CHICAGO — Big Jim Cornelison belts out the “Star Spangled Banner” before another Chicago Blackhawks home game against Florida in equal parts forte (loud) and fortissimo (very loud), as a constantly clapping house makes its traditional crescendo just as Cornelison bellows, “And the rocket’s RED GLAAAARE…!!!”
It’s a ritual that Patrick Kane has observed more than 600 times in his career as a Blackhawk, but the hairs on the back of his neck don’t stand up the way they once did. The way they used to when the United Center truly was the Madhouse on Madison, and Drew Doughty or the Sedin twins stood across from him on the opposing blue-line.
On this night, the rebuilding Blackhawks would announce a paid attendance of 12,859, some 3,000 tickets less than the smallest announced crowd from last season. The actual attendance is likely closer to 10,000.
“It’s just sometimes, you know, you look up and you’re so used to seeing more people in warm-ups,” Kane said. “In a building that’s full for the anthem. I know that’s not the case right now …”
Kane is speaking after another surprising Blackhawks victory, early in a season that marks the beginning of one of hockey’s most emphatic rebuilds. They’ve beaten Florida 4-2, and both Kane and Jonathan Toews — the two Hall of Fame pillars of what was once a Blackhawks dynasty, now both likely to be moved at the March trade deadline — have each scored in the victory.
The Blackhawks can win all they want.
“The plan does not change,” promised Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson. “No, no. … We’re committed.”
Davidson will talk, in theory, about moving Kane and Toews. But not in practice.
“I honestly don’t even look at them as assets right now,” said Davidson. When pressed, he’ll admit that trading the last remnants of the greatest team in Blackhawks history is “a very, very big conversation. It’s an organizational conversation. It’s not just a hockey one.”
Let’s get serious: Any organization that would turn a 24-year-old Brandon Hagel into picks and prospects, and then move a 24-year-old Alex DeBrincat for more picks is absolutely going to be shopping a pair of pending unrestricted free agents in Kane (34 in November) and Toews (35 in April).
Nobody knows that more than the players themselves.
“It’s easy to put aside right now because, I mean, there’s really nothing gonna happen soon, right?” Kane said. “So, it’s pretty easy to just go out there and play, and hopefully you’re getting into a situation where we’re competing for a playoff spot, the team’s doing well, and I don’t have to think about that.”
Like Davidson said, how well the team plays isn’t going to sway him off course of a rebuild that commenced like no other last summer.
“You have to set your course, set the process in motion, and just follow through with it. Because in a couple of years it’s not going to matter what we did in in 2023,” Davidson said the morning after the win over Florida. “This (good start) is really fun, and I’m really happy for the players and coaches, because they put in a lot of work to make this happen.
“It’s exciting, but we’re not going to deviate anything that we do.”
He’ll move expiring contracts in Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou, but will have to consult with Kane and Toews on their destinations. The two have identical deals with no-move clauses, an AAV of $10.5 million, and $2.9 million of actual salary left to be paid after signing bonuses this season.
There is a school of thought that says Kane could exercise his right to stay around, sign for cheap to shepherd this rebuild, and work toward cementing himself statistically as the greatest Blackhawk ever. He is 283 points, 282 games played, 174 goals 173 assists away from becoming the franchise leader in each of those categories, ahead of greats Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull.
But there are more of us who believe Kane will end the season in the uniform of the New York Rangers or Colorado Avalanche. A first-round pick and a good, younger player like Kaapo Kakko or Samuel Girard would be the return for Kane.
As for Toews, his DNA is different — as would be the return (likely two second-rounders).
Winning is everything to one of the legendary wearers of Team Canada red, and word is his patience with the Blackhawks process is not as long as a captain’s should be. Teams would line up for Toews at the deadline — particularly the Edmonton Oilers, whose needs at second- or third-line centre and in the faceoff circle would be assuaged by Toews, whose long-time teammate Duncan Keith now works in development for Edmonton.
Keith walked away from the Blackhawks dynasty and made a tidy run on Edmonton’s blue-line last season, all the way to the Western Conference Final. He was an excellent addition to what the Oilers already had, as Toews would be.
“I talked to (Keith) about it. He said it was different, but he enjoyed it,” Kane said. “I mean, it’s probably fun being on a good team and going that far in playoffs and having that feeling again.”
With the Oilers scheduled to arrive for a Thursday night game in Chicago, the Blackhawks are a surprising 4-2 in their first six games. Goalie Alex Stalock, at the ripe old age of 35, has a 3-1 and a save percentage of .938.
At five-foot-11, 170 pounds, he comes out to the hashmarks to challenge a shooter like a young Warren Skorodenski. In front of him, the young, tenacious Blackhawks are surprising fans and opponents alike.
“Do you think you’re changing expectations?” Kane is asked after the game.
“I’m not sure if we really have too many expectations in here,” countered Kane.
He knows — everyone in this Blackhawks dressing room knows — this fast start is likely an outlier. It won’t sway Davidson from continuing down the same rebuild road that led the Chicago Cubs to their 2016 World Series — complete with Davidson’s right-hand man, Blackhawks associate GM Jeff Greenberg, the former Cubs assistant GM.
On the Southside, however, the White Sox are the cautionary tale. They finally reached 93 wins last season to win the Central Division, and were supposed to be World Series contenders this past season. Instead, the Sox fell back to 81 wins in 2022 and missed the playoffs.
Now, it’s the hockey team’s turn.
In a town where the fans are mostly supportive, Davidson still has some hard news to deliver to fans who walk the United Center concourses with Blackhawks jerseys bearing the numbers 19 and 88.
“On our end, it’s more so about showing the process,” the GM said. “Explaining the mountain that we’re trying to climb here, and that it’s an exciting process if you buy in and get on board at the start.
“It’s more about the selling the journey than maybe the night-to-night product.”
Or the trade-to-trade product, one that will gut this franchise, no matter how they try to sell it to the fan base.