Kyle Davidson has total autonomy as Blackhawks general manager. His many bold moves in his first year in the position — firing Jeremy Colliton and trading Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach and Brandon Hagel, among others — are certainly proof of that.
But Hawks management, namely CEO Danny Wirtz and business president Jaime Faulkner, have nonetheless been in regular communication with Davidson. The idea is to simply keep both sides of the organization — hockey and business operations — aware of each other’s potential maneuvers.
“I don’t have any authority — and shouldn’t, quite honestly — on making decisions on the future of our roster,” Faulkner said Wednesday. “[But] what I can do is provide Kyle with some insight on the impact on business it potentially will have as he factors some of that into the decision-making.”
Not all NHL franchises have the necessary financial resources and fan support to rebuild to this extreme degree and essentially punt a few seasons into irrelevance. It’s a luxury for the Hawks, in a roundabout way.
Their on-ice roster changes do still have some bearing on their sales and marketing strategies, though, not to mention on often-overlooked details like actually paying players’ salaries.
“Obviously we want [Kyle] to make decisions that are going to better the team, but we have to also be prepared on the business side for what they mean,” Wirtz said. “Not necessarily to mitigate it, but to deal with the reality. It’s a collaborative process.
“I know people are always concerned about business telling hockey what to do, or vice versa. I can tell you that Kyle has the reins to make the right decisions for the team, and we’re there to support and make sure the business can respond.”
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are the elephants in the room when it comes to this topic. Having begun the final season of their Hawks contracts, their departures aren’t imminent — they still control their short-term destinies with their no-trade clauses — but movement ahead of the March 3 trade deadline is certainly possible.
“I wouldn’t say we’re preparing for [their departures], because no one knows what’s going to happen,” Faulkner said. “What I will say is this fan base absolutely loves and adores Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and whether they’re here until they play their last game or they decide they want to do something different, they’re . . . always going to be welcomed back into this building.”
Sportsbook opens
The United Center’s new brick-and-mortar FanDuel sportsbook will be open for the Hawks’ home opener Friday.
Located off of the atrium, the two-story sportsbook is a ticketed area featuring 1,300 square feet of TV screens, a bar and restaurant and access to seats facing the ice in the 200 level. It’s temporarily operating as a lounge while awaiting approval on a gambling license.
The Fanduel Sportsbook at the United Center has officially opened. It’s operating as a lounge for now, but a gambling application is in process. pic.twitter.com/2tlUEtuY8N
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 19, 2022
