Blackhawks Top 5 “Tool Belt” Celebrations From 1st Half

by

The Chicago Blackhawks are no different than any other team in that they like to celebrate wins. They have a token item they pass around the locker room after each victory. It’s a way to recognize a player that’s done a particularly good job that night and contributed to the win. The great thing about this is the player who won it previously determines who should be the next recipient. So, it’s not like the 3 Stars of the game, which is usually just the player with the most points, or a goalie who stood on his head.

Sure, it could be one of those things. But the beneficiary of this item is hand-picked by his fellow teammate for going to war with him on the ice. For that reason, it means a lot more than any Star selected by media or team representatives.  

Related – Blackhawks Failing to Write New Chapter in Storied Franchise History

Back in the Stanley Cup dynasty days, the Blackhawks’ win item was a replica championship boxing belt. But that apparently died with the dynasty. Until recently, the Blackhawks were passing around a rather garish oversized gold chain with a Blackhawks’ hockey puck attached to it. But Blackhawks’ captain Nick Foligno started the tradition of the tool belt, to represent this rebuilding team working towards a better future (Tim-the-tool-man-Taylor would be so proud!).

With it being January and the midway point of the season, let’s go behind the scenes to witness some of these belt ceremonies. The Blackhawks have won 14 games to date, and I’ve picked my top five. This is also a great way to check in on the high points so far (because they’ve been there!) in this 2024-25 campaign.

Teravainen Tears It Up (@ Oilers, Oct. 12)

The perfect place to start is the Blackhawks’ first win of the season. They lost their first two contests, but this one was a feel-good 5-2 victory on the road against the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen, one of the newest members to the team, had a spectacular night, netting two power play goals and adding two assists for a four-point effort.

Teuvo Teravainen Chicago Blackhawks
Teuvo Teravainen got off to a good start in his return to the Chicago Blackhawks. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Of course, Captain Foligno got the official passing of the chain started. As the man-of-many-words we know him to be, Foligno delivers a little speech about “the process” and gives everyone some kudos before handing it off to “Turbs! What a player!”   

Unlike Foligno, Teravainen is relatively shy and subdued by nature. But I do like his simple statement, “Winning is fun.”

Related – Blackhawks Need To Rediscover Their Love for the Game Amid Struggles

It was the perfect welcome back for the Finnish forward, who was drafted and started his NHL career with the Blackhawks, helping them win the 2015 Stanley Cup before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.  

Bertuzzi’s First Goal (vs. Sharks, Oct. 17)

I wanted to space my highlights out a little bit, but I couldn’t pass this one up. The Blackhawks lost 3-1 on Oct. 15 to the Calgary Flames, but they returned home for their very first home game at the United Center on Oct. 17. It was a contest against the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks, and the Blackhawks didn’t disappoint.

Tyler Bertuzzi was just one of the four players that scored a goal in the 4-2 win. But it was also his first goal of the season. I’m sure it was a big monkey off his back, considering he was one of the most highly touted free agents signed by the Hawks in the offseason.

Anyway, here’s the clip.

I mean, this is just entertainment at its finest! You’ve got the crotchety “old” veteran who’s never going to admit he’s thrilled to have finally scored, and a man of few words at that. I LOVE whoever yelled “Yeah! Great speech Bert!”

Also, shoutout to the cameraman who managed to keep this clip PG-rated!

Soderblom’s Smile (@ Ducks, Nov. 3)

Let’s move on to a storyline with a bad ending last season, but a chance at redemption this season. Goaltender Arvid Soderblom struggled in the 2023-24 campaign, posting a .879 save percentage and a 3.92 goals against average. He started in 29 games, and sadly only won five of them. It was obvious that the then 24-year-old was struggling with his confidence and his overall game.

Arvid Soderblom Chicago Blackhawks
Arvid Soderblom struggled in his 2023-24 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

So much so, the Blackhawks went out in the offseason and signed veteran netminder Laurent Brossoit to be a 1A, 1B tandem with Petr Mrazek. It was expected that Soderblom would play in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs for the majority of the 2024-25 campaign. Not only that, but the organization announced Drew Commesso as the starter in Rockford, kind of leaving Soderblom out to dry.

But Brossoit ended up needing meniscus surgery to his right knee, and complications warranted a second procedure in late November. The Blackhawks didn’t have much choice but to rely on Soderblom as the backup to Mrazek, once again. The tilt against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 3 (a 4-2 win) was Soderblom’s third start with the team, but it ended being his first win of the season, and also his first win since Mar. 30 of 2024. It was a redemption game, for sure; with Sodey making 38 saves on 40 shots and posting a .950 SV%.

Foligno was the passer of the chain this time, and I love how he draws out the drama before awarding it to Soderblom.

That smile says it all. After all the adversity he’d been through, being recognized in that locker room must have meant a lot. Soderblom has continued his strong play, boasting a .903 SV% and a 2.99 GAA through 19 games played. He’s also currently won six of the 17 games he’s started in.

Crevier Cracks the Goal Sheet (vs. Stars, Nov. 27)

23-year-old defenseman Louis Crevier probably wouldn’t even be up with the big club if it wasn’t for injuries to veteran D-men Alec Martinez and Connor Murphy. Or would he be?!

Crevier suited up for 24 games in the 2023-24 season, registering three assists. Even after that, he wasn’t expected to be an everyday player with the Blackhawks. As a matter of fact, he was presumably behind a number of other blueliners in the Blackhawks’ depth chart. He was, after all, drafted in the 7th round (188th overall) in the 2020 draft.

Related – Chicago Blackhawks’ 3 Stars for December

But the 6-foot-8 defenseman was called up from the IceHogs in mid-November. At the time of this writing, he’s participated in 14 games, averaging 17:48 minutes of ice time and boasting 23 hits and 24 blocked shots. He’s also a minus-2, which on this Blackhawks’ team is commendable. Crevier is considered more of a stay-at-home defensive defenseman, which is why his first NHL goal should be celebrated as an excellent accomplishment.

Taylor Hall had a hat trick in this game, for gosh sakes! Connor Bedard scored, Teravainen scored and Bertuzzi had a two-point night. It was a 6-2 blowout victory for the Blackhawks, with Crevier’s goal just a footnote at the end.

But it was his first NHL goal, and also just the youngster’s second game up with the big club. I’m sure Mrazek wanted to make him feel welcome, and recognize him for his contribution.

I love the way Crevier thanks Ilya Mikheyev for the pass that led to the goal, as well as saying “it was a fun game to be a part of.”

Good stuff.

Nolan Gets Noticed (vs. Kraken, Dec. 19)

We have a bit of a theme going here, but that’s ok. Nolan Allan is another defenseman that notched his first NHL goal. It was a bit of the surprise when the 21-year-old made the Blackhawks’ opening night roster. But it was no fluke; Allan has been with the big club all season, putting together a solid and reliable effort night in and night out. Through 36 games, he boasts a goal and seven assists.

In this 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19, Allan scored the insurance goal late in the third period to seal the win. Not a bad time to score your first NHL goal, and deserving of the belt.

This was also right around the time Mikheyev was on a heater, registering five goals and an assist in four games. This contest further marked the Blackhawk’s only three-game winning streak of the season; since Feb. 2023 to be exact.

Which is why what Mikheyev says to the team is notable. “…it’s not a miracle. We just have to work with each other.”

Ah, so true. But not always as easy as it sounds.

Related – 10 Thoughts at the Blackhawks’ Midway Point of the Season

The Blackhawks had a rough first half of the season, going 14-25-2 for only 30 points. But they have these memorable moments, celebrating their wins and accomplishments together. The second half isn’t going to be easy either. There’s going to be more losing, but more winning as well. We’ll revisit some more winning highlights at the end of the season.

Hopefully I’ll have more than 14 wins to pick from!

Substack The Hockey Writers Chicago Blackhawks Banner