Chicago sports fans should be used to dynamic duos: They have already one.
For years, Hull and Mikita were the greatest one-two punch the sport had ever seen. Mikita would make a great move, flip the puck to an open Hull who would rocket the shot into the back of the net. The two combined for 969 goals and 2109 points as fellow Blackhawks, with numerous All Star Game appearances, MVP awards, Hart Trophies, and a Stanley Cup to boot. The Hawks were the darlings of Chicago sports fans for years.
But by the early 2000’s, Chicago was looking for new heroes. The Blackhawks were abysmal. Then, all of a sudden, came Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Kane and Toews, Toews and Kane, Tazer and Kaner, however you want to say it, were both extremely young entering the league. They were both highly touted prospects, and were both drafted in the top 3 of their respective drafts. The similarities with each other end there, but they extend to the first duo mentioned in this article: Hull and Mikita. Whenever I see Toews and Kane, I think of Hull and Mikita. From their personalities to their playing style, I see flashes of the Hawks heroes in each of them.
Compare Toews to Mikita. Serious, businesslike. He has a quieter playing style than his counterpart Kane, with flashes of the unbelievable and an “it” factor that is undefinable, something intangible that just makes him better than anyone on the team. Call it heart, guts, balls, whatever you want, Toews has it.
Kane is like Hull in many ways. His flashy style of play extends off the ice too, with parties and a slight immaturity that makes him who he is. Hull was the darling of Chicago, signing thousands of autographs and smiling for hundred of photographs. Kane is the same. He loves the spotlight. He enjoys playing on the highest stage possible, and his playing style reflects that. There is an electricity in his game that moves fans to the edge of their seats. He has a wicked shot and loves to celebrate.
The two have combined for 356 goals and 899 points in the short time they have been in the league. In many ways they have exceeded Hull and Mikita. They have together won two Stanley Cups. They have each won the Conn Smythe Trophy. More importantly, they have won the hearts of Blackhawks fans throughout Chicago and around the World. Just as an example, Patrick Kane leads the entire league in jersey sales. Before the two superstars, one would be hard pressed to find ANYONE with a then-current Blackhawk on the back of their sweater (Arnason, Bell, and Calder, anyone?). Perhaps someday those jerseys will hang in the rafters of the United Center for all to remember, waiting for the next two.
