One fan who dashed to the front of the park to get a spot near the stage was Michael Wilczynski, a 26-year-old sales associate from the suburbs. His father took him to his first game and they partied together downtown during the 2010 victory.
“My dad died in February. We came to 2010. I’m not going to miss this. I had to be here,” he said.
The Blackhawks gave the city something to celebrate as the Cubs and White Sox grind through another lost summer and after the Bears failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
And fans took note.
“We love the Blackhawks. This is history and this is a championship, unlike the Cubs,” O’Kane said, taking a shot at a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908. It was the second time the Blackhawks have brought the Stanley Cup home in three years.