Sports

Blackhawks Coach Brings Stanley Cup to Western Springs

Western Springs resident Paul Goodman, the Chicago Blackhawks' strength and conditioning coach, spent his day with the Cup at a friend's party and McClure Junior High. Read our Q&A with Goodman on playing fast, playing injured and playoff beards.

McClure Junior High was packed with Chicago Blackhawks fans Tuesday waiting for a chance to see sports' most famous trophy: Lord Stanley's Cup. 

Blackhawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman, a Western Springs resident, brought the Cup to McClure, where his son will go to school in the fall. Goodman has been with the Blackhawks for six years. Before that, he worked with the hockey program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later as the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Vermont.

Before the trip to the school, Goodman and his wife, Susan, invited friends and family to a private party at a friend's home. I spoke with Goodman about the shortened season, the celebrations and lots more. 

Patch: With the lockout-shortened season, how did that impact your job as a conditioning coach?

Goodman: Even though the season was short, it was extremely intense. I’ve got to give our guys the most credit because they did the work on their own in the offseason and got themselves prepared. We were able to capitalize on that.  

Find out what's happening in Western Springswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: You have guys who can skate well at any position, on any line. But people questioned how that would hold up in the playoffs. How does it feel to you that they were able to win? 

Goodman: We play a speed game, our work and our quickness it important. It’s incredibly gratifying to see our guys so resilient and persevere through a lot.

I pride myself on the programs we have. Guys really buy into what I’m all about. They want the best. Coach (Joel) Quenneville is all about keeping that speed and pace, and they buy into that.

Find out what's happening in Western Springswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: Both teams were playing with many injuries in the Stanley Cup Final. How did you help them work through that? 

Goodman: It’s about reconditioning at that point and getting them back on the ice as quickly and as safely as possible. And preparing the other guys to be ready to go in if needed.

Patch: Are there specific moments you'll remember, whether it's a game or a contribution from a certain player? 

Goodman: A game against Calgary early in the streak, we scored with 2.6 seconds left to go in overtime to send it to a shootout (the Blackhawks would win). It was only nine games into the streak, and it was something special to see Ray Emery play the way he did in that win. It was special to see how Corey (Crawford) played all season, and seeing all the young guys come into their own throughout the year. Everyone continued to get better and better from then on. 

Patch: How does it feel to bring the Cup to Western Springs? 

Goodman: I brought it to Vermont last time and did a lot with it. I live in Western Springs, and this year I really wanted to give back and share it with as many people as possible. It’s extremely gratifying to bring it back home.  

Patch: What's different now compared to 2010 in terms of the celebration?

Goodman: This time I’m able to embrace it a bit more. In 2010 everything was flying by at 100 mph, but this time I’ve been more engulfed in everything and able to slow it down more.

Patch: You have a nice beard. Did you have that before or was it a playoff beard? 

Goodman: I started growing it early in the season during the streak, and I kept it going through the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Then I just liked how it looked.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Western Springs