NEWSLETTER
Over 500 NHL games, two Stanley Cups, and a mountain of memorable moments, Andrew Shaw was a Chicago Blackhawk through and through. Not the biggest player, not the most skilled, not the fastest, and yet he was a key piece to winning two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and was a player who – when at his best – embodied the blue-collar spirit of the Chicago sports fan. Andrew Shaw announced his retirement from hockey on Monday morning, putting the end to a ten-year NHL career spending seven seasons with the Blackhawks and three with the Montreal Canadiens.
• In a video posted by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, Shaw announced his retirement and thanked the people who helped him along the way in his career.
“Thank you for giving a Mutt a home.”
A message from Andrew Shaw (@shawz15er). #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/XAN3L6jv27
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2021
• Shaw cited concussions for his retirement at the strong recommendation of his doctors. He was placed in concussion protocol in February and there was little chance he was coming back from it. Shaw missed 14 months from November 2019 to the start of the 2021 season in January due to a concussion. I was skeptical of him coming back in January, but he was cleared and played like he had always done. It’s the sad price players like Shaw pay for playing the game like they do. Ultimately, Andrew had to choose his health and his future.
Truly one of a kind.
Thank you for your relentlessness, your laughs, your grit, your chirps, your energy, and your joy for the game.
Thank you Andrew Shaw! pic.twitter.com/yx6r6BWJKO
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2021
• Some of his former teammates wished him well in retirement online after the announcement including Alex DeBrincat:
https://twitter.com/Brinksy97/status/1386680102260510722?s=20
• Also sending Shaw his well wishes was Adam Boqvist:
Enjoy retirement brother, gonna miss have you around. @shawz15er pic.twitter.com/euW4Hw5n2b
— Adam Boqvist (@BoqvistAdam) April 26, 2021
• Shaw was a well-respected player in the locker room in Chicago and Montreal. A tough player to play against, he has been revered as a great teammate and person to be around.
Congratulations on a great career @shawz15er!
We’ll always love shin pads
pic.twitter.com/n8u6whmT8h— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) April 26, 2021
• Following the announcement on Monday morning, Shaw spoke to the media about his decision to retire and what is next for him in life.
Andrew Shaw speaking now after his retirement this morning.
"Listening to doctors for once in my life, we finally made the decision it would be best to step away. Because there's no way I can change the way I play, and it's going to keep putting me in vulnerable positions."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 26, 2021
• Like a lot of people have said this season, Brandon Hagel reminds them a lot of Andrew Shaw, only a faster and more skilled version. Shaw sees the same thing in the rookie Hagel.
Shaw says he hopes Brandon Hagel can carry on his role with the team.
"You can see a little bit of me in Hags… [But] he's a lot more skilled than me, and faster. I'd like to see him be a little more consistent."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 26, 2021
• Chicago won’t be able to get rid of the “Mutt” that easily, though, not that we would anyways.
Andrew Shaw says he and his family will be in and out of Chicago: “I’m going to be around. You’re going to see this awesome face.”
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 26, 2021
• Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman also had some kind words for Shaw on his way out from the team.
Stan Bowman on Andrew Shaw: "His very first shift here, it was summer camp, and he was playing like it was the Stanley Cup Final. That's just the only way he knew how to play."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 26, 2021
• This comment really hit a weird spot for me.
Andrew Shaw said the first teammate he talked to about making the decision to end his playing career was Brent Seabrook, who also called it a career this year due to injuries. #Blackhawks
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) April 26, 2021
• It has been such a weird season for the Blackhawks in 2021. From no fans, only playing against the same seven teams, no Jonathan Toews, and the ups and downs of the season schedule. Then you remember that three modern-era legends and multi-time Stanley Cup champions had to hang it up all in a four-month+ span.
In the last 4 1/2 months, 3 players from the #Blackhawks 2019-20 roster and staples of the One Goal era, Corey Crawford, Brent Seabrook, and Andrew Shaw have now retired from hockey.
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) April 26, 2021
• The Blackhawks get back in action on Tuesday night, taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chicago sits five points back of the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot in the Division and have the Dallas Stars three points ahead of them in fifth-place. With eight games remaining in the season, it appears the Blackhawks are all but done for postseason hopes.
• In the next few games, what I want to see from the Blackhawks is a heavy dose of their young players. We’ve already seen a lot of rookies and young players come through for Chicago this season, but let’s get a few more guys into the lineup and give players like Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev, and Wyatt Kalynuk significant minutes.
• There will be a chance to get more players into the lineup as the Blackhawks announced that Ryan Carpenter was placed in concussion protocol on Monday and that Calvin de Haan is still dealing with his hip injury.
MEDICAL UPDATES: Ryan Carpenter (concussion protocol), Calvin de Haan (hip) and Patrick Kane (maintenance day) will not practice today.#Blackhawks https://t.co/9XmemVwKaj
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2021
• The focus for the next eight games should be a showcase of your young players. It likely won’t be, because the team is going to try to make the playoffs as much as possible until they are actually, for real for real, eliminated from contention. But again, they play the Lightning on Tuesday, so take that how you will.
• I’m just in the mood for competitive, fun hockey from here on out. That’s all I ask.
• Today is the ten-year anniversary of the Canucks beating the Blackhawks in overtime of Game Seven of the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. While Vancouver celebrates “the most iconic moment in team history” (lol, then what happened?) Let’s not forget the gutsy effort it took the Blackhawks to get to overtime in Game Seven. For a team that barely made the postseason with a depleted roster from the 2010 monster team that won the Stanley Cup the year before, this was quite the comeback effort.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportsDay/status/1386700339169087492?s=20
• Finally, it appears that we can at least eliminate one broadcast partner for the NHL as they work a new TV rights deal. According to reports, NBC will not be the secondary rights-holder for the NHL alongside ESPN.
BREAKING: Next season will mark the first time since '05-06 that NBC will not carry #NHL games, with sources saying that the network has officially pulled out of the bidding for the league's second TV package (@Ourand_SBJ, @markjburns88).
Free to read: https://t.co/wIS8GGe9hn pic.twitter.com/u2SMbVipoq
— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) April 26, 2021
• While there is no clear-cut answer yet for who will be the secondary partner, TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting it may be TNT. We’ll see what develops as the 2021 season comes to a close this summer.
• That’s all for today. Enjoy you Monday!
