published on June 06, 2024 in gacor

Jake McCabe has called Chicago home for years and now hes at home with the Blackhawks, too

Chicago fall was in the air. The temperature had dropped nearly 10 degrees from the previous day, and it being late September, you just knew summer was officially on its way out.

Jake McCabe didn’t mind. He was still wearing sandals and happy to sit outside Heritage Bikes & Coffee in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood for an interview on a recent morning.

Normally at this time of year, McCabe would have already departed Chicago and been in Buffalo preparing for another NHL season and the winter ahead. The difference now is he gets to stay in Chicago … with a similar winter ahead.

But being in Chicago does make all the difference in the world for McCabe. For the first time in his NHL career, he had become an unrestricted free agent, and his goal was to finally make Chicago his family’s year-round home instead of just its offseason one. McCabe and his wife, Gaby, a Chicago-area native, had been coming back to Chicago for the past six offseasons but they would always have to leave again.

Of course, a lot had to align for McCabe to be able to stay. There had to be a need for a veteran left-handed defenseman with the Blackhawks. The money had to be right. The Blackhawks have rarely had the cap space in recent years to afford many splashes.

On McCabe’s end, for as much as he wanted to be in Chicago, he was still seeking stability and a bump in pay with a new contract. He wasn’t just taking any offer. Although he had suffered a season-ending knee injury the year before, he had been playing arguably the best hockey of his career, and he sought a contract that reflected where his game was at and where he believed it still can go.

“There’s timing involved, there’s desire by teams involved, and Jake was fortunate and a little bit lucky, probably, that things just lined up for him,” said Daniel Plante, who has been McCabe’s agent throughout his career. “Come free agency, had a chance to talk Chicago, and right away, there’s a bunch of teams that a lot of interest in him, but got narrowed down pretty quickly and came to fruition.”

McCabe and the Blackhawks did a bit of negotiating, but in the end, all those variables were sorted, and a four-year, $16 million contract was finalized between the two sides.

As McCabe’s coffee and breakfast sandwich went untouched during the recent interview, he remarked how it hadn’t really sunk in yet he was in Chicago for good. Training camp was a few days away, and that would help solidify that feeling. He was also waiting to move into his new home in Lakeview and was temporarily residing in the suburbs, so he didn’t feel completely settled in that aspect yet either.

Still, McCabe realized he wasn’t about to pack his bags and head out of Chicago. He was grateful he had signed with the Blackhawks and was able to make that dream of permanently living in Chicago become a reality.

“I think it’s always been on my wish list, for sure,” said the 27-year-old McCabe, who is originally from Eau Claire, Wis., and met his wife at the University of Wisconsin. “We’ve always said how nice it would be in the Midwest and to be close to family and play in this awesome city that we’ve been able to call home for the last six years. And for it to come to fruition like it did, it’s truly unbelievable and just super pumped to be here.

“I’m super humbled to have signed the deal, and I had worked my ass off for it. To sign it here has been super special just because of the excitement of this city, the love I had for this city. It’s just pretty cool. I’d go to Cubs games, and it was like, ‘Man, would it be cool to play in the city.’ Playing at the UC as an away team, it’s my favorite rink to play at. Now going to a couple of Cubs games this summer — earlier on this summer before the (roster) blowup — just seeing the excitement in the city, and just being a Midwest kid, it’s really, honestly, just awesome.”

McCabe had his reasons for wanting to be in Chicago, and the Blackhawks had theirs for wanting him. Coming off a string of woeful defensive seasons, the Blackhawks’ priority this offseason was giving their defenseman group an overhaul.

The Blackhawks made space in the group by trading Duncan Keith, Nikita Zadorov and Adam Boqvist. Caleb Jones was acquired as a depth defenseman. Seth Jones was acquired and signed to a long-term deal to be their new No. 1 defenseman. Next, the Blackhawks sought a left-handed defenseman who would be able to complement Seth Jones or Connor Murphy.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was familiar with McCabe, especially from USA Hockey, and knew McCabe was around Chicago in the offseasons. As the Blackhawks began approaching the offseason, McCabe was someone who entered Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton’s radar, too.

“We watched him as a staff,” Colliton said. “You always identify guys across the league who you like how they play. I think everyone does that. … He’s a very good skater, physical, hard to play against. I think he’s pretty clean with the puck, passes the puck well and he can make little plays.”

Jake McCabe was a second-round pick by the Sabres in 2012. (Drew Hallowell / Getty Images)

McCabe’s game was at another level before his injury last season. He was reading the game quickly and reacting with the right answers and often getting the Sabres out of the defensive zone. He would get into only 13 games, but his analytics, especially defensively, were trending among the league’s best. Again, it’s a small sample, but his 1.33 goals above replacement per 60 minutes was 13th best in the league last season, according to Evolving Hockey.

The numbers and eye test lined up as proof McCabe was playing well, but you can also factor in his own opinion of his play. He did feel great on the ice.

“My confidence was sky high,” McCabe said. “I felt like I was really taking a step even the year prior. Just comfortable with my own game, with my own leadership abilities, how I carry myself. I think it takes a little bit to figure it out in this league, especially as a defenseman, I’d say. But my coaching staff that I had in Buffalo with Ralph Krueger and Steve Smith definitely really improved my game as well. Just instilling that confidence in me, working with me.

“I think just this game I found is all about your confidence level and not getting too high or too low and being able to work through the negative shifts or a couple of bad breaks or whatever it may be. And that’s something that I agree is my exits were a lot better last year. Just calm, calm with the puck under pressure, taking a breath, making a play and exiting the zone. You play a lot less defense that way. And it’s a lot more fun playing with the puck, so you don’t have to run around and try to defend all these skilled players in this league.”

What McCabe said he specifically understands differently now as someone who has played 363 NHL games is how to be more efficient and controlled.

“I think sometimes before I could maybe get a little excited and get myself in a position,” McCabe said. “But I still think picking your spots physically. And just overall, calmness of my game I feel is improved with my feet, with the puck play, just with my overall demeanor. I think just being calm under pressure helps your teammates, helps your D partner, and that’s something I can want to continue to improve on, for sure.”

McCabe has also worked with Chicago-based skills coach Brian Keane. In the offseason, they’ve worked on the ice. During the season, Keane would send him clips and feedback.

“My last few years, we’ve done a lot of video work throughout the year,” McCabe said. “Every five games or so, cut all my shifts and pick up on trends things that I’m doing well, things I’m not doing well, and I think it’s very much elevated my game. He’ll back it up with advanced stats. Just pretty much every single puck touch he’ll watch and where am running into issues, where am I succeeding, where can I continue to elevate my game whether it’s getting pucks on the blue line, finding lanes, breakouts and just pretty much scanning and reading and being prepared before you even get the puck of what’s to come next.”

McCabe’s 2020-21 season came to halt when he collided with New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier on a play near the boards during a game on Feb. 20. Hischier fell on McCabe, and McCabe’s knee took the brunt of the fall.

McCabe isn’t one for rehashing it.

“I think he just kind of landed on me, ” McCabe said. “Frankly, I haven’t watched it. I won’t watch it. But yeah, it’s kind of one of those fluke things that I’ve done thousands of times, frankly, rub somebody off in the corner on a line rush. Unfortunately, ended badly for me.”

McCabe knew immediately something was wrong. He felt something he had never felt before. The doctors would confirm by finding tears in his ACL, MCL and meniscus. He was given a 6-8-month rehab schedule.

Jake McCabe is helped off the ice after injuring his right knee last season. (Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)

Considering how McCabe was playing and he was in a contract year, the injury was devastating for him. He certainly wondered, why him? But then, he moved on and did so quickly.

“I literally gave myself like six hours to mope about it and make tough phone calls to my wife, my mom, my dad,” McCabe said. “So, I honestly gave myself a night to sulk about it. But after that, there’s nothing good that comes out of being sorry for yourself or whatever it may be.

“That’s one thing I think Ralph Krueger actually really helped me to instill, is just living very present. And that’s something I’ve really tried to practice every single day, just to be where my two feet are, and you can’t look too far ahead, you can’t look behind. And that’s honestly probably part of the reason why my rehab has gone so well, is because of (how) I’ve stayed so present throughout. I don’t feel sorry for myself. But you just got to stay positive and keep trucking along, frankly, because there’s not many people luckier than I am.”

McCabe has no doubt he can return to the level he was at last season. His rehab did go well, and he’s been a full participant in the Blackhawks training camp since it began. But aside from the personal motivation of this season coming off his injury, he’s also driven by the lack of team success he had with the Sabres.

It bothers him greatly he’s never played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s not at the back of my mind; it’s been in the front of my mind for seven years,” McCabe said.

McCabe is hopeful that will also become a reality for him in Chicago. He was encouraged by the Blackhawks’ offseason acquisitions, including Seth Jones, who McCabe has been partnered with during camp. Jones and McCabe previously played together with Team USA.

While joining a new team was a change for McCabe, he felt prepared for that considering he had been through so many changes with the Sabres over the years. Another new coach and another system weren’t things he was worried about.

“Every couple of years, we had a new GM, a new coach,” McCabe said. “It was brand new systems, brand new philosophies, brand new language. So, in that sense, I think I’m pretty adaptable, pretty coachable. Things don’t change too much in hockey. I mean, there’s only so many things you can do within a system. There’s a couple nuances here and there. … I expect it to be seamless. And once you get comfortable with just a defense crew, whether it’s your partner or whoever six is playing that night, it’s getting more reps as you get more comfortable.”

The nice thing for McCabe is he’s already comfortable in so many different ways on and off the ice in Chicago. He already had a familiarity with a lot of Blackhawks from training with them during the offseason. He and Murphy have known each other since they were teenagers playing in the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Off the ice, of course, McCabe has lived in the city for some time. He’s resided in a few different Chicago neighborhoods. Plus, he grew up a Cubs fan — Alfonso Soriano played a role in McCabe’s early fandom — and takes in a handful of games every summer at Wrigley Field.

“I was there a couple weeks ago actually when (Kris) Bryant came back,” McCabe said. “It’s interesting when you follow a core group of guys, all those guys came on the scene I think in ’15. Anytime you have like a long stretch of success no matter what sport it is, it’s fun being that fan, and then it’s inevitable that a core group of guys is going to get broken up. So, it’s interesting being in the city now and seeing it firsthand of how they’re maneuvering all that.”

The coincidence of that is a lot can apply to the Blackhawks as well. Their Stanley Cup core also saw a similar fate in the last five years, and Bowman has been maneuvering his roster in hopes of building a new core. McCabe is someone Bowman envisions being part of that.

“He brings a lot to the table,” Bowman said after signing McCabe. “I love his style of play; competitive, strong, physical, takes pride in defending and doing a lot of the things others don’t want to do, sacrificing body, blocking shots, playing physical in front of the net. He’ll be a nice addition to our back end. We’ve tried to bring in some defensemen who have a strong pedigree of performance and helping to upgrade that position for us.”

McCabe wasn’t around Chicago for any of the Blackhawks’ recent Stanley Cup triumphs. He’d love nothing more, though, to be in the city and be part of the reason why the Blackhawks challenge for another Cup.

“That’s why you play the game is to make it to the playoffs and have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup,” McCabe said. “And I haven’t had the chance yet. So that’s literally my sole focus of being a Chicago Blackhawk is making the playoffs and just give yourself a chance to compete for the Cup.”

(Photo: Jerome Miron / USA Today)

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