As An Arizona Coyotes Fan, I’m Jealous Of Chicago’s Third Cup In Six Years
Earlier in the season, the Arizona Coyotes made some moves to try and help improve their team. One such move was trading Antoine Vermette to the Chicago Blackhawks for Klas Dahlbeck and Chicago’s first round pick, which now equates to number 30 overall in the NHL Entry Draft on the 26th.
Vermette went on to play with Chicago, and after getting benched a couple times, stepped up to score three games winning goals, of the four he collected in 20 playoff games. To think he went from a lowly team like Arizona to the Cup in the matter of months has got to give him the chills. The next question for him since he is free agent is — where to next? With Chicago’s salary cap issues they will be looking to make some cuts or trades to get below the cap limit.
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Perhaps Vermette will share with his former Arizona Coyote teammates what hoisting the Cup feels like. Perhaps this Coyote team will be able to one day experience it as a team as well. They are on the rebuild for a reason: TO MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS, AND EVENTUALLY THE CUP. It’s every team’s goal and dream, and for some the days remaining to reach that goal are disappearing quickly.
Shane Doan will be 39 this October shortly after the season starts, and the possibility that he will be able to feel what it is like to be a Stanley Cup winner are decreasing significantly, he’s got to be wondering what he’s missed. For him to see his good friend Antoine Vermette raise the Cup over his head, must raise his envious meter off the charts. Conversely, he is on a team who finished 29th last season, and could not even think of performing in the playoffs, let alone compete for every NHL player’s vision of winning the Cup.
When I watched the Chicago fore-check perform like a well oiled machine, and when I watched in awe the magical performances both Kane and Toews contributed, I saw the heart of a champion. They were not to be denied, and not one viewer could say that Tampa Bay played poorly — they didn’t… Chicago just played BETTER.
For the local (and I’m saying that optimistically that they will remain LOCAL) team to get to that level will take some extra effort from all levels of the hockey club. Management needs to get the players who can do the job, and give their all to the team’s success. The coaches need to get everything and then some, from the player’s effort level to their common sense form of playing with emotional intelligence. The fans need to step up and SHOW UP. No excuses about it “being too far” to drive. If you want a winning team who can compete for the Cup, you must support the team, no matter where they lace their skates up.
I am totally certain you didn’t hear whiny Chicago fans coming to the Game six last night with threats of tornadoes, and heavy rain, which even delayed the arrival of the Stanley Cup. Nope… 22,000 plus fans showed up to see THEIR team win the CUP. Take note Arizona fans — this is how to support your team. Do that, and then your shot at a Cup will increase quickly, and the fans can say that had a part in history. Not that difficult, huh?
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