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Health & Fitness

Blackhawks Training Camp Festival Just Days Away

The Blackhawks training camp festival takes place Saturday. Will you be there?

There's a lot to do at this weekend's training camp festival. While most fans are going just to see the Blackhawks take to the ice for the first time in months, the organization does a great job of having something for everyone to do. 

The "Mad Dash to Madison," the 5K run/walk and the 10K skate, got 3,000 people to sign up and sold out. The 10K skate starts at 8:00 AM and the 5K run/walk at 9:00 AM, so keep your eyes open for all the fans skating, running, or walking towards the UC.

For kids 15 and under, there's a 3-on-3 street hockey tournament.  While registration is now closed, four divisions of teams will be in action for fans to watch: 7-9 year olds, 10-12 year olds, 13-15 year olds, and a girls division. 

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There will also be a bags tournament with some great prizes to the final four teams left standing. Each of the final four teams gets two tickets to a preseason game, the runner up gets two autographed jerseys, and the winners get two glass seats to a home game. So if you've got the skills to survive the single elimination tournament, get your tossing arm ready.

The big draw of course is seeing your favorite players back on the ice for the first time since April. But two big names will be missing from action. Patrick Kane is still recovering from off-season wrist surgery, though reports are that he's ahead of pace and should be ready for the season opener. And now comes word that Patrick Sharp will be out for 3-4 weeks after having an emergency appendectomy.  

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The unfortunate irony here is that the first 10,000 people to the training camp events are going to get Patrick Sharp bobbleheads, but they won't get to see him play.  In the big picture though, I'm sure most fans would trade not being able to see him at the training camp in order to see him during the regular season. 

So with Kane and Sharp out, who are you most interested in seeing at the camp?  Is it the new veteran guys like Montador, Carcillo, and Mayers? Or are you looking to see if guys like Smith and Leddy can continue to show development from what we saw from them at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs? Or is it to see who's going to win the backup goalie battle between Emery and Salak? Or is it the core guys like Toews, Hossa, Keith, and Seabrook?

To be honest, I don't care who takes the ice this weeked.  I'm just glad to see the boys pulling the sweaters back on and hitting the ice.  I'll be there and can't wait to take in the action.

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