06.10.10

Durbin Introduces Resolution Praising Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a resolution congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup.  Late last night, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-3 in Game 6 of the National Hockey League’s Championship Series.  Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) cosponsored today’s resolution. 

Text of the Senate Resolution is below:

Congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup.

Whereas, on June 9, 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team won the Stanley Cup;

Whereas the 2010 Stanley Cup win is the first Stanley Cup win for the Blackhawks since 1961, when John F. Kennedy was president and the Peace Corps was first established;

Whereas the Blackhawks joined the National Hockey League in 1926 and have a rich history in the League;

Whereas the Blackhawks were 1 of the original 6 teams in the National Hockey League;

Whereas, during a very difficult period for the National Hockey League, the Blackhawks remained a strong and competitive team, winning the Stanley Cup in 1934, 1938, and 1961;

Whereas the Stanley Cup championship appearance in 2010 is the first for the Blackhawks since 1992;

Whereas the Blackhawks posted a regular season record of 52-22-8, and the team dominated opponents during the playoffs, with 12 wins and only 4 losses, including a sweep of the number 1-seeded San Jose Sharks to win the Western Conference championship and advance to the
Stanley Cup finals;

Whereas General Manager Stan Bowman, Head Coach Joel Quenneville, President John F. McDonough, and owner Rocky Wirtz have put together and led a great organization;

Whereas several Blackhawks players competed in the Olympic games and faithfully returned to the Blackhawks to help secure a championship, including—

            (1) Patrick Kane, who played for the United States;
            (2) Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith, who                                          played for Canada; and
            (3) Tomas Kopecky and Marian Hossa, who played for Slovakia;
 
Whereas all 34 active players, whose shared goal was to end the 49-year championship drought, collectively contributed to a victorious season, including Kyle Beach, Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Nick Boynton, Troy Brouwer, Adam Burish, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Campbell, Brian Connelly, Corey Crawford, Jassen Cullimore, Jake Dowell, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Jordan Hendry, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, Cristobal Huet, Kim Johnsson, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Tomas Kopecky, Andrew Ladd, Shawn Lalonde, John Madden, Antti Niemi, Danny Richmond, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, Jack Skille, Brent Sopel, Jonathan Toews, Hannu Toivonen, and Kris Versteeg;

Whereas the 2010 Blackhawks players follow in the giant footsteps of the great players in Blackhawk history who have had their numbers retired, including Glenn Hall (#1), Keith Magnuson (#3), Pierre Pilote (#3), Bobby Hull (#9), Denis Savard (#18), Stan Mikita (#21), and Tony Esposito (#35);

Whereas the city of Chicago welcomes the first championship in the city in 5 years with open arms;

Whereas a new generation of young fans in Chicago and around the State of Illinois are discovering the joy of championship hockey; and

Whereas the Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, and the Philadelphia Flyers proved to be worthy and honorable adversaries and also deserve recognition:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved,
That the Senate—

(1) congratulates the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup;
(2) commends the fans, players, and management of the Philadelphia Flyers for allowing the Chicago Blackhawks and the many supporters of the Chicago Blackhawks to celebrate the first Stanley Cup win for the team in 49 years at the Wachovia Center, the arena of the Philadelphia Flyers; and
(3) respectfully directs the Enrolling Clerk of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to—
 
          (A) the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks hockey organization; and
          (B) the Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz.