Hawks win (finally!)

There were plenty of heroes in Chicago’s Stanley Cup win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Patrick Kane, whose overtime winner faked out everyone from the CBC announcers to his own teammates. Duncan Keith, who cemented his status as the world’s best defenceman. Jonathan Toews, who, though he failed to score a goal in the six-game final, was the most dominant player on the ice. Just as interesting though, is the behind-the-scenes story of the Blackhawks’ long journey back from an obscurity born of late owner Bill Wirtz’s stubbornness. For that, credit goes to Bill’s son Rocky, who took over after his father’s death, along with John McDonough, an executive whose marketing acumen reconnected the team with its long-suffering fans. Special mention, too, for Dale Tallon, who lost his job as GM but who—as Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated puts it—is "the architect of this Cup team as surely as Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Robie House in Oak Park."

Sports Illustrated