NEWSLETTER
You can’t blame him for giving it his best effort. The Chicago Blackhawks weren’t looking for a new mascot, as far as I knew, but nevertheless gave Chicago Bulls mascot Benny a one-game tryout as he and Blackhawks mascot Tommy Hawk decided to switch roles in a move inspired by The Parent Trap.
As you could imagine, the basketball-loving Benny needed some pointers on the finer points of Hockey. Thankfully, Tommy did his best to get Benny up to speed.
Of course I had to take @bennythebull for a spin on the Zamboni. #MascotSwap @NHLBlackhawks @chicagobulls @NHL @NBA pic.twitter.com/kSbyEQA439
— Tommy Bull (@BhawkTommyHawk) April 30, 2021
Giving Benny the notes and lyrics to ‘Chelsea Dagger’ and running him though the intermission zamboni procedures wasn’t all the training Benny would need, of course. Tommy and Blackhawks star Patrick Kane have had to improvise this season to make Kane’s pre-game ritual as normal as possible. Kane flipping pucks to Tommy all season has been a journey with mostly missed connections. Maybe Benny could break that trend with the right training?
Made sure to put @bennythebull through rigorous training so he's ready for tonight's @88PKane Warm Up Puck catch attempt. #MascotSwap@NHLBlackhawks @chicagobulls @NHL @NBA pic.twitter.com/g8kHyWcpL6
— Tommy Bull (@BhawkTommyHawk) April 29, 2021
Finally, it was tryout time.
First, the puck toss.
https://twitter.com/bennythebull/status/1388136931528224772?s=20
Tough break.
As the Blackhawks and Panthers battled it out on the ice, it took a little longer for Benny to understand the simple things in the game, like intermissions. Plural.
So apparently there’s a second halftime? Hockey is weird…#MascotSwap pic.twitter.com/iF1MFNeLsT
— Benny the Hawk (@bennythebull) April 30, 2021
Thanks to a late goal by Alex DeBrincat, the Blackhawks and Panthers would go to overtime, which seemed to confuse Benny again on how much hockey is usually played in a regular game. Again, Benny, it’s “periods.”
It’s time for the FOURTH QUARTER!! Each team has only scored one three pointer though…#MascotSwap pic.twitter.com/0I6RrTfBLq
— Benny the Hawk (@bennythebull) April 30, 2021
He showed the energy and drive to continue to improve that you want to see from a raw talent in their first taste of the big time, but in the end it wasn’t going to work out for Benny. He got the call from Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman that everyone dreads getting. He was being sent home.
The @NHLBlackhawks have told me I’m “fired” because I “don’t understand hockey”…#MascotSwap pic.twitter.com/khgtzkNfBO
— Benny the Hawk (@bennythebull) April 30, 2021
Keep your head up, kid. (Kid? I don’t know how old he is in mascot years or if they go by mascot years or just regular human years or… whatever.)
There’s always a home for you with the Chicago Bulls!
