(Reuters) – Young captain Jonathan Toews capped a dream season on Wednesday when he led the Chicago Blackhawks to a long-awaited Stanley Cup triumph and was named playoffs MVP to add to his Vancouver Olympic gold.
U.S. | Sports
The 22-year-old Toews said winning the fabled silver trophy as National Hockey League champions satisfied a dream he had held since he was four years old growing up in Winnipeg.
“I couldn’t get it out of my head the last couple of days,” he told reporters on the ice after Chicago’s 4-3 overtime win completed a 4-2 victory in the best-of-seven series.
“The last couple of nights have been torture, not being able to sleep and just being excited every moment of the day.”
Toews scored seven goals and registered 22 assists in the playoffs for the Blackhawks, who ended a 49-year Stanley Cup drought dating back to the glory days of Hall of Famers Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.
“The spell, the number of years that this team has been close and never won a Stanley Cup,” said Toews. “You want to do it for every guy in your locker room and your fans but especially for guys like Bobby and Stan and the guys that came before you who made this team and this crest so special.
“It’s awesome. The Olympics is cool, but this is totally different,” he added as players, family, friends and club officials celebrated on the ice for about an hour.
“Look at the people on the ice — this is our Blackhawks family right here. It’s huge. We did it for each other.”
The winning goal was rifled in by 21-year-old Patrick Kane, a member of the U.S. Olympic silver medal team, who had come up the ranks of the young Blackhawks team along with Toews.
“You can’t plan anything like that,” Toews said about how the young lions came through in the clutch. “It just happens.
“We’re so happy to win and get a championship as a team. The individual stuff is just icing on the cake.”
(Editing by Editing by Alastair Himmer)
ICC unveils Champions Trophy 2009
New Delhi, Sep 17 (ANI): Trophy of the Champions Trophy 2009 that kick starts on September 22 in South Africa was unveiled in national capital New Delhi on Thursday.
Veteran cricketers Wasim Akram and Sanjay Manjrekar along with ace commentator Harsha Bhogle unveiled the official gold and silver trophy.
Harsha spoke about how Twenty20 cricket could never match the drama and thrills that the 50 over format has to offer.
ICC General Manager Campbell Jamieson, representing the sports’ governing body, cleared the doubts over the survival of the 50 over format.
“We are certainly making all efforts to make this event very successful obviously eight teams are the best in the world. The facilities are certainly world class in Wanderers and Centurion,” said Campbell Jamieson.
“The world class venues we are certainly trying to look after the players, the officials and make the broadcast to the people through the world to enjoy the greatest cricket,” said Campbell Jamieson.
Meanwhile, Akram said that the one-day tracks would be good for the batsmen from our part of the world that is from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“Early season, new wicket and Campbell just told me that it hasn’t rained in South Africa form last 2-3 months so outfield will be lightening fast for sure and Wanderers as we all know the wicket flies a bit so I thought it will be good test for batsmen from out part of the world to do well. Pretoria is mostly flat track so in general I think they are good one-day tracks,” said Akram.
The International Cricket Council Champions Trophy 2009 concludes on October 5. ICC Knockout tournament began in 1988 and South Africa won the trophy in the inaugural year. (ANI)