From coaches to players, one theme was common throughout the first day of the Blackhawks Convention: anger.
Anger that the season ended in the first round of the playoffs. Anger that players were dealt devastating injuries. Anger that they couldn't give their fans another championship season. Needless to say, the Blackhawks are ready to change all of that as they approach they start of the 2012-13 season.
But although the term 'anger' was thrown around throughout the evening, those emotions were nothing but motivation to outperform what they accomplished last season, and a desire to give their fans the overwhelming excitement they felt when the team won the Stanley Cup in 2010.
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"You're happy for teams who win, but it's hard to see them lift up something you think is yours," Patrick Kane said as he addressed the media at the start of the day. "It's more motivation for us to work harder in the future."
And after seeing fans pack the Hilton for the Convention, it's no wonder the Blackhawks want to work so hard. Hundreds of people poured in wearing their favorite jerseys, shaking with excitement at the thought of getting to meet their favorite players. The screaming voices and wide eyes gleaming at the players as they were being introduced once again reiterated how big of an impact the team has on the personal lives of all their fans.
As the evening concluded, it was no secret that the fans look up to the players to make lifelong memories. And the players are more than ready to work hard and do all they can to make that positive impact on as many lives as possible.