Blackhawks Premiere Film

On Wednesday, October 30, the Chicago Blackhawks premiered 17 Seconds, at Navy Pier’s IMAX Theatre. The film commemorates the 2012-2013 Stanley Cup Championship season, giving fans an all-access pass inside the locker room party in Boston and the airplane ride home with the Cup following Game 6…along with much, much more.

The film is a collaborative effort by Blackhawks Publishing, Blackhawks TV and Banner Collective – a video production company co-founded by Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz’s son, Danny Wirtz, senior vice president of Wirtz Beverage Group.

At the premiere, Chicago Blackhawks President/CEO John McDonough addressed the media. Named one of Today’s Chicago Woman’s “25 Game Changers You Should Know” in the November issue, Mr. McDonough was grateful for the honor of being included in TCW and discussed how the Blackhawks as a whole are game changers in the National Hockey League.

“The organization is a game changer,” explained Mr. McDonough, who took a struggling franchise in 2007, rebuilt the fanbase and led the team to win two Stanley Cups in the salary cap era – a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by another team. “We have one vision and that’s to be consistent in excellence all the time, and I think you’ll see that in 17 Seconds. However, we’re not satisfied right now. 8-2-3 is a great start, but we’re not satisfied with that.”

And while professional hockey is a male sport with mostly male staff (from executives to camera crew), you can’t help but notice the female names rolling through the credits at the end of 17 Seconds. Though few and far between, there are women who care about hockey and also work behind the scenes to bring personal mementos and the history of a storied franchise to life – along with good ol’ fashion hockey – to thousands of women (and men) in Chicago and beyond.

For more information on 17 Seconds and the story of the 2012-2013 Stanley Cup Championship season, and to learn more about reserving your copy of the DVD, click here.

DVD cover photo courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks and Banner Collective.