Being the (United) Center of attention

There hadn't been much for the 22,077 fans who packed the United Center on Sunday morning to cheer about in the first period.

The Blackhawks had closed out their long losing streak a few games before and were actually looking to build on the modest two-game winning streak that had begun on the heels of the skid. In the first period, however, the fans welcoming them back to the United Center after nearly a month saw only four Blackhawk shots on goal and a questionable goal by the St. Louis Blues.

It was with that backdrop that a car was pulled onto the ice during the first intermission. The car was followed by the Squirt-aged players from the ADM Major program of the Joliet Jaguar Hockey Club. They were met with a smattering a applause from throughout the United Center, as well as loud cheers from a small section in the 300 Level where their families and friends were sitting.

Divided into two teams based on their Jaguar uniform colors, the 12 youth hockey players participated in a relay race that required them to skate the length of the ice, turn around a pylon and, during their return to the far end of the ice, slide under a  hockey stick supported on tires and leap over a second stick before crossing the start/finish line and releasing the next person in line.

As each member of the Jaguars participated, their name was announced over the public address system. The white team pulled ahead early on, but the black team caught up about midway through the line of participants. By the time the goalies went, the two teams were neck and neck and the volume of the United Center crowd  rose noticably as the white team finished slightly ahead to the cheers of far more occupants of the U.C. than just those in that select area in the nose-bleed seats.

The competition, however, was simply a friendly one. Each of the kids were winners in their own right, because they took away from the day a memories that will last a lifetime, highlighted by not only their friendly competition, but also the chance to see several Blackhawks players warming up before the game.

It also didn't hurt that each of the kids also received the Marian Hossa bobblehead that was being given away on Sunday and got to see the Blackhawks stage a third-period comeback en route to a 3-1 victory.