Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough said the last year was "extremely difficult" for him and the franchise, according to David Haugh of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. McDonough, the "savviest communicator in all of sports," struggled to navigate through the "awkward ordeal" that was RW Patrick Kane's legal case, as well as the trading of popular C Andrew Shaw. McDonough: "I wouldn't be human if I didn't say that. We wear all of this. We take this personally. We second-guess each other, but there was a point in time with that when you had to move on and it couldn't be something that impacted me leading this organization. You learn a lot about yourself, human nature, about other people. I've been doing this since 1980. It's probably been the most difficult year of my career." McDonough said trading Shaw was a "tough [decision] for a lot of reasons." McDonough: "He's a wonderful young man. ... He had an organic grittiness that really struck a nerve with Chicagoans, maybe more than any athlete I've been associated with." McDonough also addressed Blackhawks TV voice Pat Foley's comments about late start times for playoff games, saying he called NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman the next day. McDonough: "Start times are something that are not negotiable. My conversation with Gary was short. He appreciated it. But it wasn't in any way to disparage Pat. I understand Pat was speaking on behalf of a lot of people." Meanwhile, McDonough said "in all of these things that have happened here, not one of the seismic changes happens" without Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz. McDonough: "At the end of this season, we had a staff meeting and sent this message: We have spent 8 1/2 years trying to be perfect. Let's enjoy this a little bit. ... We are loaded with millennials who have three Stanley Cup rings. ... As I've gotten older, I've learned finesse -- a little. (Laughs.) The intensity is always going to be there, but we need to have a little more fun with this" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/16).
