Hawks Weekly Update 6/17
Winter Classic tickets on sale, more Friedman rumblings, and Ed Belfour's career in this weeks Hawks History
Another quiet news week with only a couple of things to talk about followed by some Hawks History.
First item up is hardly worth mentioning. Earlier this week on 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman listed some teams who won’t be scrambling once Cap Friendly goes offline. The Hawks will be one of those teams not in worry mode as Jeff Greenberg set up the Madhouse database when he was brought on.
The second item is also not of any importance. Ticket sales for the Winter Classic were made available to the public this week. Tickets were pretty expensive, even for the nose bleeds, which is where the best view of the game will be. I managed to somehow snag some inexpensive tickets, however, the seats aren’t great but it’s about the experience. I’m pretty excited since I never went to a Winter Classic and one of my best hockey memories is from watching the 2014 Stadium Series.
Other than that, talk right now is all about the draft. Endless debates about who should go at second. Just go over to r/hawks to see the same topic posted every day and you’re not missing out.
Hawks History - Ed Belfour
In the 1989-90 season, a young goalie was unable to make the Blackhawks roster out of training camp. It wasn’t too surprising, the undrafted player named Ed Belfour posted a 4-12-3 record the year before. Belfour wasn’t the answer to the Hawks goaltender woes heading into the 1989 season.
Sure, he played well in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, helping the Winkler Flyers secure first place in 1986 (yes, Winkler is a real place). He also helped the North Dakota Fighting Sioux secure the National Title in the NCAA, signing with the Hawks the following season.
So, at the start of 1989, the undrafted netminder didn’t impress. Ed would spend the 1989 season playing on an international team, the Saginaw Hawks of the IHL.
But the Blackhawks needed help in net for the post-season. Times were desperate and Belfour got the call. Ed Belfour would finish the post-season with a 4-2 record and a 2.49 GAA. Not too bad for a rookie who wasn’t able to make the roster out of training camp.
In 1990, Ed Belfour would become the Blackhawks’ starting goaltender. In 74 games, he won 43 of them. Belfour averaged a 2.47 GAA in a league that saw 3.35 as the average. The rookie netminder led the league in Save Percentage, posting a .910. Leading the league in wins, GAA, and SV% wouldn’t be bested until Carey Price did the same in 2014.
Ed Belfour would go on to win the Calder Trophy for best rookie, the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender, and the Jennings for fewest goals-against.
Belfour would have a memorable career with the Blackhawks. The Eagle was one of the big personalities of the 90’s Hawks team, nicknamed “Crazy Eddie” for some off and on-ice antics. Belfour would win the Vezina again in 1993, the Jennings in ‘93 and ‘95, and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1992.
He also helped the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 1992 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Game 4 of that series isn’t a career highlight for Belfour, but it did see a young Dominik Hasek replace Belfour in net after he allowed 2 goals on 4 shots.
During the 1996 off-season, Belfour was offered a contract extension of $3.3MIL. His previous contract was $2.75MIL. Belfour refused and was traded to San Jose for Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora, Chris Terreri, and a conditional 2nd Round pick.
Belfour would go on to win the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and the Jennings that same year. Eddie spent 8 years with the Hawks, 5 with the Stars, 3 with the Leafs, 1 with the Sharks, and 1 with the Panthers.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 after an incredible career. With 963 games played across five teams, Belfour has a 484-320-125 record, 76 shutouts, a 2.50 GAA, and a .906 SV%.
Let’s Go Hawks.