Click the player below to listen to this episode here:

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TTMI~Radio returns this week with a look to the Pacific Division and the upward bound Los Angeles Kings.  We are joined by The Mayor of MayorsManor.com, who gives us the lowdown on all-things LA Kings. 

Terry Murray's Kings, led by stars Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and many others figure to be a prominent fixture and pain in the side of teams like the Blackhawks, Sharks and Red Wings not only in 2010-11 but for many years to come.

For you Twitter-ers, you can also follow The Mayor @ Twitter.com/Mayor119

In the last half hour of the show, we explain what went wrong with last week's show (a transcript of my interview with player-agent Scott Norton will be posted on the site in a day or two) and why the live show hasn't been posted on line to date as well as why Antti Niemi and agent Bill Zito made the right choice in signing with the Sharks.

As for our discussion with the Mayor, we covered many topics, including, but not limited to....

- Review and fallout of Kings' first-round exit dealt by the Canucks in April

- Interesting battle brewing between the pipes this season between Jonathan Quick and rookie Jonathan Bernier.

- Facts behind the Kings' pursuit of Ilya Kovalchuk

- Likelihood Jack Johnson could be dealt and the Kings' pursuit of a true #2 centreman

- Updates on talent-rich prospect field including; defenseman Thomas Hickey, Colton Teubert, Vyacheslav Voinov, Alec Martinez and Nicolas Deslauriers and yet another goaltender, Martin Jones.  As well as when we can expect to see forwards Brayden Schenn (who many believe could become the Kings' #2 center much sooner than you'd think) and Russian winger Andrei Loktionov.

- As young and talented as the Kings were a year ago, four of their more-recent 1st round picks are in-line for solid NHL careers, but have yet to crack LA's roster.

- The signing of former 'Nucks blue liner Willie Mitchell

- Who's the real leader in LA?  And an interesting behind the scenes story of an event that led to the Kings' turnaround last season.

- Wayne Simmonds

- Matt Greene, Brad Richardson and more key Kings you may not know but should

- LA Kings fans and the atmosphere inside Staples Center

- Southern Cal vs Northern Cal rivalry

Again, check out Mayor's work at MayorsManor.com.

TTMI~Radio returns Monday night, September 13th @ 8pm central at BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com 

"HOCKEENIGHT and CHRIS BLOCK Go Prospecting"
Monday August 30, 2010
Direct Link to Hockeenight's show page and description

As for our show, join us Tuesday night at 8pm central, for the 50th edition of TheThirdManIn~Radio.  Our guest will be Scott Norton, head of the Norton Sports Management group.  Norton's list of NHL clients include Dustin Brown (LA Kings), Brent Sopel (ATL) and former Blackhawks prospect Billy Sweatt.

Steve Ludzik has done it all.  From achieving an elite level in junior hockey with Niagara Falls to overcoming Crohn's disease to become the Blackhawks' second-round pick in 1980.  Ludzik was a key component of the Blackhawks teams throughout the 80's.  He went on to transition into coaching after a brief stint with the Sabres and Rochester in the AHL, as well as a year of playing in Austria.  Ludzik twice reached the International Hockey League finals with the Detroit Vipers, winning the Turner Cup (IHL Championship) in 1997, defeating the Long Beach Ice Dogs; and losing a 7-game series with the Chicago Wolves the following season.  In the NHL, Ludzik coached the Tampa Bay Lightning from 1999-2001, and after a year leading Don Cherry's Mississauga Ice Dogs (OHL), he assisted Rick Dudley behind the Florida Panthers' bench and coached their minor league affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage.  In recent years, Steve has been a popular on-air personality on television and radio with The Score in Canada and on TSN.  And now, he's penned a book about it all.

Ludzik has truly "Been There Done That."

Always entertaining and gracious with his time, Ludzik spoke to us for an hour about his career, his teammates and the game he's given so much to.  His book is truly outstanding and a great read for any Blackhawks' fan, and certainly followers of those teams full of character over the course of the 80's.  "Been There Done That" (co-authored by Steve Wilson) is crammed full of stories you don't want to miss.  Stories, about, but not limited to, Ludzik's great friend Steve "Grandpa" Larmer, Orval Tessier, Robert Jesse Pulford, Mike Keenan, Dr. Louis Kolb, pranks amongst teammates, officiating a midget wrestling match and a stories of the blatant arrogance of the 80's Edmonton Oilers you've probably not heard anywhere else.  Its a book full of history and humor.  You can purchase a copy now at Ludzy.com.

As for tonight's show.... Click player below to listen here

{audio}http://www.thethirdmanin.com/podcast/download/2010Aug23_TTMIRadio_e49_Interview_SteveLudzik.mp3{/audio}

BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn
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Ludzy talked openly on anything and everything, including....  

- Being stricken with a life-threatening illness at age 16
- 2 1/2 months in hospital; stages and long road to recovery
- Legendary Derek "Turk" Sanderson
- How Steve Larmer was almost cut the year he won the Calder Trophy
- Making $25 a week
- Deck stacked against Ludzy
- Adjusting his game for the jump to NHL
- Comparing Ludzik's conversion to plight of current prospect Evan Brophey
- How good were the 80's Blackhawks?
- Lop-sided rivalry with hated Minnesota North Stars
- North Stars he disliked most
- The Great Denis Savard
- Smokey Blackhawks' dressing room
- Pully lifting cigs during practices
- The 'real' Bob Pulford
- Ludzy's first meeting with Pulford
- Why Larmer nearly quit hockey a month after he was drafted & how Ludzik convinced him to continue
- The popular Orval Tessier
- How the "feather-ruffler" is doing these days
- Why Tessier and Don Cherry couldn't stand one another
- The "heart transplant" spout-off
- How that incident changed Tessier
- Making friends and enemies in hockey
- Surprising story about a young Wayne Gretzky, I guarantee you've never heard
- Stress of staying on top of his game and in the NHL
- Moment Ludzik knew he wanted to get into coaching
- Playing for "Iron" Mike Keenan.  Thoughts on Keenan as a coach.
- His father's influence
- Being "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe's last coach
- Funny story about Gordie's bad memory
- Alexander Ovechkin and 'larger than life' characters in hockey
- Being fired in Tampa by GM and great friend Rick Dudley
- The 1997-98 IHL Finals series with Chicago Wolves
- Great appreciation for Chicago fans
- Thoughts on NHLPA in his day; players he is most-concerned for; the Kovalchuk contract controversy, and whether Ludzik thinks the league and player's association is headed for another dreaded stand-off.

All that and so much more, including the revealing of our Superstar's true identity.  Steve is a tremendous guest and with so many things we've yet to cover with him, we'll get him back on later on this season.  After Steve leaves the show, we discuss Cristobal Huet's new place of residency for the upcoming season, as well as Antti Niemi's remaining options.  And a few other topics as well, including the old Norris Division hockey rivalries and Gary Bettman's hero, David Stern.

Enjoy.

Photo credit : Flickr: Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame (2009)

Join us next week, Tuesday August 31st, for our next show at BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn

I will also be the guest on next Monday's HockeeNight PuckCast, which you can hear on their site beginning Monday night, August 30th or at TalkShoe.com.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

Click the player below to listen to this show

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BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn - Check out our show page for full archive

On this edition of TTMI~Radio, the "Superstar" and I recount some of the hijinx from our recent trip to Las Vegas and well as the re-signing of UFA defenseman Nick Boynton, the Roenick-Zhamnov trade 14 years later, the upcoming Bob Probert auto-biography, we dipped into the listener e-mailbag and more on the Antti Niemi departure.  We also touch on last weekend's meeting of the Juggalos.  And, by the way, just how dumb is Tila Tequila anyway?  And Block as a special birthday message for Eddie Olczyk.

TheThirdManIn~Radio returns this Monday, August 23rd @ 7pm central time.  Our guest will be Steve Ludzik, former Blackhawk and IHL/NHL head coach.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

As has been the case with previous installments, John from the Fifth Feather and Jeff Bartl of BlackhawkUp.com come forth to express their thoughts. I, Chris Block, of TheThirdManIn.com was again asked to contribute. Matthew Killion (otherwise known as Matthew Dirt) is SCH's author this time. And a new co-conspirator; "the Forklift" of HockeeNight.com rides along sharing his strange views of Blackhawk puck.

Enjoy. And to see what other readers are saying about these passages, check out the threads at SecondCityHockey and FifthFeather.com

Read more...

Right-Click to Download this show or Click the Player below to listen

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It was my distinct pleasure to finally welcome John, of the fabulous Blackhawks' site, FifthFeather.com on this episode of TheThirdManIn~Radio.  Hopefully his partner-in-scribe Bob will be able to join us next time we get them on for a visit, which should be much sooner than another year's worth of shows.

Of course with the big news of today being the signing of Marty Turco and subsequent dismissal of Stanley Cup winning Antti Niemi after his one year $2.75M arbitration award, we covered that story from all angles.

Other topics of discussion:

- This weekend's Blackhawks' convention
- Blackhawks still managing to lose money
- John McDonough's P.R. machine
- Rocky vs McD shaping up
- After the changes - Where do Hawks sit in the West?
- Stan Bowman's "off-season"
- Predicting the opening night roster
- James Wisniewski's big deal
- Should fans be banned from prospect camp?
- The 2011 Winter Classic
- and changes ahead at the FifthFeather.com

All this and so much more on an absolutely loaded hour and 1/2 edition of TTMI~Radio.

Thanks as always for listening.  Those who'd prefer to listen on their IPod or through their ITUNES can do so by subscribing through the following link, or by searching "The Third Man In Radio" in the podcast section of the ITUNES store.

SUBSCRIBE to TheThirdManIn~Radio on ITUNES

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

Tonight's show airs live at 8pm (central) and you can listen live at BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn.  And if you can't join us live, the show will be posted on this site and at BTR shortly after we conclude.  Our shows usually run in the 75-90 minute range.

We encourage your phone calls, emails or Tweets as well.  The number to call into the show is listed on the show page during the stream.

I'm sure its rather obvious, the main topic of tonight's discussion, so I don't feel the need for a teaser here.  But we'll also cover how the many alterations to the Cup Champions roster will impact the Blackhawks chance at a repeat; this weekend's Blackhawks Convention; how the Blackhawks still managed to lose money in 2010 and the McDonough Monologues.

-- Saturday, we learned of the arbitrator's decision in the contract case between the Chicago Blackhawks and their Stanley Cup champion goaltender, and restricted free agent, Antti Niemi.  By lunchtime today, we'll know what the Hawks think of it.

Niemi was awarded a one-year $2.75 million deal for the upcoming season.  Next summer he will be scheduled to become an un-restricted free agent.

Over the weekend rumors surfaced of the Blackhawks allegedly having made an unofficial side-agreement with Dallas Stars UFA goaltender Marty Turco for one-year and anywhere between $1.5 to $2.0M.  Turco, a nine-year NHL veteran, turns 35 on August 13th.

A Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native and University of Michigan graduate, Turco has seen his numbers decline in each of the past two seasons with the Stars and has not led his former club to the playoffs since 2008.

On Sunday night, WGN-TV's Dan Roan reported the Blackhawks have come to terms with Turco and a deal, as reported by Roan, would be made official today.  WGN is a television and exclusive radio parter with the Blackhawks.

Quickly news spread of Turco's "signing" across social networking platforms but several reporters, including Chicago Tribune Hawks' writer Chris Kuc and the Sun-Times' Adam Johns, refuted WGN-TV's report saying they were unable to confirm the signing or that their sources had denied an agreement, as of last night, with Turco exists.

Everything will become clear and we'll know soon enough.

Until then, there's really nothing to comment on.

Read more...

As the story notes, despite record merchandise sales and eleven playoff home games (which, since players don't receive a salary in post season, is a limited-expense cash influx) Wirtz Corp continues to cover operating losses.  Just how much money the organization lost in 2009-10 is not known or voluntarily shared by the team at this time.

Read more...

Chris Block and Dieter Kurtenbach of Blackhawks Examiner review all the latest news including the Antti Niemi arbitration hearing, Stan Bowman's conference call, new contract signings and the Cristobal Huet "era" in this edition of TheThirdManIn~Radio.

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For anyone who is heading out to the Convention, we'd like to hear about your experience or anything of note that wouldn't be evident on internet videos or reported by mainstream media outlets.  You can send those to us at TheThirdManIn @ sbcglobal.net.

Discussed in today's show:

- Niemi's arbitration hearing
- A conference call about nothing
- Niemi's potential realistic, and non-realistic contract awards
- Blackhawks value 3rd line centers higher than #1 goaltenders
- Block's Niemi mea culpa
- How Corey Crawford impacts Hawks' play on Niemi
- Jose Theodore = Huet version 2.0
- Rumor Niemi $4.0M demand: Outrageous or about right?
- Theodore/Turco won't play for free
- Niemi Numbers & where major publication ranks him vs rest of league
- Hawk fans talking 2010 Cup run for granted?
- Misconception that Huet's contract hurting Hawks
- The Huet "era"
- Dirk Graham and Ted Lindsay celebrating life
- Jack Skille, in fact, takes a paycut
- Stan Bowman OWNS Bryan Bickell's agent
- The future of Nick Leddy
- AT&T & I-55

.... and much, much more.  And as always, thanks very much to all who take the time to listen.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

-- Look for the next edition of TTMI~Radio with Dieter Kurtenbach and myself late tomorrow.  It appears we'll be in Antti Niemi/arbitrator waiting mode by that time, but there's much more for us to discuss.

-- Antti Niemi's arbitration hearing is tomorrow.  No progress, apparently, has been made in talks between the Hawks and his agent to elude this process.  The Hawks can only afford to give Niemi so much under their current salary cap constraints.  Anything more than $2.5M would trigger another trade.  While its true the Hawks will have cheaper options in free agency should the arbitrator's decision come down in Niemi's favor, letting your rookie Stanley Cup Champion goaltender walk without receiving any compensation in return is a tough sell to 90% of the fan base.  Its possible a ruling could come as early as Friday, which would mean a decison on whether to accept the arbitration reward would have to come down before the convention closes.  Letting Niemi walk is not a good way to climax John McDonough's sacred creation.  And for that reason and a few others, I just don't see it as a real option.

Nick Leddy leaves Gophers, signs contract with Blackhawks

On Tuesday, news broke that Blackhawks prospect Nick Leddy would be leaving the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers as he has signed a professional contract with Chicago.

The contract Leddy signed is a standard three-year, entry-level contract that would pay him at a rate of $900,000 with the Blackhawks, or $67,500 while in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

Let's first be clear on something - just because Leddy has signed this contract does not necessarily mean he's turning pro.

Young players sign entry-levels all the time and return to their junior teams.  In Leddy's case, he's left college and could turn pro if that were his best option.  Well, it won't be.

I'm sure as you read this, general managers across junior hockey are contacting Leddy's agent and the Blackhawks pitching their teams as a great place for Leddy to continue his development.

Currently, the Tri-City Americans own Leddy's WHL rights.

Leddy, 19, posted 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 games in his freshman year with Minnesota in 2009-10.

At the conclusion of this month's Prospect Camp, general manager Stan Bowman was glowing over Leddy's performances, touting him as one of the most impressive players in the week-long assessment camp.

"(Leddy) is really smooth out there and I think he's going to be a Blackhawk for many years," Bowman told assembled reporters on July 12th.  "This is the first time we've seen him here in Chicago.  We saw him perform during the (09-10) season, but boy he's really smooth out there. I think he's going to be with the Blackhawks for many years. It's exciting to see that."

As a player, Leddy projects long-term as a solid two-way defenseman with a strong offensive upside.  He resembles Duncan Keith in many ways and watching him, it doesn't surprise you Leddy himself has said (before he was ever traded to the Hawks) he models his game after two Blackhawk blue liners, Keith and Brian Campbell.

There is an agreement in place between the American Hockey League and the CHL (the sanctioning body that overseas major Canadian junior leagues such as the OHL, WHL and QMJHL) that prevents players under the age of 20 from leaving their junior organizations to play in the AHL.  Since Leddy is leaving the NCAA, this rule would not apply to him.  Unless he does at some point, report to a junior team.

However, one would have to question whether or not Canadian junior would be a better fit for the 19-year-old at this time?  While Leddy was one of the better players at the Hawks prospect camp, he was paired with Shawn Lalonde (who is a year older and is ready to make the transition to pro hockey) and Lalonde was distinctly the better of the two.  Dylan Olsen was never paired with anyone near the ability as Leddy or Lalonde, and he was still one of the most consistently impressive defenseman in the camp.  Had Leddy been paired with scrubs or non-organization invitees, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion to begin with.

Another peculiar side-note to the Leddy signing directly relates to Olsen.  Dylan Olsen, 19 (who turns twenty on January 3rd, or 2 1/2 months before Leddy) was selected 28th overall by the Hawks in the same 2009 Draft that Leddy went 16th overall to the Wild.  Olsen is significantly bigger and further developed.  His game is more aggresive and at this point he's more assertive than Leddy.  Olsen's size and nastiness would suit the Hawks needs more than anything Leddy could bring at this stage.  And many times we've heard Olsen may not be the best student yet the Blackhawks seem to be in no rush to get Olsen away from Minnesota-Duluth and into a Hawks' sweater.

With Leddy only having skated in 30 games in all of 2009-10, transitioning to a league where he'd be asked to play in 70-plus against players much bigger and faster than he saw in college might be asking a bit much.  While the AHL is a developmental league, teams and coaches are still under significant pressure to put the best possible product on the ice.  Leddy shouldn't have left Minnesota if there is a good chance he'll sit a significant amount of Rockford's games or spend more time in a weight room than he will on the ice.

According to fitness tests completed this month, Leddy is apparently in terrific physical and cardiovascular condition according to the Hawks.  Yet, at the end of scrimmages on the final two days of prospect camp, Leddy was noticeably spent at the end of shifts late and visibly exhausted on the final day.  This, facing suspect competition.

At 19, and not turning 20 until late March, this is a crucial year of development for a young blue liner.  At the same age, Duncan Keith left Michigan State at the half-way point of the collegiate season to get more ice time playing for the Kelowna Rockets, the Western Hockey League team that held his Canadian junior rights.  Keith saw the ice he sought and played in twice the games in Kelowna than he would have in Lansing.  Keith was a dominant player with the Rockets and turned pro the next season, playing for the Norfolk Admirals, the Blackhawks AHL affiliate at the time.  Keith probably would have made the jump to the NHL in 2004-05 had the league not been shut down, unable to come to terms with the NHLPA on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Leddy will report to Blackhawks training camp in September and theoretically be given an opportunity to make the NHL team just like anyone else.  Of course, the trouble with that is Leddy's cap hit comes in at a little under a million dollars.  As currently assembled, there is very little chance Leddy would get a spot on the Hawks roster even should he cash in on the long odds and earn it.  And even if he did, playing a maximum of 10-12 minutes a night on the Hawks' third pairing is hardly the best thing for Leddy.  The Blackhawks should be looking for him to become the next Duncan Keith, not the next Jordan Hendry.

As of this writing, the Blackhawks have been mum publicly on the Leddy signing.  This could, as we suspect it to be, a dramatic choreography to get Leddy out of Minnesota and into a better situation for development.  Leddy is not alone as a recent Gopher exiting the program early for greener pastures and there have been plenty of rumblings from amateur scouts questioning the developmental abilities and system that of Gopher head coach Don Lucia.  Transferring collegiate programs would cost Leddy a year on the sidelines.  He could play in the USHL in the meantime, but that's a step backwards.  By signing his entry-level contract with the Hawks, Leddy and the Hawks have two options.  Throw him into the fire in a professional league, or allow him to experience a full season as someone's horse in major Canadian junior hockey.

The man who has a lot of influence behind this decision and the acquisition of Leddy is Norm McIver, the Hawks director of player development.  McIver lives in Minnesota and naturally does a lot of scouting in that region.

Ironically, Justin Holl, the defenseman who the Blackhawks selected in the 2nd round (24th overall) of the 2010 Entry Draft, will be joining the Golden Gophers for his freshman season in the fall.

Should yesterday's move prove to be true as its being presented and Leddy is turning pro and not turning back at the behest of the Blackhawks, this will be the first true barometer of Stan Bowman's leadership skills.

I'm sure Bowman sees what I, and I'm sure many others, saw at prospect camp, and that's a young Duncan Keith in Leddy.  Its very accurate to say Leddy is almost a mirror image of Keith - the 19-year old version.

It's easy to forget the pain in Keith's progression.  Even two full seasons, logging tons of minutes in the AHL (after a season and a half at Michigan State and another 56 games in that sophomore season in Kelowna) there were still moments in his first two years in the NHL many wondered if Keith would ever put it all together.

Fast-tracking Leddy based on a week up against collection of un-drafted or un-signed college players and expired junior hockey burnouts is either a ballsy move, or the work of an inexperienced GM allowing his emotions to get the best of him.  A short-coming, by the way, you can legitimately criticize Tallon for.

Nick Leddy will always be Stan Bowman's first significant NHL acquisition.  The Eden Prairie, MN native was the rookie GM's "baby" so to speak.  Bowman's first big trade as an NHL general manager came on February 12th when he sent Cam Barker to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Kim Johnsson and the rights to Leddy.  Although Johnsson was brought in to provide insurance and even-more depth to what was already the league's best defensive six, Leddy was the golden piece of the deal.  In continuing the model Dale Tallon set, Leddy possesses the same tools as Keith and Campbell and has since that day been touted as a potential replacement for the latter.

So, it was no surprise Bowman was in a rush to heave praise in Leddy's direction this month.  Leddy made it easier, but its to be expected Bowman would be pushing his "baby" to the front of the pack of prospects and ahead of the lot Tallon left behind.  While the Blackhawks have racked up wins, accolades and a Stanley Cup championship, Bowman has sat aside for months with ears ringing, listening to how great of a team Dale Tallon and Rick Dudley left him.  Who could blame Bowman if he were eager to earn his keep?  He's inherited a bit of a mess, but its not the Florida Panthers.  And he's not filling holes and still trimming cap space in Toronto.  Stan Bowman has a really great GM job.  Contrary to popular belief, he's envied.  Not pitied.  He's a Stanley Cup Champion but still, his Cup is half empty.  The 2009-10 Blackhawks weren't his creation.

However, Bowman should tread carefully with Leddy.  A wrong move here could possibly do irreparable damage to the kid's future, and the Blackhawks' defense.

I watched Leddy at prospect camp and I have since digested what Stan Bowman has said about his prospect.  While I agree Leddy can become a Blackhawk I disagree with anyone who suggests that time is upon us.  I have vividly recall Duncan Keith in years three and four of his professional career and many nights he couldn't find the net in his own zone if you led him to it by the hand.  Defenseman need more time to learn the position and adjust from one level to the next than forwards usually do.  Freaks like Drew Doughty come around only once in a great while.  Leddy is no Doughty.

Keith was lucky to be with a bad team with little to no expectations in his first two seasons in Chicago.  Had the Hawks been contenders, Keith would have been ridden out of town or buried in the minors.

If Leddy is in fact a Keith-clone, he should follow a similar path.  And so should Bowman.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

"He has heard talk tthat he's in line to succeed Gary Bettman as National Hockey League commissioner, on the premise that his operational savvy could elevate an entire league the way it has the Blackhawks.  McDonough dismisses the talk as "speculation."

"It's flattering, but there isn't any substance to it," (McDonough) said.

That there is interesting because other than one Canadian writer I recall awhile back including him in a list of possible candidates for the gig should Bettman walk away when his contracts runs up in 2012 (which isn't happening because the league needs a new CBA for 2012-13 and that's a war Bettman won't walk away from willingly), I've never heard anything locally or nationally linking McDonough to the commissioner's seat.  Of course, if you read this site or listen to our little radio show on the internet, I've been raising the possibility of McDonough using his current position as a stepping stone to NHL commissioner ever since the summer of 2008.  So, perhaps it is our "speculation" based rants McGrath gets his news from?  Or, maybe just maybe, its the two, McGrath and McDonough, working together to plant the seeds.  Could it be pure coincidece this story, written by a long-time Tribune sports editor, ran on the New York Times web site?  I suppose I could believe that if someone can also convince me McDonough left the Chicago Cubs in November of 2007 because he was going through some kind of mid-life crisis, as he also claims in this article.

-- More pictures and video from Marian Hossa's July 17th wedding here.  And here. And here.

In addition to Tomas Kopecky, former-Hawk Martin Havlat also attended Hossa's wedding.  The two are close friends stemming from their days with the Senators.

-- Patrick Sharp married his college-sweetheart this past Saturday.

Hawks Dir.of Team Services, Tony Ommen, had his day with the Cup yesterday [Bolingbrook Sun]

-- The Cup with be on display from noon to 4pm today at Harry Carey's - Lombard

After being in Ontario on Friday in Brian Campbell's possession (video-a-plenty is up at Blackhawks.com now), GM Stan Bowman had the Cup here in Chicago with family on Saturday.  Assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had his day with Stanley on Sunday.

Enjoying a day with the Stanley Cup  [National Post]

Soccer must be over  [Second City Hockey]

Patrick Kane party-bus update  [Boston Herald]  Kane was reportedly in Atlantic City a few days ago as well.  He's been in the Northeast for Patrick Sharp's wedding.

Colin Fraser knows a bad team when he sees one  [Montreal Gazette]

-- United Center gets a clean report from city health inspectors, when no food is present.  This report is somewhat useful though.  If you plan on going to Joe Louis Arena and think there's a chance you might get hungry, pack a lunch.  But you should have known that already.... "Mice droppings, a critical violation in Washington"..... [ESPN.com]

Blackhawks Prospects To Compete in September Tournament

The Chicago Blackhawks were officially announced yesterday as one of the three additional participants in the annual Toronto Maple Leafs' Rookie Tournament Invitational.  The Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators are the other two organizations fielding, or icing, teams for this year's event.  The tournament will be held entirely in London, Ontario from September 11 to 14th.  Last year's games involving the Leafs, Penguins, Senators and Boston Bruins were staged in Kitchener, Ontario.

Here is the Blackhawks' schedule:

Sat Sept 11 - 7pm (Eastern) vs Maple Leafs
Sun Sept 12 - 2pm (Eastern) vs Senators
Mon Sept 13 - Practices only
Tue Sept 14 - 2pm (Eastern) vs Penguins

Rosters are always subject to change, but the Blackhawks are initially listing Kyle Beach, Shawn Lalonde and Jeremy Morin as competing in the event.  No other names were mentioned.

I know that Leafs TV shoots the Leafs' games and broadcast them on a tape-delay basis.  At least that's how they've done it in the past.  I suppose, given it'll be a Saturday night and the Blackhawks are the defending champions, rookies or not, that the Hawks-Leafs game will be shown live.  It's possible some of these games, or just those involving the Leafs, will show up on the NHL network. 

Read more...

According to a report by Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, Bickell will earn salary dollars of $500,000, 525,000 and 600,000 over the next three seasons respectively, while his "cap hit" (the average payout of the contract which comes down to total dollar value divided by length) will be $541,666 for each season.

Bickell, 24, who was a favorite of head coach Joel Quenneville in his limited opportunity with the club this past season and playoff, will become an un-restricted free agent at the end of the contract, summer of 2013.

It's interesting Bickell's agent would pin his client down to such a low figure for the next three years when Bickell has a big chance to play an integral role with the Hawks going forward.  The deal is a steal for Stan Bowman.  At worst, he has an affordable third and fourth line guy, salary-wise, being as cheap as they come.  Enthusiastically, we could come to know Bickell as one of the bigger "bargains" in the National Hockey League two and three years from now.

I find it hard to believe Bickell couldn't have negotiated a better deal.  Two-years on a one-way for the same money he agreed to could have landed him in a position to enroll in the arbitration process in 2012, one year short of his UFA year (as it sits now in the current CBA, for players with expiring contracts who are 27 or older).  As it looks now, Bickell could stand to earn a million or considerably more after the next two seasons should he see good minutes and continue to progress.  While Bickell hasn't shown near the same scoring touch, he's not all that far behind Troy Brouwer in terms of iimpact he can make with this club.  Specifically with the departure of Dustin Byfuglien, Quenneville needs all the size he can get, and thus Bickell will see a lot of important minutes if he can carry his level of performance over from the past spring.  This is after all the same Bryan Bickell who fit in nicely in spots on a line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.  That said, this deal could wind up more regrettable for Bickell should the new CBA push the UFA age back, or forward, a year or more when the new bargaining agreement is drawn (hopefully) prior to the 2012-13 season.

This is the kind of contract a young Canadian kid thinks is great when he first signs it.  Then he changes agents two years later when he realizes he wasted a chance to make a lot more money at a young age.

Great deal for Stan Bowman.  For Bickell, we'll wait and see.

-- Evan Brophey, Blackhawks 3rd round pick (67th overall) in the 2005 Draft, re-signed a 1-year deal on Thursday.  This also hasn't been acknowledged by the Hawks.  There is a method to these things that go over the heads in hockey operations.

Brophey was a scoring forward in junior, but had to alter his game into more of a two-way player once he turned pro.  His skating wasn't up to "pro" standards three years ago, but that has come along since.  Brophey is a long shot to make the Hawks out of camp, but its not like its completely out of question.  This is, however, probably his last chance to make an impression with this organization.  As much as everyone, including us, have Jake Dowell pencilled into the fourth-line center slot, there will still be a competition for that vacancy.  Albiet, a competition solely between guys who get paid at, or near, the league minimum - Dowell, Brophey or Jeff Taffe (TAYF).  Even prospect camp favorite Markus Kruger is an even longer-shot at this stage considering his cap hit would be $735,000.  The Hawks simply cannot afford a fourth line that will take up in excess of $1.75M on their Cap.  Understood, this makes a theoretical fourth line of any of three previously-mentioned center options between Bickell and Rob Klinkhammer a very good possiblity.

In his 2009-10 season with the IceHogs, Brophey posted 31 points (14g, 17a) in 79 regular season appearances.  If you're wondering, Bickell has 31 (16g, 15a) in 14 fewer games.

We'll discuss this further elsewhere, but as currently constituted, there is almost zero chance Kyle Beach makes this team out of training camp simply because of his cap hit.

-- Nathan Davis, a 2006 - 4th round draft pick (113th overall), has re-signed with the Hawks on a 1-year, 2-way deal according to CapGeek.com today.  I've always liked Davis, dating back to his days at Miami (Ohio) in the CCHA, but he's seemingly always injured and his once speedy wheels could use some greasing.  Davis posted 8 goals and 11 points in 23 games with the IceHogs last season.  He's appeared in 72 regular season games (compiling 23 total points) with Rockford since turning pro.  Most of the games he's missed were due to injury, but not all.  He's skated a lot on the third and fourth lines. This is also Davis's last opportunity to stick with the organization.  He can play center or the wing, which is what is keeping him around.  I'd like to see him skate with Igor Makarov in Rockford this fall.  Or, potentially on the left side of that line with Kruger in the middle.  But, its still a little early to be thinking of line combinations for the IceHogs.  Especially with this little surprise today......

-- Hugh Jessiman, a long-running joke on NY Rangers fans, has signed with the Blackhawks, also according to CapGeek.com today.  Jessiman is a New York City born, and Connecticut raised forward who was a standout in his freshman season at Dartmouth College.  The Rangers then chose to select Jessiman the following summer 12th overall in the 2003 Entry Draft.  The Rangers are still reeling from that pick.  In choosing Jessiman, the Rangers passed over more than a few future NHL stars in that round including - Dustin Brown (LAK #13), Brent Seabrook (CHI #14), Zach Parise (NJD #17), Ryan Getzlaf (ANA #19), Brent Burns (MIN #20), Ryan Kesler (VAN #23), Mike Richards (PHI #24) and Corey Perry (ANA #28).

Jessiman has yet to skate a game in the NHL.  He's been decent in the AHL, scoring 72 goals and 143 points in 313 games in that league, all with the Hartford Wolf Pack (while in the Rangers' system) and Milwaukee Admirals (Predators' organization, where he's coming from now).  Jessiman scored 20 goals and added 22 assists with Milwaukee last season.  He's been good for 20 goals each of the last three years in the AHL.

You'd like to think the Rangers have learned a valuable lesson over the years on not wasting first round picks, but this is the team that just spent a 10th overall pick on a poor-skating, husky defenseman who is mostly known for fighting.

-- In Rockford IceHogs news, the Hawks AHL affiliate re-signed goaltender Joe Palmer, 22, to a one-year minor league contract this week, his agency confirms.  Palmer played most of last season in the Central Hockey League (CHL) after beign assigned to the Texas Brahmas by the IceHogs in late-September.  Palmer was called up late in the season but did not see any minutes with Rockford.

Despite 'Hawks success, Jay Cutler is new face of Chicago sports  Neil Hayes, Sun-Times

New Penguins D-man Paul Martin refreshlingly did something very few players will ever do, publically state the teams he chose against signing with before inking in Pittsburgh  Craig Custance, Sporting News.

These days in Chicago Blackhawks history.....
-- Jack O'Callahan turns 53 today.

-- Dave Mackey turns 44 on this day.

-- Shawn Thornton, who spent a few seasons with the Hawks and their minor league team in Norfolk, and was recently re-signed for another season with the Boston Bruins, turned 33 on Friday.

-- Yesterday was 16 years to the day the Blackhawks signed un-restricted free agent Bob Probert to a four-year $6.4M dollar contract.  The 1994-95 season was cut short and didn't begin until late-January of '95 due to a work stoppage.  Probert's debut didn't go down until the '95-96 season due to his league-ban for substance-abuse violations.  If you've ever seen fans with Probert Blackhawks sweaters and the number 95 on the back of them, that's because originally Probert wore that number as symbolism of his "rebirth" following substance-abuse treatment and getting clean.  It didn't last long and Probert became the first Blackhawk to wear #24 since Doug Wilson was dealt to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 6, 1991 for Kerry Toporowski and a draft pick (which the Hawks dealt to Winnipeg but turned out to be future Hawk Boris Mironov).

-- Thursday was the 19th anniversary of the deal that sent Troy Murray and rugged winger Warren Rychel (current GM and co-owner of Windsor Spitfires in OHL) to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for D-Bryan Marchment and Cornell grad Chris Norton.  Marchment broke a few legs.  Norton lasted with the organization (Indianapolis-IHL at the time) on the ice about a month before being shipped to LA for defensemean Rod Buskas.  Norton never made it to an NHL ice surface and finished his career skating in the pro-league in the United Kingdom.

How do you make a Kings of Leon show more entertaining?

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com