Many Questions Unanswered During Blackhawks Media Day Disaster
Officially, a press conference occurred in South Bend, Indiana yesterday, the site of the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason training camp. It had been promised that the Blackhawks would finally talk about the Patrick Kane issue, and what the Hawks planned to do going into the season.
What actually happened was an exercise in futility, and less-than-informative answers. Something we all should have anticipated; however, it’s no less irritating given the fact many of the media in attendance came from halfway across the country or further. Kane, for his part, was apologetic and very appreciative.
This has been an incredibly difficult time for many people. I cannot apologize enough for the distraction this has caused my family, my teammates, this incredible organization and of course, our fans. While I have too much respect for the legal process to comment on an ongoing matter I am confident that when all the facts are brought to light, I will be absolved of having done nothing wrong. (Kane’s official prepared statement)
Blackhawks president John McDonough was curt, and downright icy at times. In fact, there were moments where he seemed ready to unleash his inner Homer Simpson, something we are wholly unaccustomed to. A calm, cool, and collected demeanor is more his trademark. The team’s general manager, Stan Bowman, was careful and very succinct, and head coach Joel Quenneville…well, he was his usual quirky self, making light of a very awkward situation while at times seeming annoyed by the entire process. He was not alone.
“R-e-s-p-e…..”
The word respect was used a multitude of times, but it was evident that there was not a lot of respect in asking all of the media to arrive for a 2 p.m. press conference, only to turn up more than a little fashionably late. It was no more respectful to have the media brigade travel all that way to be told the very, very long version of “no comment”.
Clearly, many of the media present would have been at the media day regardless of Patrick Kane’s availability, but it is doubtful that they would have sat in on this particular discussion had they known how it was going to shake out. Ultimately, this particular press conference did not do any favors for Kane, the Blackhawks organization, or the National Hockey League.
While it is unlikely the Blackhawks had intended for this event to go so completely off the rails, it did, and it all started when Kane was made available for questions. If John McDonough did not want the media to talk about the giant elephant in the room, then he should not parade said elephant.
Unfortunately, what followed were several dozen or so questions that extracted answers about as effectively as trying to pull healthy teeth with a pair of miniature tweezers. By the end of the session with Kane and the team brass, everyone was left with more questions than they had before they walked in as nearly every question was answered with some version of, “We respect the legal process and can not answer that question at this time.” This included one very straight forward question with regards to Kane’s drinking, that seemingly would have little impact on legal proceedings. Yet, it still went unanswered.
In terms of epic failures, this one was a direct hit. The Blackhawks lost this one in a TKO.
A Team Effort
There were some bright spots, though. Quenneville made the official announcement that Brent Seabrook would be an assistant captain. He also spoke of his excitement for the new season, and the hungry young players who arrived to camp the previous day. Quenneville’s enthusiasm when he spoke was evident, and probably made everyone wonder why they did not just keep it to hockey all along, and leave Kane behind the scenes. Certainly avoiding the Kane topic altogether would have been no more damaging than the debacle they put forth.
Next up, team captain Jonathan Toews and his two assistant captains, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, sat before the media. They were much looser, and quick to have a little laugh with the media present, but again when Kane came up the tension boiled back to the surface in a hurry.
Fortunately, the trio handled the questions a bit more gracefully than those who came before them, and even managed to smirk and charm their way through a few of them. For their parts, the three captains were able to mostly stick with the hockey-related questions, as they expressed their excitement to get on the ice with their teammates, new and old, and setting out to defend the Stanley Cup.
For Toews, Seabrook and Keith, tomorrow marks the start of a new season, and they are all eager to get back to it. At the end of the day, their jobs do not change whether Patrick Kane is on the ice or not. There is still a game to be played, and a Cup to defend regardless of whatever circus takes place around them. As leaders, they will make sure that everyone else stays the course as well, in spite of whatever hurdles they face along the way.
For the Blackhawks, they now face the scrutiny that comes along with having to rebuild under the confines of the salary cap, and losing several fan favorites. Unfortunately, they now have the equally difficult task of having to rebuild their reputation, and repair the damage done during that fifty-minute derailment. There will come a time when they have to answer for their decisions, and they will have to find a way to do that without compromising any legal proceedings, or taking evasive action.
Regardless of the misstep, the season is here and the players and coaching staff are undoubtedly ready to get people talking about something other than August 2nd, 2015. This story will likely continue to unfold as the season progresses, and it is anyone’s guess what the future has in store for the Blackhawks, or Kane, but it is clear that everyone will be watching.