Mayers glad to be back with the Blackhawks

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Jamal Mayers was understandably upset when he was scratched during the final three games of the postseason. The Blackhawks veteran forward is a competitor who isnt used to missing many games. But now re-signed for another year with the team, Mayers is forgetting about those healthy scratches and focusing on another season.

Mayers, whose one-year, 600,000-deal was made official by the Blackhawks on Tuesday, is happy to have his immediate NHL future decided for another season. And it also saves another family move for Mayers, who has played for four different teams since the 2009-10 season.

For me, personally, I have a young family and you have to sort out a lot of the logistical things that come up, he said. Im excited to be in the city of Chicago and be here another year. For us, its been a great fit and Im excited to get it done early and get focused on training.

Mayers was a good physical element for the Blackhawks last season, and even more so after Daniel Carcillo was lost to a knee injury in January. It was Mayers who came to Jonathan Toews defense against the San Jose Sharks in February. Ryan Clowe was one of the Sharks tussling with Toews, and Mayers fought Clowe soon after in that game.

So it was a surprise when the fourth-line center was scratched against a physical Coyotes team, beginning with Game 4 of their series. There was some speculation that Mayers was scratched because he didnt challenge Raffe Torres after the Phoenix forwards hit on Marian Hossa, but coach Joel Quenneville denied that. Still, the scratches were tough on Mayers.

It was a tough pill to swallow, Mayers said. The reality is, you anticipate a long playoff run, a lot of guys did, and its tough as a competitor (to be scratched). But once you take a step back, it was a good fit (to re-sign), both for me and the Hawks. You look at the whole season; you try not to look at the way things ended. I still come away with the fact that I still have a lot to give.

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