CHICAGO – For longtime fans of the Blackhawks, this week represents the end of an era for the franchise.
It has nothing to do with what’s going on with the team on the ice.
Legendary announcer Pat Foley will end his 39-year run with the Blackhawks this week as he calls his final three games with the team. The first of those came on Sunday night as the Blackhawks faced the Stars at the United Center, and it was a reunion that many fans of the 1980s and 1990s could certainly remember.
Longtime color analyst Dale Tallon, who would later become the Blackhawks general manager, teamed up with Foley one last time for the television broadcast of the game. The pair recalled a number of memories from their days in the 1980s and 1990s when the team returned to prominence in the final years of Chicago Stadium then early in their run at the United Center.
Unfortunately for the Foley and Tallon, they weren’t able to conclude their broadcast career as a duo with a Blackhawks victory. The Stars, who are currently in a battle to hold onto the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, used three-straight goals in the late second and early third periods to pull away from the hosts for a 6-4 victory.
It extends the Blackhawks’ winless streak to seven games, with just two points in that stretch, as they stumble towards their final ten games of the season.
Foley will have the call for the Blackhawks’ next two contests before ending his run with the team as he broadcasts Tuesday’s game with the Kings and then Thursday’s game with the Sharks. Both contests are at the United Center.
