Verdict: Seabrook a symbol of revival

When Brent Seabrook made his debut with the Blackhawks, the hockey world was not watching, nor was the United Center full of people or anticipation. The team was down, and the league was trying to heal from a dark, cold winter. An entire season had been cancelled because of a lockout, a six-month bye barely noticed by a dwindling fan base in Chicago.
The Blackhawks lost to Anaheim, 5-3, on Oct. 5, 2005, with Seabrook registering an assist. When the baby-faced defenseman added four more in a rare victory two nights later, he looked the part of a prospect who might be around for a while, perhaps a future fixture after another teardown. The Blackhawks were big on those - and also false hopes.

But on Thursday night at the United Center, before a 456th consecutive sellout, the Blackhawks will celebrate Seabrook's 1,000th game. It would be just a statistic if it weren't also a reminder that he has been a bastion of stability during the most triumphant era in franchise history: three Stanley Cups in six years, doubling their number of championships since the Blackhawks were born to the National Hockey League in 1926.
Seabrook is not a symbol of rebuilding but revival. He was the Blackhawks' first draft choice in 2003, a designation that, given the uncertain nature of forecasting boys to become men, guarantees nothing. But Seabrook has evolved into a durable, productive and reliable individual who exudes leadership, another quality that cannot always be measured by scouts or at combines.
Only teammates are allowed in closed quarters, where players mull intramural issues. Still, throughout 13 seasons, reconnaissance has yielded a theme. When Seabrook speaks, he deserves and receives a captive audience. He needn't be loud to be heard, or frequent to be impactful. Notice how Seabrook is the last Blackhawk on the ice before every period. It's not because he's working on his equipment or combing his hair.
Seabrook's heavy shot, hockey IQ and competitive zeal are nice in January, but especially valuable in June. Stan Mikita holds the Blackhawks' record with 155 playoff games, and he played forever. Seabrook has logged 123 playoff games with hard minutes and multiple overtimes. An alternate captain, Seabrook has always been there when needed, even if it meant veering over to the penalty box for a word with Jonathan Toews, the respected "C," during a tenuous moment at Detroit en route to the 2013 Cup.
With 1,000 games on his pedometer, Seabrook ranks fifth on the Blackhawks' all-time list, just short of Bob Murray's 1,008. There is a bit of symmetry here. Murray was the usual partner of Doug Wilson, who stands seventh and was recently passed by Duncan Keith. Murray possessed plenty of offensive tools, but generally deferred to Wilson, a terrific skater who could fire the puck. Seabrook has scored many a clutch goal, but Keith is flashier, faster. During the 1970s, it was Pat Stapleton joining or initiating the rush while Bill White stayed at home.
"Terrific, Seabrook and Keith, both of them," offered Murray. "I don't know either personally, but it looks to me as though they've had through the years the same thing Doug and I had. You complement each other. You just seem to know where the other guy is going to be and what the other guy is thinking. You don't know why it's there and how it got there, but it's there. You can't hook up with another defenseman and say, 'we're going to have chemistry… give us a month or a year and it will happen.' It just happens."
When Seabrook first came to Chicago, he gazed at Lake Michigan and wondered, what ocean is that? Since then, the lad from Western Canada has found a second home. His family - wife, Dayna, and three children - is involved in the community. Seabrook's annual Celebrity ICE Bowl has funneled more than $1 million to inner-city education over ten years. He remembers when the Blackhawks weren't must-see. He's one constant why they have graduated to a model franchise, with athletes who also give on nights when there are no games.
Seabrook designs hats, can be ornery after defeat (not a bad trait), and is a punctilious slave to routine. Witness Patrick Sharp: "Superstitious. Not a little superstitious either. A lot superstitious. I roomed with him for three road trips way back when and I had to get out. Brent is one of my best friends. I love him to death. But I just can't live with him." Seabrook might respond thusly: If you aren't going to organize socks according to color, how exactly is one supposed to organize socks?
Perhaps another chapter awaits. Stapleton was Wayne Gretzky's first professional coach. White briefly coached the Blackhawks. Murray and Wilson have become highly successful general managers with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, respectfully. You never know. But Seabrook is only 32, with many miles to skate before he even thinks about having his name on a door instead of a uniform he's worn with such distinction.