With the Blackhawks looking to wrap up the Stanley Cup in Game 6 Monday night, some are looking deep into hockey history and one local man heard the stories directly from his father.
Hockey for Chicagoan Alex Shibicky Jr. began with his dad.
"Back then they only had six teams too," he said. "And dad I think would be best remembered as a pioneer because he was part of an era when the game was evolving."
Shibicky Sr. played for the New York Rangers in the 30s and 40s. He was part of the Bread Line when they won the Stanley Cup in the 1939-40 season.
He and the Colville brothers were called the Bread Line because they were the bread and butter of the team.
Shibicky was also know for using the slap shot in professional play, a technique he developed with teammate Bun Cook.
"There was a secret that you drive the stick into the ice put the flex into the stick and the snap of the wrist allows it to take off like a bullet," said Shibicky Jr.
Shibicky Sr. passed away in 2005, but his son says he sees the legacy of his father's play, especially in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final when Brent Seabrook took the winning shot in overtime.
"Just the way my father would have orchestrated it," Shibicky Jr. said. "It was right off the hip. He was watching the goalie, so it was classic Alex Shibicky style slap shot that really ruled the day. It was really wonderfully done and he was able to pick that corner because he didn't swing wildly and his head was up."
There was an effort to induct Alex Shibicky into the Hockey Hall of Fame a few years ago, but his son and family certainly know his place in history and wouldn't be surprised if a few of the current Blackhawks players also know the Shibicky name.
