LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

HAWKS NEED HELP I’d like fans around the NHL to know what we’re going through in Chicago. The popularity of the Blackhawks is at an all-time low in the area and barely registers a blip with the local media. The team’s attendance is terrible and its season-ticket base is embarrassingly low. And countless stars have been kicked out the door in recent years. For all of this, you can thank the Wirtz family, which has run the team into the ground. Dan Halvorsen, Lake in the Hills, III. CHERRY PICKING The worst problem with hockey isn’t low scoring or how far the nets are from the end boards or the size of the neutral zone. It’s Don Cherry. Hockey Night in Canada, the CBC and other media outlets that broadcast or publish Cherry’s senseless, bombastic ramblings ought…

SUBSCRIBE AND COULD YOU WIN!

Road skid finally ends much to Jackets’ relief

The Blue Jackets went 16 games and nearly nine months between road wins when they finally - finally! - won. The victory came Dec. 26 in Chicago, halting a 14-game winless skid on the road this season and ending a futility streak that dates back to March 29. “We’ve talked about it before every single road game,” said Rick Nash. “To actually (win on the road) and not have (the media) asking us why we’re not doing it, is kind of a relief.” Along the way, players and coaches used the words “embarrassing,” “frustrating,” and “ridiculous” to describe their road play. So the Chicago win was sweet relief. Now another problem has surfaced: the Blue Jackets were riding an eight-game winless streak at home, tying the longest such mark in franchise history. 2003 PLAYER OF…

Our year full of color

In many ways, 2003 was a grey year for the hockey world, but from the perspective of The Hockey News, the past 12 months exploded with color. It began in the literal sense when, in January, we relaunched with a new format that featured full color. Figuratively, and more significantly, we altered our editorial philosophy to make our pages more vibrant. And at the risk of separating a shoulder from patting ourselves on the back, we believe we had good results, thanks in large part to written contributions from people within the game. Here are some of our highlights from 2003 as we work on creating more for 2004: Brett Hull relaunch issue We asked one of hockey’s most passionate players to identify 10 ways he'd change the game and Hull took the…