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(Photo: Blackhawks.nhl.com)

The seas of red in opponents’ rinks and hundreds of consecutive standing-room only home games are a testament of the Blackhawks‘ ever-expanding fan base.

The fans’ latest expression of devotion has launched their team to the top of the All-Star rankings just one week into entries for the 2015 NHL All-Star Fan Vote Presented by SiriusXM.

The Blackhawks held the most top-10 spots on the leaderboard of any team so far, according to an NHL press release.

Forwards Patrick Kane (with 73,551 votes) and Jonathan Toews (71,734) are ranked fourth and fifth, while defenseman Duncan Keith (66,723) takes sixth and goaltender Corey Crawford sits in eighth place. By Friday, defenseman Brent Seabrook moved up to 10th – giving the Hawks five spots out of the top 10.

Patrick Kane

Kane is clutch-with-a-k. He puts up wild points in pivotal moments, like the one that brought Chicago its first Stanley Cup after a 49-year slump in 2010.

On Oct. 26th, he earned his 500th career point–a career he’s spent entirely with the Blackhawks, bringing in two Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Calder Memorial Trophy.

 

Jonathan Toews

Toews is part of the Kane-Toews duo that has brought two cups to the Windy City in just a few years. Toews also has Conn Smythe Trophy, as well as the Frank J. Selke Trophy. He has some milestones of his own this season, including scoring his 200th goal earlier this month.

 

Duncan Keith

Keith is a two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, an award given to the league’s best all-around defenseman. He consistently excels offensively in addition to his role on defense.

 

Brent Seabrook

Another member of the “core,” Seabrook is another strong two-way defenseman. Awarded the alternate captain honor repeatedly throughout his eight seasons as a Blackhawk, Seabrook is continuously relied upon in high pressure moments.

 

Corey Crawford

Another clutch player and beauty on the ice is starting netminder Crawford. Winner of the William M. Jennings trophy and in-net acrobat, Crawford is good for stopping points in touchy situations. He has a .926 save percentage and 1.98 Goals Against Average so far this season.

 

Other teams’ leaders

Sidney Crosby from the Penguins leads voting the forwards. P.K. Subban is first overall in votes for defensemen, and fellow Montreal Canadien Carey Price is on top for goaltenders.

Voting concludes Jan. 1, the same day as the Bridgestone Winter Classic, when the top six (three forwards, two defensemen, one goaltender) will be selected for their places in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star game. As an example, if the team were set based on Friday afternoon’s standings, Crosby, Kane, Toews, Subban, Keith, and Price would be the fan selections.

Fans can log their votes, in English, French, German, Czech, Finnish, Russian, Slovak, and/or Swedish, at: NHL.com/vote.

source: photo: Robert's Blog
Carly grew up needing to know more about icing than its deliciousness on cupcakes. She's the lone daughter of four children, with a father who was among the last cut from the Midwest tryouts for the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic team. And she knows very little matches the thrill that happens from puck-drop to handshakes. A rink didn’t return to her hometown until she was gone, but she’s been able to see two younger brothers on the ice. She's their feistiest fan. Her other hockey loyalty lies with the Blackhawks--whether it's meant seeing games for $8 with student IDs when the Madhouse didn’t have much of a temper at all, or dancing to Chelsea Dagger at standing room only--there’s something magical about a roaring anthem, the Indianhead sweater, and the Original Six. A former journalist and current editor, she carries a penchant for excitement (and maybe even fighting) with a resume that includes working for Chicago-area newspapers, and television, including The Jerry Springer Show, as well as NBCUniversal in New York. After East Coast living and a return to the Chicago area, the new Mrs. is giving Graceland a go with her Southern Gent, who now shares her adoration of the game, and their rescue dog, Doc Holliday. Other interests include Cubs, Bears, Illini, Crimson Tide, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, baking a mean pineapple upside-down cake, Kate Spade accessories, and a properly coordinated cardigan for every ensemble.

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