There once was a time when an NHL season could be recalled by one major, frightening on-ice incident. Now it seems there is one a week. The new scenes are etched in a hockey fan's mind like a movie buff citing favorite acts of violence directed by Coppola, Scorcese or Tarantino.
They were just a few of the sports figures that donned interesting costumes for Halloween. Luckily, cameras are always on handy to capture the oddities. After the jump, look at some of the best (and worst) Halloween costumes worn by athletes, fans ... and a dog.
Earlier in the period, Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell came out of the penalty box and found himself in a position to catch Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews with his head down, and used that opportunity to deliver a crushing (and what appears to be a clean) open-ice hit.
It might be the hit of the year so far. Video after the jump.
The renaissance of the Chicago Blackhawks is well-chronicled. After not making the Western Conference Finals once since 1995, Chicago got to the NHL's final four in 2008. A five-game series loss to Detroit ended their magical run, but the pieces are in place for the Blackhawks to again be a perennial contender in the NHL.
One of those key pieces is forward Patrick Kane. After posting over 140 points in his first two NHL seasons, the dynamic youngster graces the cover of EA Sports' NHL 10. Kane spoke with FanHouse about the game, the Blackhawks, and what was a tumultuous summer.
There have been some huge stories during the NHL offseason. Many of them have involved the Chicago Blackhawks.
With that in mind, FanHouse recently caught up with Comcast SportsNet Chicago analyst Ed Olczyk -- perhaps better known for his work as a main analyst for Versus and NBC -- to get his take on all the changes happening in the Windy City. Olczyk was born in Illinois, played part of his career for the Blackhawks, and still has some very strong feelings about the team, not to mention the state of affairs in the NHL.
Dale Tallonmade a tremendous blunder this offseason when the qualifying offers for Cam Barker, Kris Versteeg and the team's other restricted free agents didn't get sent out in time. Tallon admitted it was his responsibility, admitted he screwed up, and in the end, worked out contract extensions with the key players (Barker, Versteeg), assuring that they wouldn't hit the open market as unrestricted free agents, free to sign with the highest bidder with no compensation coming back to Chicago.
It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Central Division.
The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to build off a magical season. Columbus got its first taste of playoff hockey, while St. Louis returned to the playoffs after a far-too-long absence. Meanwhile, Nashville is trying to rebound after just missing the cut for the Western Conference playoffs.
I don't have to beat you over the head with numbers. A team that goes down 3-0 in a best-of-seven is pretty much cooked.
This is especially true when you're playing a team more than capable of winning the Stanley Cup. Chicago faced this reality Friday night, and you have to tip your hat to them for how they responded to adversity. The adversity and pressure increased tenfold when the Blackhawks blew a 3-0 lead.
It's not a death blow by any means, but the Chicago Blackhawks are firmly behind the eight-ball, and they have all the pressure on them.
Tuesday night, a huge mistake by Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell set Detroit up for a game-winning goal. The overtime marker by Mikael Samuelsson put Detroit up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.
Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2, OT: Recap | Box Score Red Wings lead series 2-0
Don't tell Andy Roddick that Halloween is for kids.
The renaissance of the Chicago Blackhawks is well-chronicled. After not making the Western Conference Finals once since 1995, Chicago got to the NHL's final four in 2008. A five-game series loss to Detroit ended their magical run, but the pieces are in place for the Blackhawks to again be a perennial contender in the NHL.
There have been some huge stories during the NHL offseason. Many of them have involved the Chicago Blackhawks.
Dale Tallon made a tremendous blunder this offseason when the qualifying offers for Cam Barker, Kris Versteeg and the team's other restricted free agents didn't get sent out in time. Tallon admitted it was his responsibility, admitted he screwed up, and in the end, worked out contract extensions with the key players (Barker, Versteeg), assuring that they wouldn't hit the open market as unrestricted free agents, free to sign with the highest bidder with no compensation coming back to Chicago.
It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Central Division. 
I don't have to beat you over the head with numbers. A team that goes down 3-0 in a best-of-seven is pretty much cooked. 
It's not a death blow by any means, but the Chicago Blackhawks are firmly behind the eight-ball, and they have all the pressure on them.
