Comcast SportsNet will be re-airing Blackhawks Classics until the NHL lockout comes to an end. Tune in tonight at 7:00 p.m. for Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 24, 1994.
The lockout may have put a hold on the 2012-13 NHL season, but Comcast SportsNet is now bringing you the next best thing: mullets, perms, all-demin outfits, a hat trick and an overtime performance from Jeremy Roenick that is still idolized by hockey fans today.
The Blackhawks were down 2-1 in the series before taking the ice for their second-to-last time at the old Chicago Stadium for Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, and the back-and-forth game that couldn't help but keep fans on the edge of their seats.
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Gary Suter recorded a hat trick--becoming only the second defenseman in Blackhawks history to do so during a postseason game--that left Chicago tied with Montreal at the end of regulation.
"The atmosphere was electric, as was almost every game in the Chicago Stadium," CSN Chicago executive producer John Schippman said, who was in attendance at the 1994 game. "But it was different knowing if the Blackhawks lost, it could possibly be the last Blackhawks game ever played there.
"Back in 1994, the Blackhawks were still a top draw in the city, despite competing with the still popular Jordan-less Bulls. I think the die-hard fans really soaked in that game and entire season and playoff series knowing attending a game at the stadium was ending."
Just minutes into overtime, Roenick scored the game-winning goal that gave the team another chance to play at their home rink, providing fans with one of the most exciting goals in Blackhawks history.
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"My favorite memory was after Roenick scored the goal," Schippman said. "It happened so fast after a turnover by the Leafs.
"But it wasn't so much the actual goal, rather the celebration that followed. Roenick dropped to his knees and slid down the ice, reminding me of a famous Theo Fleury goal from the 1980s when he was with Calgary."
Other Blackhawks fans also shared their favorite moments and what they're most excited to watch for during tonight's re-airing of the game:
The Blackhawks went on to play one more playoff game at the Chicago Stadium, but Roenick's overtime goal was the last point the team scored before leaving the rink they called home. Although they dropped the series to the Maple Leafs, the Blackhawks' Game 4 performance is one that will always go down in history.
Join in on the conversation during tonight's game by using HawksClassics on Twitter.