from Mike Spellman of the Chicago Daily-Herald,

When is the last time you heard the words "NHL lockout" mentioned?

Me neither.

And for that Gary Bettman and the hard-line NHL owners should be on their knees thanking the Blackhawks for their absolutely amazing run to start the season.

The Hawks are just what the NHL ordered. Instead of rehashing what a debacle that lockout was, the focus instead — both locally and nationally — has been solely on the Hawks, who are stealing headlines with their feel-good, record-breaking start.

For that, the Commish should be giving thanks.

And that's fine just as long as he's not doing it in person, until, of course, he's handing over the most prized trophy in all of sports to Jonathan Toews.

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