For the first time in 305 days, the Blackhawks returned to the United Center on Sunday.
No fans — only tarps — filled the stands. No ads adorned the boards. Not even an actual opponent was present, with the Hawks resorting to an intra-squad scrimmage. Tommy Hawk, who faithfully fulfilled his mascot duties by dancing all alone in the second deck, was perhaps the only source of normalcy.
But hockey was played nonetheless. And with no NHL preseason schedule this year before the regular season begins Wednesday, it had to suffice.
“It feels like it’s been forever,” forward Matthew Highmore said. “It’s crazy with everything that’s gone on. It felt good to be here for morning skate and to play here. We’re missing the fans [and] it’s not quite the same, but it’s still our home rink.”
For the Hawks veterans, the scrimmage necessitated a strange adjustment to a venue they know so well. The last time they were here — way back on March 11 — 21,275 attended their 6-2 win over the Sharks.
But for the Hawks’ contingent of prospects and first-timers, the aura of the building resonated even without people in the seats.
“It was so cool,” rookie defenseman Ian Mitchell said. “Just this morning for [our] skate, walking out and looking up and around and seeing all the banners was pretty special for my first time. We definitely miss the fans for sure, but it was still really cool to be out there today.”
The Red Team, despite sporting a roster loaded with most of the projected NHL players, lost 8-2 to the White Team.
Coach Jeremy Colliton saw the scrimmage as essential to prepare for the Hawks for their real season opener Wednesday in Tampa Bay. Some things practice simply can’t replicate.
“It’s a must,” Colliton said. “There’s a lot of kinks to work out. There’s even more Covid protocols and just getting used to game-day routine and all those things. It doesn’t matter how much you practice and try to get up to game speed, playing three 20-minute periods is another thing. So I’m glad we did it.”
Highmore scored twice and factored into four goals in the scrimmage, showing more signs that he could be on the verge of an offensive breakout after a promising playoff showing. Colliton also singled out Mitchell and prospect center Philipp Kurashev, who scored twice, as the most impressive players of the night.
Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia each saw 30 minutes of action, with Subban looking sharper in this limited sample. Matt Tomkins struggled direly in relief.
Depth guys Nick Seeler and Reese Johnson, both fighting uphill battles to earn roster spots, had a less heartwarming return to Madison Street. They fought early in the third period, and it was hardly for show. Colliton said he didn’t mind the fight and emotions as long as they avoided injury.
The Red Team’s power play, loaded up with the stars who will man the Hawks’ actual PP come Wednesday, struggled en route to an 0-for-4 showing. Adam Boqvist, quarterbacking the unit, said they can take away lessons about entering the offensive zone smoothly and moving the puck quickly once inside.
“You have to be quick out there,” Boqvist said. “You have to go with instinct, can’t think too much. Obviously, if you get a shot, maybe [you] come down a little bit. Overall, we didn’t do very well tonight, but hopefully we’re ready for Wednesday night.”
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January 11, 2021 at 10:27AM
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