It's a moment that can't be manufactured, a memory that will never fade, and a feeling that won't ever be topped. It wouldn't be traded for anything on earth by the men who have experienced it, and in fact you would be hard pressed to find anything in this world they wouldn't give to achieve it.
The Cup finals are about winning battles. It's a toss up to determine which battles are harder - the challenges on the ice, or the struggles off of it. The physical and emotional consequences of a long post-season are easy to see.
Sacrifice means giving up something good for something better. Blood, sweat, tears, and ego are all offered up to the hockey gods for the chance to hoist the most pristigious award in all of sports. They say you never forget your first win. I hope the feeling the Blackhawks have at this moment will stay with them forever, and that they never take for granted what so many great players could not achieve.
Along the road to victory are obstacles that without perseverence, dedication and passion seem impossible to overcome. It doesn't matter if you go over, around, under or through these roadblocks, to make it through with grace and optimism is a rare feat.
In a tournament where heart and drive create goals and victories, the ability to show up for every shift and max out on effort will pay off when it matters most. Just ask Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Marian Hossa. Without their astonishing commitment to excellence the 'Hawks would have gone down in history as the greatest Blackhawks team to never win a Stanley Cup. It's widely understood that this team will not have the same roster next year. This was their chance, their golden opportunity to make all their dreams come true. And wow, did they ever.
Welcome back, Chicago.
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