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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks officially turned the page on their 2013 Stanley Cup championship season on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks soaked in every second of the nearly 30-minute banner-raising ceremony before Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals, but then quickly got down to the business of the new season.

As special as winning the Stanley Cup was and all of the celebration that followed, Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa was happy for the team's concentration to be on something else finally.

"We had so many things around the Stanley Cup, so many presentations with the Cup, the rings, raising the banner," Hossa said after the Blackhawks' 6-4 win. "Now it's over. Now we can focus about a new beginning. Everything was great, but now we can just focus on game, which is great, too."

Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya had a similar feeling.

"I think it's been a tremendous summer where you have some memories that you'll never forget," Oduya said. "It's a good way to kind of finish it off and start the new year."

Blackhawks forward Brandon Bollig held onto the 2013 season until the banner reached its destination.

"You kind of watch it go up the entire time," Bollig said. "You don’t take your eyes off it. That was an unbelievable feeling knowing [what we did]. The type of year we had last season was a storybook year.

"With seeing the Cup and then seeing your name engraved on the Cup for the first time in person and then getting the rings and then finally seeing the banner going up in the rafters and knowing it'll be up there forever and you're a part of it, it was an amazing feeling. A lot of emotions run through your head. Obviously we had to switch the emotions off and get ready for the first period. Luckily, we came out hot."

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The Chicago Blackhawks will move on from their 2013 Stanley Cup season after their championship banner is raised on Tuesday night.

Before they do that, a number of the Blackhawks shared their favorite memories from their day with the Stanley Cup this past summer.

Bryan Bickell
"For me, my passion in the offseason is fishing. So a friend of mine has his own TV show; it's called 'Facts of Fishing,' and his name is David Mercer. It's a big TV show in Canada. I had the opportunity to bring the Cup on the show and fish with the Cup, which was special because I know all the guys around the room would say if I wasn't playing hockey I'd be fishing. There were two parts. The first day we caught fish, but there weren't any with size. We had a Part 2 the next day, and we got big ones."

Brandon Bollig
"I think being from St. Louis and taking it back there and having the Blues being a big rival with the Blackhawks, people were on the fence as to whether to come out. I got a lot of tweets from people that they weren't going to come see it until the Blues won. Then again, you get a lot people saying that's awesome, and they're going to support someone from their hometown and come. I had a lot of people with Blues jerseys and shirts at my public event. It was cool. It was all in good fun. I understand. I'd probably do the same if I was in their position."

Corey Crawford
"I think just spending it with my family. It was special to me because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. They pretty much gave up their lives not only for me, but for me and my brother both so we could play hockey and do that. My parents, they pretty much paid the way for me. Not just me, but my brother and sister have been really supportive throughout my career. It was pretty special."

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford and forwards Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus will play in the season opener on Tuesday after being held out of the final preseason game for precautionary reasons, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said on Monday.

Crawford missed the final preseason game on Saturday due to lower-body stiffness after playing in two preseason games. Hossa (upper body) and Handzus (lower body) did not appear in any preseason games.

The Blackhawks had all 23 roster players participate in practice at the Johnny’s IceHouse West on Monday.

“Everybody who was on the ice is able to play,” Quenneville said. “[Crawford] is starting. Handzus and Hossa are ready to play.”

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford will sit out the team’s final preseason game Saturday because of lower-body stiffness, but he is expected to play in Tuesday's season opener, coach Joel Quenneville said.

“Crow was a little stiff [Friday] after practice, just more precautionary,” Quenneville said after Saturday’s morning skate at the United Center. “Crow should be fine.”

Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will start in the preseason game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The Blackhawks recalled goaltender Antti Raanta from the Rockford IceHogs to back up Khabibulin on Saturday.

Crawford, who ha splayed in two preseason games, participated in the team’s morning skate Saturday.

Crawford received a six-year, $36-million extension in the offseason after helping the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup last season. He was 19-5-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in the regular season. He was 16-7 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 23 playoff games.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings in a preseason game at the United Center on Tuesday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks' defense starred in the team's preseason opener. The Blackhawks limited the Red Wings to five shots in the first period, eight shots in the second period and six shots in the third period. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford wasn't challenged much, but he still kept the Red Wings off the board and made 19 saves. Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp broke a scoreless tie when he tallied a goal from the right circle at 16:37 of the second period. One minute and nine seconds later, Ben Smith put the Blackhawks ahead 2-0 when he tipped in a shot from Jimmy Hayes. The Red Wings' Teemu Pulkkinen and Mitch Callahan both received game misconducts. Pulkkinen received his for boarding Blackhawks defenseman Michael Kostka in the first period. Kostka suffered an injury on the hit and did not return to the game.

What it means: Some of the Blackhawks battling for a roster spot got on the score sheet in the win. Hayes and Smith hooked up for the second goal, and Jeremy Morin set up Sharp for the first one. Blackhawks forwards Brandon Saad and Teuvo Teravainen are both learning to play center and gained some game experience Tuesday. Saad and Teravainen struggled on the faceoff in the first period, but their numbers improved as the game went on.

Player of the game: Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook had an assist, a plus-2 rating and two blocked shots.

What's next: The Blackhawks will play six preseason games before their season opener on Oct. 1. They will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks completed a 3-1 series comeback and eliminated the Detroit Red Wings on an overtime game-winner in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup conference semifinals when the teams last met at the United Center.

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane expected that to be on players’ minds when the two teams face each other again in a preseason game at the United Center on Tuesday.

“I haven’t seen their lineup, but I’m sure they have some players who were here last year that aren’t too happy with the way things went down, so they’ll probably be trying to get a little revenge,” Kane said. “I’m sure memories will fly if they have the same lineup as last year. …. I’m sure they’ll be thinking about the last time they were here and what happened in that Game 7.”

Last season’s playoffs and the fact it’s the Red Wings may add some flare to the Blackhawks’ preseason opener, but Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was more concerned about his players getting off to a good start and continuing to evaluate players.

“Guys like playing,” Quenneville said. “Whether it’s the first exhibition game, first regular-season game, I think there’s always that excitement in the air. I think the guys get a little nervous going into these type of games. I look forward to it. Detroit, I’m sure they’re excited about playing in it as well. It’ll be a good measuring stick for some guys as well. It’ll be a good part of our evaluation process watching a number of guys tonight.”

After four days of scrimmages, Kane was looking forward to playing against someone who wasn’t wearing a Blackhawks jersey, too.

“Just play the right way to start,” Kane said. “The big thing is you want to get used back to that game pace, especially you play some scrimmages and get used to it a little bit. Now you play some preseason games, so it’ll be ramped up a little bit more. You know you’re playing different players than on your own team. It’ll be fun.

"I think it’s always a fun game when you’re playing against Detroit, no matter the time of year. It’ll be nice to get back out in front of the ice in front of the United Center, get the season under way.”

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Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford says he's looking to push himself this season and is glad to have Nikolai Khabibulin as a backup.

ESPNChicago.com's Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers is counting down this season's top-50 storylines leading into this week's training camp. Here's the final installment:

10. Defensive stability
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has made it a priority in the past few seasons to have veteran defensemen. He's willing to gamble with young forwards, but he doesn't like to rush young defensemen. That's why one of the Blackhawks' greatest strengths this season should be its defensive depth again. The Blackhawks return all seven defensemen -- Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya, Nick Leddy, Michal Rozsival and Sheldon Brookbank -- from last year's Stanley Cup team, and all of those players except Brookbank are signed through the following season as well. ESPN recently ranked the Blackhawks' defensive group No. 1 in the league.

9. Captain consistent
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is still 25 years old and has room to grow, but the Blackhawks wouldn't complain if he just kept doing on what he has done. He can be expected to produce 70-plus points, be among the league's leaders in faceoffs and takeways, be around a plus-20 rating, contribute on the power play and penalty kill and still be the team leader. The Blackhawks will be banking on similar numbers from Toews again this season.

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ESPNChicago.com's Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers is counting down this season's top-50 storylines leading into this week's training camp. Here's the fourth installment:

20. Getting Leddy back to form
Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy had a postseason to forget with a minus-8 rating in 23 games and was limited to a career-low 2:37 of ice time in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville's lack of confidence in Leddy isn't expected to carry over into this season, but it would help both sides for Leddy to have a strong start to the season. He is still just 22, but he's now entering his fourth NHL season and will be expected to be more consistent. He signed a two-year, $5.4 million deal in the offseason.

19. Keeping Shaw on the right side of the line
Andrew Shaw thrived last season in the role of agitator and third-line center for the Blackhawks. On the third line, he was reliable enough defensively, was able to set up his wingers and could chip in the occasional goal. He has also been known to mix it up with opposing players and get under their skin. His post-whistle activities have at times worked against the Blackhawks and led to unnecessary penalties. Michal Handzus had a talk with Shaw during the playoffs about utilizing that additional energy, but also being smart about it. Shaw did a better job of doing that as the playoffs progressed. It will be important again for Shaw to find the right side of that line this season.

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A Stanley Cup repeat attempt with nearly everyone back, the Olympics, Bryan Bickell's emergence, the continued evolution of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Nikolai Khabibulin's return, trying to replace Michael Frolik, Andrew Shaw's continued growth as an agitator -- the storylines should be aplenty for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013-2014 season.

ESPNChicago.com's Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers will count down this season's top 50 storylines over the next week leading into training camp.

Here's the first installment:

50. Bollig, the enforcer
The Blackhawks will likely be auditioning for five roster spots during training camp. One of those positions will likely go to Brandon Bollig. Some may argue enforcers aren't really needed on a team, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has often liked to have someone who isn't afraid to drop his gloves and step up for his teammates. With Jamal Mayers and Daniel Carcillo gone, there aren't many of those type of players remaining on the roster. Bollig led the Blackhawks with five fights last season. He will be looking for his first career point this season. He has zero points in 43 career NHL games.

49. Sellout and attendance streak
The Blackhawks are aiming to lead the NHL in attendance for the sixth consecutive season. They have sold out the United Center for 187 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2008-09 season. They averaged a paid attendance of 21,775 during their 24 home games last season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have their team and they’re making a run at becoming a dynasty with it.

After having to dissolve a large portion of the 2010 Stanley Cup team due to salary cap restraints, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is doing his best to keep nearly everyone together for years to come after their latest Cup win.

The Blackhawks will now have at least 14 players, including seven forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender, from last season’s Stanley Cup roster together over the next two seasons, and that number will likely grow with Andrew Shaw and Ben Smith among the group of upcoming restricted free agents.

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The Chicago Blackhawks' core has a new member.

When the core has been spoken of since winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, it’s been in reference to the Blackhawks forwards (i.e. Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa) and defensemen (i.e. Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook) who have been kept together over the years and continually given the organization a chance to win multiple Stanley Cups.

And now a new player and position has been added to that group. Welcome goaltender Corey Crawford to the Blackhawks’ core.

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CHICAGO -- The Blackhawks and goalie Corey Crawford have agreed to a six-year contract extension which, according to a league source, is worth a total of $36 million.

Crawford started every playoff game for Chicago last season, helping the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons. He went 16-7 with an NHL-best 1.84 goals-against average in the postseason.

The Blackhawks announced the deal Monday. The contract runs through the 2019-20 season.

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Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has been one of goaltender Corey Crawford's biggest supporters.

Bowman continued to back Crawford when others were demanding a change in net. Bowman's confidence in Crawford paid off last season when Crawford played better than he ever had and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup.

Crawford will be Bowman's and the Blackhawks' guy again this upcoming season, but his future is less certain. Bowman will have to answer two vital questions this season to determine that future. Is Crawford a top-10 goaltender? If so, can the Blackhawks afford to pay him as one?

What Crawford does this season should supply the answer to the first question. It's difficult to gauge whether Crawford, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, is one of the league's premier goaltenders.

Crawford was undoubtedly one during the 2013 season. He was tied for second in the league with a 1.94 goals-against average, tied for fifth with a .926 save percentage and was fifth with a 67.9 quality start percentage among goaltenders with at least 15 starts (a stat created by Hockey Prospectus to determine a goaltender's consistency). His 1.84 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in the playoffs were further proof of his stellar season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks named Steve Weeks their goaltending coach on Monday.

Weeks, 55, has been a player, coach and scout in the NHL for 25-plus years. He was most recently the Atlanta Thrashers assistant coach and goaltending specialist from 2001-2010. He also spent eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes as a goaltending coach and scout. He played goaltender with five NHL teams over 13 seasons.

“We are thrilled with the addition of Steve Weeks to our organization,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “He has over two decades of professional hockey experience and is a well-respected coach both on and off the ice.”

Weeks replaces Stephane Waite, who left the Blackhawks in July after 10 seasons to take the same position with the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s an honor to join a championship caliber organization like the Chicago Blackhawks,” Weeks said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Corey [Crawford] and Nikolai [Khabibulin] and helping contribute to the continued success of this franchise.”

The Blackhawks’ goaltenders next season are expected to be returning starter Crawford, Khabibulin, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, and Antti Raanta, who was signed from Finland in June. Raanta is expected to begin the season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.