John McDonough talks building Blackhawks success on, off ice

The Chicago Blackhawks were unimpressive in every way to Ritch Winter a decade-plus ago.

The team was mediocre. The fans were non-existent. He even found the Blackhawks to be embarrassingly understaffed when he was invited to the United Center for business meetings in his role as player agent.

“It was very much run like a junior hockey operation where there weren’t many resources to hire staff,” Winter recently recalled. “Staff in a junior hockey club tends to do 10 different jobs because they have to.”

But these days, Winter’s experience is much different when he arrives at the United Center. The Blackhawks entertain him with their play on the ice. He marvels at the standing-room only crowd.…