To quote the great fight song in closing, "Let's go you Hawks, hoorah!"