The pomp and circumstance begins at 5 p.m. Saturday when Blackhawks players arrive in limousines and walk down a red carpet surrounded by thousands of fans.
It includes the unveiling of the Hawks' Central Division title and Western Conference title banners, and the raising of the Stanley Cup championship banner. There will be a lot of memories.
But the Hawks also hope all of it brings closure. They want to move on -- sort of, forget about the Stanley Cup -- and go out there and try to do it again. Fittingly, the Hawks host the rival Detroit Red Wings, the epitome of sustained success in the NHL, for their home opener.
"For us, it's going to be special from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and then once the ceremony is over it's time to get to work." Patrick Kane said. "It's going to be a special night. It's going to be a pretty fun night, something we'll probably all cherish a long time down the road.
"Questions about the Cup are kind of getting old here. The new season started. It kind of put closure on it back at the convention, way back at training camp and for our first game in Colorado. After the ceremony tonight, that should be it."
Saturday night is a special night. But -- like Kane said -- the Hawks are trying to get over what happened in the past, despite it's historical significance and the legendary parties of the summer.
"It's a special for the team and the fans too," defenseman Duncan Keith. "But at the same time, it's nice to have that closure."
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