Chelios, Roenick among those suiting up again
Chicago and Minnesota have a long history of hockey battles, and some of the old guard will be back on the ice before the Stadium Series game in February.
The NHL on Tuesday announced the rosters for the Stadium Series alumni game between former members of the Blackhawks and a combined squad of Wild and North Stars alums. Notable Hawks in the Feb. 20 game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis are Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Denis Savard, Eric Daze and current Hawks goaltending coach Jimmy Waite. Minnesota will have Mike Modano, Dino Ciccarelli and Neal Broten, as well as players with Hawks ties, such as former coach Craig Hartsburg and Andrew Brunette, who played 78 games for the Hawks during the 2011-12 season.
Tony Esposito and Pat Foley will coach the Hawks squad.
Welcome home
Tuesday was the Hawks’ first home game since Nov. 15 and started a stretch of seven of nine at the United Center. Coach Joel Quenneville hopes the Hawks can use the next bit of the schedule to go on a run, building off a circus trip in which they went 3-1-2 and started to find success away from home.
‘‘I know that we’ve had a decent home record right now, and I think we kind of fixed our road losses and our road record,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘I thought it was a pretty good trip for us in that area. But I think playing at home here, we look to take advantage, we’ve got some divisional opponents coming in here, and we’ve got some big games as well.” Patrick Kane echoed that. ‘‘Thought overall it was a pretty good road trip when you get eight out of 12 points,’’ Kane said. ‘‘That trip didn’t hurt us, and now we have a lot of home games coming up here in December that we can really take advantage of and trend in the right direction.’’
A visitor was waiting
Marko Dano, a scratch Saturday in Los Angeles, returned to the lineup, starting on a line with Marcus Kruger and Marian Hossa.
‘‘He’s been OK — I think we’re looking for more progression, more consistency offensively with the puck, influencing without it,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘Basically be around it a little bit more and more offensive-zone time.’’
Dano turned 21 on Monday. On Tuesday, he tweeted a photo of himself with his mother, who came from Slovakia to celebrate with him as a surprise after he returned from the circus trip.
Long way to Wayne
Kane, who extended his point streak to 20 games with a goal in the second period, is still miles from Wayne Gretzky’s all-time mark of 51 during the 1983-84 season with the Edmonton Oilers. Asked if anybody can threaten Gretzky’s mark, Quenneville didn’t seem optimistic.
‘‘Oof. It’s pretty amazing,’’ he said. ‘‘I think we’re talking a whole different . . . almost talking about half a season. So there’s a lot of hockey.’’
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