Blackhawks Breakaway

Think you know everything there is to know about Patrick Kane? Think again. Darryl Belfry - who has known Kane since the superstar was just 9 years old - stops by the Blackhawks Talk Podcast to discuss his new book: “Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World’s Best Athletes.” Belfry goes in-depth with Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis about Kane’s offensive growth at a very young age, his dynamic scoring and passing abilities, his philosophy on puck touches, and so much more. (5:05) - Darryl on the first time he met a 9-year old Patrick Kane and what he saw in Kane as a youth player that would translate so well to the NHL. (9:26) - Darryl talks about the time he took Kane out of a game because he was scoring too many goals on his own (no, really.) Belfry thinks this was a major turning point in Kane’s early hockey career. (19:42) - The Belfry Hockey Tactics and Tune-Up Camp has brought together All-Stars and future stars in a way seldom seen before in hockey. Darryl discusses how the camp started to take off and his philosophy working with players like Kane and Auston Matthews (33:08) - Darryl discusses his communication process with players like Kane and how it can change throughout the season. (40:17) - Darryl talks about Patrick Kane’s dynamic scoring ability and how he became a true elite dual-threat scorer. (45:20) - Patrick Kane’s goal for puck-touches per game used to be a simple number. But thanks to Belfry, Kane’s “puck-touch philosophy” has shifted to an entirely different level. It’s all about improving the quality of the puck-touches by problem solving sequences. (You may never watch a Blackhawks game the same way again.) (52:58) - Darryl shares his thoughts on how long he thinks Kane can continue to play at an elite level. Darryl says he wouldn’t bet against Kane playing until he’s 50.

With the NHL season seemingly right around the corner, the owners and players could be headed towards negotiations surrounding the CBA, "deferred money" and "escrow caps." Do the players still have the upper hand? Are the most recent reports simply negotiation tactics by the owners? Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King break down what the most recent "CBA speed bump" could mean for the impending start of the season, and how any impasse might impact the return to play. Once the NHL does drop the puck on the 2020-21 season, what will the Blackhawks' division look like? Where will the games be played, and how many fans will be allowed to attend? Finally, Brent Seabrook is healthy and ready to prove any doubters wrong. The guys also discuss the emotional toll Seabrook has taken off the ice in recent years. (1:20) - The “return to play” is right around the corner for the Blackhawks and the 2020-21 NHL season, but the players and owners may have just hit a roadblock before hockey can resume. Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King break down the CBA and the hangups surrounding “deferred money” and “escrow caps.” (8:56) - The NHL owners and the NHL Players' Association will most likely need to come to an agreement within the next week, and there are still some big question marks even beyond “deferred money” and “escrow”. Did the NHL learn a lesson from MLB’s very public negotiations this summer? (12:50) - How could the potential absence of fans at games early in the season affect small market teams? (14:20) - Breaking down the possible division opponents for the Blackhawks in 2020-21. Could the Hawks be playing division games against the defending Stanley Cup champs this winter? (17:00) - What would a “hub city” setup in the NHL look like? Could the Blackhawks be looking at a more “baseball-style” schedule for the 2020-21 season? (26:30) - Brent Seabrook had a rare sit-down interview with Pierre LeBrun recently, and he opened up in a way Blackhawks fans have never seen or heard. Could we be in store for a big “comeback season” from Seabs with the injuries and difficult personal times now behind him?

The Palace Grill has been dubbed the official restaurant of the Chicago Blackhawks because of the many stories and memories that live there. NBCS Blackhawks writer Scott King got a chance to chat with the owner of The Palace Grill, George Lemperis. They discuss why the restaurant is so important to current and former Blackhawks and go over some of the many traditions and stories that make the restaurant the go-to spot for the Blackhawks and Hawks fans. (1:36) - Running a restaurant during a pandemic (3:10) - The Palace Grill's history with the Hawks (8:10) - ‘Doc’ Emrick's connection with the restaurant (11:20) - Tradition of tying people to their chairs while they eat (13:20) - Chris Chelios making breakfast in the restaurant (17:00) - The Palace Grill's impact on Blackhawks nation

Host Pat Boyle talks with Eddie Olczyk about the Blackhawks' youth movement and whether the "cour four" need to buy into the rebuild plan to make it work. Later in the pod, Pat and Eddie discuss "Hockey Fights Cancer" month, as they look back at Eddie’s battle and how that journey impacts him now. Plus, Edzo discusses Doc Emrick’s retirement and the challenges of broadcasting during the pandemic. (1:09) - Life in the Edmonton bubble (7:04) - Blackhawks being more transparent (10:10) - The Blackhawks' plan of going with younger players, especially in net (15:10) - What do Nikita Zadorov & Mattias Janmark bring to the Blackhawks? (22:49) - Do you need to have the "Core Four" buy-in to the plan for it to be successful? (27:53) - Edzo looks back to his battle with cancer (50:28) - Doc Emrick’s retirement (54:45) - Broadcasting during a pandemic

On the latest episode of the Blackhawks Talk Podcast, renowned sports scientist and performance coach Ian Mack joins Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis to discuss what it's like training Patrick Kane and how he's helped transform Kane's body. Mack also talks about picking up Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook as clients. (1:50) - Mack's background (7:15) - How Kane, Mack developed relationship (10:35) - The process of transforming Kane's body (19:45) - Why Mack believes Kane can play at an 'elite level' into his 40s (22:45) - Mack on adding Jonathan Toews as a client (32:00) - Kirby Dach's ceiling as an athlete (41:20) - An update on Brent Seabrook's recovery

Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis are joined by Jay Zawaski of 670 the Score and the Madhouse Chicago Hockey podcast to discuss Jay's new book, "The Big 50: Chicago Blackhawks: The Men and Moments that Made the Chicago Blackhawks," and his favorite stories from the book, including an epic Pat Foley rant about Alexander Karpovtsev and how Stan Mikita's play changed due to his daughter. The crew also discusses the many reasons why the Blackhawks and hockey aren't discussed more on Chicago radio after building a dynasty. (1:45) - How and why did Jay start writing the book? (14:00) - Pat Foley's rant against Alexander Karpovtsev (20:20) - The Blackhawks became Stanley Cup contenders when they fired Denis Savard and hired Joel Quenneville (27:45) - How did the Wirtz family come to power in Chicago? (30:44) - Why aren't the Blackhawks talked about more in sports media/radio after building a dynasty?

The Blackhawks are on the move to rebuild the team and create more opportunities at the Stanley Cup. The last rebuild went fairly well with the Hawks starting a run to winning 3 championships and Adrian Aucoin was there to see it all begin. Scott King interviews Aucoin on the rebuild that netted the Hawks Kane and Toews and compares it to the current rebuild. They also talk about the contributions of Duncan Keith and the ways Keith changed the game of hockey. Later on in the podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis join Scott to discuss the Aucoin interview and what they took away from Aucoin's account of the early rebuild and comparisons with the current rebuild. (3:28) - What was it like in the beginning of 2005-2006 season when the rebuild began? (7:20) - The growth and game changing play of Duncan Keith (10:40) - Early signs that the Hawks were getting good players (13:30) - Is the rebuild he (Aucoin) went through similar to the current rebuild? (19:06) - Pat, Charlie, and Scott review the Aucoin interview and compare rebuilds

In for host Pat Boyle, Slavko Bekovic is joined by Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King as they hear directly from Blackhawks fans about the rebuild. The crew discusses the positivity from some fans about the Hawks’ direction and transparency, the team’s timeline for contention, the goalie situation, and which of the core veterans would be most likely to accept a trade. (2:57) - Some Hawks fans are excited about the rebuild (9:26) - What do the players feel about the rebuild and who will start at goalie? (20:31) - How will future pieces for the Blackhawks perform as they come up? (34:20) - Will Duncan Keith finish his career in Chicago? (44:10) - What is the timeline for the rebuild?

Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman and coach Jeremy Colliton did a media tour starting with the Blackhawks Talk Podcast to relay their message to fans about the direction of the franchise. Host Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis, and Scott King discuss Bowman and Colliton's interviews and if they delivered their message clearly not only to the fans but the core players of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook (1:25) - Biggest takeaways from the Stan Bowman interview (9:35) - When did the Hawks start thinking about rebuilding? (19:44) - Did the Hawks get the goalie situation correct? (29:20) - Will the veteran players really buy into the new plan? (37:55) - How do you continue to win while trying to groom young players? (44:40) - What are Blackhawks fans in store for, for the next few years?

After GM Stan Bowman joined the podcast, head coach Jeremy Colliton joins Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis to discuss his role in the rebuilding process. Colliton talks about what came out of his meeting with the veterans, how he plans to develop the young talent like Kirby Dach but also making sure to put them in winning situations, and explains how the goal for the Blackhawks is to have long-term success going forward. (2:23) - How can you balance winning and development? (8:12) - How will the exit of Corey Crawford impact the team? (13:00) - What were the conversations like with Jonathan Toews and the core on the direction of the team?(18:44) - Is there a timeline when the team expects to be perennial contenders again? (26:18) - How can the power play improve? (32:15) - What is the message to fans that the Blackhawks can and will build a consistent winner?