The Blackhawks finished practice with their usual huddle at center ice at Johnny’s IceHouse West and then collectively looked toward the Zamboni entrance. A few moments player players huddled around the Zamboni for a farewell-to-Johnny’s photo.
The West Side rink will still host adult and youth hockey but the Blackhawks’ time there is over. When the Blackhawks next meet for practice it will be at their shiny new facility, MB Ice Arena. Still, Johnny’s will always have its place in Blackhawks history. For us writers, it was working from the Stanley Club perch and flinching whenever a puck flew in our direction, sturdy glass be damned.