The Blackhawks, along with every other National Hockey League club, have received a fax telling them to make contact with their local association of officials in preparation for a possible National Hockey League officials’ strike Nov. 15. The NHL is going to train substitute referees, but is asking home clubs to provide two linesmen for games and wants a dialogue started now.
No Purple Hearts: What concerns coach Darryl Sutter most about playing the U.S. Olympians Tuesday night at the Stadium is what happened two years ago in the same exhibition. Marchment took a puck in the face and sat out the next dozen games with a fractured cheekbone.
“I’d like to bring up some minor leaguers and play them,” Sutter said, looking to protect some of his key players from injury.
In a hole: Defenseman Karl Dykhuis has hit such a rut in the minors that he has been scratched in recent games, Sutter noted. After having traded their top pick from 1989, defenseman Adam Bennett, the Hawks are facing another big decision with Dykhuis, their first-rounder from 1990.
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However, Mike Speer has made excellent progress on the blue line after being slowed in recent seasons by injuries. Speer and Ivan Droppa are now the top two defensemen on the farm.
Bad boys: After 13 games, the Hawks had a hefty nine game misconducts slapped on them. Two have been rescinded, another remains under appeal with the NHL and there is another call the Hawks may seek to have overturned.
Joe Murphy was ejected in the second period Sunday night against Philadelphia after a major slashing penalty. Replays indicate he could have gotten two minutes for slashing, but aren’t clear about why his stick hit on Jason Bowen was reason for a major and automatic game misconduct. Expect the Hawks to seek a fourth reversal.