Dec. 24--The Chicago Blackhawks got into the holiday spirit with a unique Yule log video on the team's website featuring some unexpected performances.
It was shot during the Blackhawks' company holiday party at Navy Pier last week.
The video starts in a wood-paneled room complete with a crackling fire and team portrait above. There is also a leather chair and small table.
Then the fun begins. So sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays.
--Forty-one seconds in, Bryan Bickell appears, sits in the leather chair, takes a sheet of paper and scissors out of a drawer and proceeds to make two paper snowflakes. Bickell's daughter, Makayla, makes a cameo before wandering off. Bickell soon finishes his handiwork and departs.
--At 3:00, captain Jonathan Toews walks in wearing a "Cousin Eddie" hat (think of the movie "Christmas Vacation") and takes a seat. Toews notices the snowflakes and tosses them to the floor before getting up and leaving.
--Toews returns :40 later and puts down the base of an artificial Christmas tree and over the next several minutes builds the tree.
--At the 6:05 mark, goaltender Scott Darling enters and strings lights on the tree. The lights don't function well and Darling walks off dejectedly.
--Meanwhile, the image in the portrait changes to a smiling Marian Hossa.
--9:56 in, goaltender Corey Crawford sits down and eats a cookie -- all while staring directly into the camera.
--At 12:02, Dennis Rasmussen takes a seat and checks out the paper snowflakes. Brandon Mashinter then sneaks in and hits his teammate with a snowball before they both run off.
--Then it's Patrick Kane's turn. At 13:29, the NHL's leading scorer enters the frame dressed as a candy cane (get it? Candy Kane) sips hot chocolate from a Cup and leaves.
--At 15:01, an image of a maniacally laughing Joel Quenneville appears in the fire before the coach disappears in a puff of smoke.
--At 16:48, Artemi Panarin pops up from behind the chair and begins eating a loaf of bread. The rookie's nickname is Bread Man.
--At 18:11, the portrait changes to an image of defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
--At 21:58, forward Andrew Shaw walks through in a nightshirt and Santa hat while holding a candle.
--The final scene at the 24:23 mark is of Shaw and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk engaging in a lightsaber duel before hugging and walking away in separate directions. The lightsaber duel was Shaw's idea.
ckuc@tribpub.com
