SAN JOSE, Calif. -- On the day they are playing for first place in the Western Conference, the Blackhawks addressed the surfacing of photos on the Internet of several members of the team in the back of a limo with their shirts off, drinking and surrounded by women during a night in Vancouver.
Patrick Kane, Kris Versteeg and John Madden were in the photos, which Kane said were not taken prior to Saturday night's 5-1 loss to the Canucks.
"For us, obviously, it's not the way we want to represent the team," Kane said. "It's been discussed internally with the team and it's been figured out inside this locker room."
Photo: Patrick Kane says the Hawks need to put the limo incident behind them. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Kane has been unable to stay out of the media spotlight this season, as he was arrested in August after an incident with a Buffalo cab driver.
"I've had a couple if incidents, obviously," Kane said."It's something I'm going to have to learn. I'm 21 years old, but it's probably time to grow up a little bit."
Kane went on to say he didn't believe this latest incident would distract the Hawks as they take on the Sharks for the top spot in the Western Conference.
"I don't think this one in particular will," Kane said. "For a lot of guys in here we've had the support of most of the team. We've talked about it with the team and it's pretty much been handled inside our locker room. It's all we care about in here and we're focused on the game tonight."
Madden, at 36 and one of the leaders of the team, didn't believe the talk of the photos would be a distraction. The Hawks played the Oilers on Tuesday night, the day the photos first surfaced, and won 4-2.
"I don't think it's going to be a distraction at all," Madden said. "This team is a tight bunch of guys. We've dealt with this already, We've already played one game and it didn't distract us in that. Our focus is on San Jose tonight. We've dealt with it internally and we're moving on."
When asked if he personally regretted being involved in the incident, Madden replied: "I think that's obvious."
Hawks captain Jonathan Toews also addressed the situation: "Whatever happens away from the rink happens, but we're going to show up and play hard and we're not thinking about anything else other than the team we're playing against and what we need to do to beat them.
"It's something we're dealing with as a team. We're learning the hard way, obviously. It's a tough sitaution, but we're going to deal with. We're all in this together. We're going to go out there and focus on what's more important and that's how we're playing."
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It's unfortunate the rest of us guys didnt get to see pictures of the super Hot Hot girlies the other Hawks were working on ... Sorry NUCKS!
But on a more serious note: lets be kind to our boys! Boys will be Boys ! It was innocent fun!
It's beyond me though why the girls have all their clothes on but the hockey stars are half naked ?
Can you answer that one Kaner?
Ugly girls for three ugly looking guys. If these guys weren't millionaire hockey players they probably wouldn't even be able to get any girls (except for ones that they pay for).
He's 21 and single - why not party with some babes in a limo? Good for him. The media should get stuffed on this one.
Kaner when you get to STL where I regretfully reside at this time The Limo is on ME. Amd I promise you what I stock in there is of much better quality than what was in that picture! Get over it you know every team in every year has done stuff like this its this Digital Age that brings it to light. I find nothing wrong as long as they win and give the effort that we see on the ice! GO HAWKS first place is ours tonight!
Seriously, this is a non-issue. If the pictures were taken before the game against Vancouver, then let the issue be taken care of in the locker room. If they weren't, then there's no reason this is even news. At the most, this is an incident of stupidity.
Trade players, get rid of them because of this? Oh please, that's just ridiculous.
Well I doubt they'll be taking any limos after tonight's game in San Jose, but they should probably steer clear of asking Dany Heatley for a ride...
The headline should read: "Ugly chicks hijack team limo." I find it hard to believe that these guys couldn't pull better tail than what is shown in the pictures. C'mon Hawks, you're better than that!
At least Kaner didn't attack the limo driver! No one was hurt(except maybe Madden's wife and kids})and no one died. Let's play hockey.
As long as their game is not affected, let them do what they want. Remember in the Stanley Cup year, Hawk Capt Ed Litzenberger lost his wife and was badly injured in a Car Crash that probably involved alcohol . Guys like Hossa and Huet-- the vets, need to teach these kids right. I don't know what Madden's problem was, but if he doesn't know better, than maybe he shouldn't be here.
Release Madden, We got Burrish and Bolland coming back, he's expendable and old. Could care less he won a cup with the Devils, he screwed up with this one, and Bolland can do what he does.
Kane probably got a call from his Rosary saying Mommy and told him to knock it off...dude acts like he's never been out before. He better perform tonight and as a Team they better show this nonsense is behind them. I guarantee everyone who is saying "no big deal" "nothing illegal", Wirtz, Mcdonough, Bowman and Q are absolutely furious...you scare moms and kids away with this kind of stuff. Money is King, not "hey they didnt anything wrong"...Trade Versteeg, go for a Championship Goalie and throw Madden in too.
The real story is how ugly Vancouver chicks are...
Seriously people? Get over it. They are all legal and they all have the right to do what they please. They did not harm the "image of the Blackhawks Orginization" for God sake. These players are talented and people make big deals out of this crap to try to ruin what Chicago has. They are better than your team. Deal with it. Idiots.
Last I checked the team was doing really really well. If this helps then I say more limo rides on days off. Just remember to leave the cameras at home. If you are blasting what these guys did then I want to see every picture of you being innocent 24/7 posted here for evaluation. Get over it!
Big deal......he was drinking in the back of limo.....not drinking and driving. We ought to recognize that he was smart enought not to get loaded and then go wreck a car.
He is acting like a normal heterosexual male.
The only mistake was they let someone take pictures.
This is the only time the hawks make the cover . Soon it be a cubs blown save or the bears still cant find a coach blahblahblah .As long as they win the cup I dont care if they have midgets, farm animals ,and strippers in a limo naked and why should anybody else ? The positive is they are not drinking and driving
So Kane didn't learn a thing from the cab fiasco just a few short months ago? And the Hawks certainly didn't sign Madden to tutor the kids on the team. What a joke and an embarrasement to the entire organization. The Hawks organization is going into damage control and attempting to sweep it under the carpet. Too bad Scotty Bowman isn't running the team, he wouldn't take the easy way out as the management team has done in Chicago. He would have publicly stated how upset he was with these players and apologized to the fans of Chicago, instead of taking the easy way out and stating that it will be dealt with in a private manner. Dealing with it in a "private manner" certainly corrected the shenanigans of Kane and the cabbie fiasco. Oh well, Kane will be on his best behaviour until he's on another road trip.
It's not like they brought guns in to the locker room, were fighting dogs, doing roids, or shooting limo drivers.
They were enjoying life. If anything they may have violated team rules and I'm sure that was dealt with.
Boys, enjoy, life is too short.
Remember, no cameras, ever.
Oh please. Don't depress me. You are 21 years old. Have fun! Live life! There is NOTHING wrong with this.
These hockey players are just goons that would standing around on the corner looking for trouble if they didnt catch a break and learn how to skate, have no respect for them.
Drinking beer, riding in a limo with women and having your shirt off.....all legal.....what is the problem?
You people must be jealous, so you think you should rip them up one side and down the other for doing whatever they wanted on their own time. They didnt skip the game, call in sick, and head out on the town. It was on their own free time. What star athletes, or anyone else for that matter, do on their own free time is their business not anyone elses as long as its all legal and not hurting anyone.
Back off and Go Hawks
Puck droppin' yet? Let's move on.
Tressels...thats the best comment.....way to go dude!!!! Right On!
Toews has it right. The guys leave it all on the ice. Kane has come a long way since the regrettble cabbie incident. The limo romp is not against the law. The team is capable of handling questionable judgemet so it doesn't detract from playing the games.
Young guys make mistakes. Old guys make mistakes. That is how we all learn.
And strike two, exactly what have you seen on the ice which fortells an early playoff exit?
These kids aren't much different than me at that age...except quite a bit more wealthy. Big deal. I don't see any story here.
As for the people still trolling about that stupid cabbie, I can't really give any credibility to someone who uses a fake name, drives a cab while on a suspended license and has a history of flaunting the law himself. Although he might be a working stiff, he doesn't exactly sound like an honest guy either.
Good thing when I was these kids' age, the Internet was still in its infancy and we didn't post pictures of the dumb things we did...and even if we did, it's not like most of you self-loathing busybodies would care anyway. Frankly, I think it's a bunch of jealousy from old people who are past their prime and who lack the talent and riches that these guys have.
I can understand a couple of 21 year old kids who have done nothing but play hockey their whole lives and are now free and millionaires partying somewhat. Heck, they are like college kids. Stupid to let pictures be taken of them. Blame it on youthful judgement. A 36 year old who's married and has 2 kids must have a hell of a marriage. Sorry but he's no leader. Toews has more maturity than him. Wonder why Toews is team captain?
It's not time to grow up. He's 21, rich, and famous. There isn't a single 21 year old in America that wouldn't do the same thing. Let the kid have some fun....
Wow, a 21 year old who is drinking in a limo with women and has his shirt off, I'm 50 and wouldn't mind doing that. Let the kids have fun...obviously they've grown out of being rewarded with ice cream after a good game. As far a "transvestite" goes, these women were from Vancouver; they're going to look like either lumber jacks, or moose, let 'em be.
PK, if I ever see you at Gale St...the ribs are on me!
But wait, this can't be true! I thought all the delusional fanboy apologists said the pictures were photoshopped.
Next time they sould photoshop some decent looking chicks into them.
What are you talking about Strike Two? "When the Hawks get bumped early in the playoffs again..."
I think the lesson learned should be that, if you are NHL players, make the chicks take their shirts off, not vice versa.