The NHL Playoffs have begun and should be the best playoffs ever!!!!

[Kingspoint]

That's a lot to lose (by the Hawks).

[Revering4Blue]

CHICAGO (AP) -- The salary purge and roster revamping of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks continued Thursday when they sent forward Andrew Ladd to the Atlanta Thrashers.

The move came a day after Chicago traded versatile forward Kris Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last week, Chicago dealt playoff star Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to Atlanta and shipped Colin Fraser to Edmonton.

''We've had a strategy in place going back a long time knowing the salary cap is part of our game and it's going to cause us to have to make some moves,'' general manager Stan Bowman said Thursday.

''We've had a plan in place and been able to accomplish exactly what we set out to do from the very beginning. We've shown we can embrace change when necessary. In this case, it was necessary to make moves to make sure we are reloaded for the future.''

For Ladd, who was a restricted free agent, the Blackhawks acquired defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a second round pick in 2011.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010...rade.html?_r=1

[Reds]

I was hoping Ladd would find a way back to Carolina, he's an under-rated leader.

I also want to wish Matt Cullen luck in Minn. and Ray "the wizard" Whitney luck in PHX. Both players are class acts.

[ChiSox]

Wow, I did not expect to see a ton of support for my beloved Blackhawks on a Cincinnati Reds forum...What are your stories on how you became Hawks fans?

[reds44]

Wow, I did not expect to see a ton of support for my beloved Blackhawks on a Cincinnati Reds forum...What are your stories on how you became Hawks fans?

Born and raised in Chicago.

[Kingspoint]

Only pennant I deemed cool enough to put on my wall growing up.

[Joseph]

Back in the early 90's I was in my last years of high school. I'd primarily been exposed to the big 3 sports, MLB, NFL, Basketball [more college, but also some NBA]. I was a diligent newspaper reader [no real internet back then kiddies] and I absorbed all I could of the big sports via print media. I don't remember the specific details, but it had to do with Michael Jordan and how great the sweaters are for the 'hawks[best EVER!]. I became a fan from a distance, but started to really get into JR, Amonte, Eddie the Eagle and that whole crew. When they went to the Cup finals in 92, I became a more ardent and serious fan. When they lost, I became one of the suffering masses.

I haven't left since, though finally we have our Cup.

[ChiSox]

Nice! Amonte is my favorite athlete ever...Brent Seabrook is coming close though...LOVE a gritty defensive hockey player...Larmer is my #3 favorite Hawk ever.

I've been a fan for a couple decades when I first got interested in sports. Haven't stopped being a fan even during the lean $Bill days. I go to about 20-25 games a year (made it to 6 playoff games this year, including games in all 4 rounds!)...I live only 5 miles from the Madhouse on Madison.

Since the Hawks are by a large margin my favorite team in sports, this Stanley Cup has no possible chance of being topped on my top sports moments list. It's even 10 X greater than the 2005 White Sox...And hundreds of times bigger than the Bulls run of the 90s.

Sucks about Probie, eh? He's our last bona fide heavyweight.

[Revering4Blue]

After 13 years with the same title in the MLBPA, it appears Donald Fehr will take over as the executive director of the NHL Players Association,

http://leeinks.weei.com/sports/2010/...a#comment-4016

[westofyou]

http://leeinks.weei.com/sports/2010/...a#comment-4016

Much smaller fruit to juice in that basket