Chicago Blackhawks: Thankful for 19 and 88 forever

The Chicago Blackhawks should be thankful to have Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Normally on Thanksgiving, there is more football than hockey but the season is well underway by now. We often use this holiday as a point in the season where we determine who has a chance and who doesn’t in the NHL. Well, this year it hasn’t even begun yet thanks to COVID-19’s effect on the 2019-20 season. We do, however, have time to reflect on the past. The Chicago Blackhawks are so fortunate to have had Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane over the past few years and should be thankful for it.

Together, with the help of players like Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford amongst others, they have won the Stanley Cup three times in a span of six years. It is a recent modern-day dynasty and it was almost all built around numbers 19 and 88. Each of them has been so good that they are probably going to go into the Hall of Fame on their first try and have their numbers retired at the United Center. There is even a chance that they have statues at the rink one day.

For Jonathan Toews, he is the two-way centerman that can do it all. Do you need to win a big face-off up a goal in the defensive zone? Send Toews. You need a big goal late? Send Toews. In addition to his incredible skill, he is one of the greatest captains in the history of the NHL. Without Toews, the Hawks probably don’t have anywhere near the level of success that they had from 2009-2017.

As for Patrick Kane, he is one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the National Hockey League. He uses tremendous vision, hand skills, and passing accuracy to make people around him better. He also has a tremendous ability to get to high danger areas with his tremendous shot so he can score goals himself. Year after year, Kane is right there with the points leaders in the league.

Both of these players have won multiple team accolades and individual accolades. They were both named as “100 All-Time Greatest Players” back when the league celebrated its centennial season. The things they have accomplished are legendary and the city should be thankful. When you think of Kane and Toews, it should be at the same level of greatness as any Chicago athlete of all-time.

With the direction that the Blackhawks seem to be going in, we don’t know exactly for sure how long we have left with these two. It is hard to say you are rebuilding when they are on the roster so you never know what their intentions are. All we do know is that for this Thanksgiving, we can be thankful that they are a part of Chicago history forever.