Chicago Sports

ST. LOUIS — As the winter days drag on, Derek King wanted to give the Blackhawks something to be excited about.

He also figured, rightly, that more scoring wouldn’t be a bad thing.

So the interim coach tweaked the Hawks’ offensive system to allow their defensemen to pinch more aggressively, and the team has worked on implementing and perfecting that adjusted scheme since returning from the All-Star break.

“We didn’t have to,” King said Friday. “We could have just stuck with what we were doing. But [given] the position we’re in, I felt we had to give these guys something, like a task or a challenge or a job. And the challenge was to be a little more aggressive, but do it in the right structure.”

The right structure involves a high F3, meaning the last forward to enter the zone on the forecheck (the “F3”) should stay relatively close to the blue line (“high” in the zone). If the Hawks’ pinching defenseman doesn’t quite get to the puck in time, which can often lead to counterattacks in the other direction, the high F3 will be able to cover for the lost defensemen and equalize the numbers on the counter.

That’s the key difference between what the Hawks are doing now and what they did in October, when they conceded odd-man rushes left and right. The Hawks’ greater familiarity and communication with each other now — versus at the start of the season — helps with that, too.

“It has to be a balance,” Seth Jones said. “We were pinching early on and we didn’t really have anyone back helping us, or we just made bad decisions as ‘D.’

“Now when have a high F3 — that guy is always there and we know he’s there — it’s a lot easier. Because by the time you have to look and decide whether you’re going in or not, it’s too late already. The fact we know they’re going to be there and we can pinch using our instincts makes it a lot easier.”

The Hawks hope they’ll be able to force more turnovers and create more offensive-zone pressure and scoring chances with this adjustment.

They succeeded with that Wednesday, at least. They kept several possessions alive after defensemen crashed down the half-wall to cut off the Oilers’ outlet avenues, and both of the Hawks’ even-strength goals occurred when defensemen — Caleb Jones on Brandon Hagel’s first-period goal and Calvin de Haan on Kirby Dach’s third-period goal — pushed deep into the zone.

“Teams are pretty effective when they have a five-man forecheck and everyone’s involved,” Jones said. “We’ve left our forwards hanging a little bit, when they’re working their butts off [but the puck] gets to the [opposing] winger and they have a lot of time. We’ve made that adjustment where the ‘D’ have a little bit of free rein.”

Most of all, though, the tactical shift demonstrates how democratic the Hawks have become under a quintessential “players’ coach” like King.

“We get feedback from them,” King said. “It’s like, ‘What would you like to do?’ And this was something they brought up, where we could be a little more aggressive. So I said, ‘OK, let’s look at it.’

“They absorbed that and they were like, ‘Yeah, this is great. We’re going to do it; we’re going to keep working on it.’ It keeps them thinking, instead of just the same old [strategy of] dump it in and one guy goes and the other two just sit back and we don’t pinch our ‘D.’ It gets redundant after a while.

“For me, it’s [about] learning we need to do something to change this up a little bit — [to] give these guys that job, that excitement, especially in the offensive zone. If we tweaked the ‘D’-zone, they’d be uninterested. Offense, everybody’s interested in.”

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Five Chicago Fire Department members were injured while responding to a large blaze Saturday afternoon in Roseland on the Far South Side.

All five members suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Chicago fire officials.

The CFD members were transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park.

A sixth CFD member was undergoing evaluation at the scene and may require transport, fire officials said.

The fire broke out near 112th Street and Princeton Avenue. Officials believe this may have been a flashover fire in which all combustible materials in the area simultaneously ignite.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

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Please send all scores and corrections to [email protected]

Saturday, February 12, 2022

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Reed-Custer at Streator, 5:30

NIC – 10

Boylan at Harlem, 7:00

Freeport at Jefferson, 7:00

Guilford at Rockford East, 7:00

Hononegah at Belvidere North, 7:00

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Kankakee, 4:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Joliet Central, 12:00

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Addison Trail at Morton, 7:00

Leyden at Downers Grove South, 4:30

Proviso East at Willowbrook, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Lyons at Proviso West, 6:00

York at Oak Park-River Forest, 1:30

NON CONFERENCE

Antioch at Ridgewood, 3:00

Aurora Central at Batavia, 6:00

Argo at Fenton, 4:30

Conant at Dundee-Crown, 5:00

Crystal Lake South at Glenbrook South, 1:30

Elmwood Park at IMSA, CNL

Golder at Cristo Rey, 10:30

Hampshire at Geneva, 6:00

Harvard at Big Foot (WI), 2:30

Hersey at Grayslake Central, 12:30

Jones at De La Salle, 2:00

Lake Forest Acad-Org at Lake Forest, 4:00

Maine East at Lane, 3:00

Maine West at Elk Grove, 1:30

Mundelein at St. Charles East, 4:30

Naperville North at IC Catholic, 1:30

Neuqua Valley at Glenbard East, 4:30

Newark at Mendota, 3:00

Noble Street at Intrinsic-Belmont, 5:00

North Chicago at Glenbrook North, 3:30

Oswego at Wheaton North, 6:00

Plano at Prairie Central, 6:00

Princeton at Rochelle, 3:00

Rich at Lake Park, 4:30

Riverside-Brookfield at Oak Lawn, 4:30

Rock Island at Auburn, 6:30

South Elgin at Fremd, 4:30

Stagg at Richards, 10:30

Sycamore at Stillman Valley, 2:00

Taft at Niles North, 5:00

Thornton Fr. South at Lincoln-Way West, 12:30

Von Steuben at Rolling Meadows, 4:30

Waubonsie Valley at Downers Grove North, 3:00

Wauconda at Woodstock North, 4:30

West Aurora at LaLumiere-White (IN), 6:00

Wheaton-Warr. South at St. Francis, 5:00

Woodstock at Grayslake North, 2:30

Yorkville Christian at Pontiac, 7:00

DANVILLE

Rantoul vs. Westville, 11:00

Richwoods vs. Plainfield East, 12:30

LaSalette vs. Providence-St. Mel, 2:00

Mahomet-Seymour vs. St. Charles North, 3:30

Normal West vs. Orr, 5:00

Lincoln Park vs. Danville, 6:30

DAVISON (MI)

Thornton vs. Mott (MI), 2:30

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC TOURNAMENT

at Marian Catholic

Marian Central vs. Joliet Catholic, 12:00

St. Viator vs. Marist, 1:30

Carmel vs. Nazareth, 3:00

Notre Dame vs. St. Patrick, 4:30

Benet vs. Marian Catholic, 6:30

INDIAN CREEK

Rockford Christian vs. Morris, 10:30

Beecher vs. Hope Academy, 11:45

East Dubuque vs. Kaneland, 1:15

Scales Mound vs. Leo, 2:30

Herscher vs. Lindblom, 4:00

Indian Creek vs. Roanoke-Benson, 5:15

Marmion vs. Sterling, 6:45

Hinckley-Big Rock vs. Seneca, 8:00

NOBLE LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

at Mansueto

Butler vs. Comer, 3:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC TOURNAMENT

Schaumburg Christian vs. Alden Hebron, 3:00

Harvest Christian vs. Mooseheart, 3:00

South Beloit vs. Westminster Christian, 4:30

Consolation Championship

Third Place

Championship

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

at UIC – Credit Union 1

Young vs. Curie, 7:00

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2020–Simeon 81, Morgan Park 76

2019–Curie 65, Morgan Park 60

2018–Simeon 69, Orr 59

2017–Simeon 68, Morgan Park 64

2016–Simeon 54, Kenwood 49

2015–Bogan 47, Simeon, 42

2014–Curie 69, Young 66 4 OT, (later forfeited)

2013–Young 60, Morgan Park 56, OT

2012–Simeon 53, Curie 49

2011–Brooks 67, Young 54

2010–Morgan Park 61, Marshall 60

2009–North Lawndale 54, Hyde Park 51, OT

2008–Marshall 55, Farragut 51

2007–Simeon 89, Washington 57

2006–Simeon 55, Washington 40

2005–Westinghouse 67, Simeon 52

2004–Westinghouse 60, Simeon 48

2003–Crane 80, Julian 68

2002–Westinghouse 62, Farragut 58

2001–Morgan Park 67, Crane 60

2000–Westinghouse 82, Young 60

1999–King 59, Westinghouse 39

1998–Young 67, King 46

1997–Young 72, Manley 50

1996–Westinghouse 55, Farragut 46

1995–Farragut 71, Carver 62

1994–Westinghouse 59, King 58

1993–King 77, Westinghouse 52

1992–Westinghouse 76, King 68

1991–Marshall 58, Westinghouse 38

1990–King 83, Westinghouse 48

1989–King 67, Simeon 57

1988–Simeon 66, King 59

1987–King 93, Crane 66

1986–King 49, Simeon 46

1985–Simeon 65, Carver 54

1984–Simeon 44, Robeson 42

1983–Marshall 67, Collins 62, 2 OT

1982–Marshall 58, Crane 48

1981–Westinghouse 79, Marshall 66

1980–Manley 67, Collins 55

1979–Manley 88, Westinghouse 83, 2 OT

1978–Westinghouse 71, Manley 68

1977–Phillips 77, Westinghouse 65

1976–Morgan Park 75, Vocational 60

1975–Phillips 65, Morgan Park 60

1974–Morgan Park 84, Phillips 73

1973–Hirsch 55, Parker 53

1972–Crane 75, Marshall 63

1971–Harlan 44, Tilden 38

1970–Harlan 72, DuSable 63

1969–Hirsch 72, Bowen 66

1968–Crane 75, Marshall 65

1967–Harlan 60, DuSable 56

1966–Marshall 81, Dunbar 68

1965–Marshall 69, DuSable 55

1964–Crane 63, Dunbar 58

1963–Carver 57, Harlan 51

1962–Carver 47, Marshall 39

1961–Marshall 64, DuSable 61

1960–Marshall 79, Crane 38

1959–Marshall 61, Crane 58

1958–Marshall 68, Dunbar 59

1957–Crane 66, Marshall 61

1956–Dunbar 79, Hyde Park 68

1955–Marshall 67, Crane 57

1954–DuSable 82, Lake View 65

1953–DuSable 82, Wells 74

1952–Roosevelt 63, Tilden 62

1951–Parker 64, Von Steuben 58

1950–Tilden 45, Vocational 35

1949–Tilden 54, Marshall 49

1948–Marshall 57, Von Steuben 32

1947–South Shore 58, Lane 38

1946–Tilden 59, Amundsen 51

1945–Senn 32, Von Steuben 20

1944–South Shore 51, Harper 37

1943–Kelvyn Park 28, Lindblom 26, OT

1942–Lindblom 41, Kelly 25

1941–Manley 38, Marshall 34

1940–Crane 35, Hirsch 23

1939–Lane 30, Hirsch 25

1938–Von Steuben 27, Hyde Park 24

1937–Wells 23, Farragut 21

1936–Farragut 23, Kelvyn Park 21

1935–Tilden 33, Senn 24

1934–Lane 29, Tilden 16

1933–Lake View 25, Bowen 17

1932–Crane 25, Calumet 21

1931–Crane 30, Phillips 22

1930–Phillips 20, Morgan Park 19

1929–Crane 23, Lindblom 17

1928–Crane 20, Englewood 19

1927–Englewood 20, Lane 17

1926–Lane 31, Englewood 17

1925–Hyde Park 17, Lake View 11

1924–Lane 18, Phillips 4

1923–Tilden 30, Hyde Park 11

1922–Austin 27, Lane 9

1921–Crane 21, Hyde Park 8

1920–Lane 15, Hyde Park 15, tie

1919–Schurz 17, Englewood 12

1918–Englewood 21, McKinley 8

1917–Phillips 22, Lane 11

1916–Hyde Park 24, Marshall 20

1915–Lane 23, Calumet 7

1914–Parker 18, Lane 16

1913–Hyde Park 11, Englewood 9

1912–Hyde Park 19, Lyons 18

1911–Lane 34, Hyde Park 29

1910–Englewood 30, Calumet 18

1909–Lake View 40, Calumet 17

1908–Lake 25, Austin 21

1907–Lake View 24, Austin 21

1906–Oak Park 21, Austin 14

1905–Austin 62, Lake 22

1904–North Division 26, Austin 19

1903–North Division 41, Medill 14

1902–Medill 16, Lake 15

1901–Hyde Park 23, North Division 22, OT

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This normally would be your White Sox spring-training setup story, with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp in Glendale, Arizona, early next week. This is when we brush up on where the Sox left us in October and what questions must be answered in the weeks leading to Opening Day on March 31.

But these are not normal times. Players are locked out by owners, and they aren’t much closer to getting a new deal done than they were when the collective-bargaining agreement expired Dec. 1.

The Sox are holding a minicamp for prospects Feb. 21 and minor-league camp opens March 2, but when major-league camp will open is anyone’s guess. With four weeks likely needed for players to prepare for a season (six is the norm), there is still hope it starts on time.

For the Sox, there’s reason to be eager for spring training to get started. After a 93-win, division-title season and the sour taste of a quick exit from the postseason, the Sox are built for equal if not higher expectations with most of their 2021 roster intact.

But there will be areas of need to address and little time to do so via free agency and trades if and when a collective-bargaining deal gets done. Before the CBA expired, the Sox made one significant acquisition, signing free-agent reliever Kendall Graveman to a three-year contract. They also brought back Leury Garcia on a three-year deal.

Who’s gone: Second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

Who’s likely gone: Free-agent left-handed starter Carlos Rodon and free-agent right-handed reliever Ryan Tepera.

If the season were to begin today, how would the starting lineup look? Tim Anderson SS, Luis Robert CF, Jose Abreu 1B, Yasmani Grandal C, Eloy Jimenez LF, Yoan Moncada 3B, Gavin Sheets RF, Andrew Vaughn DH, Leury Garcia 2B.

Could Leury Garcia be the Opening Day second baseman? There aren’t many alternatives available on the market, but general manager Rick Hahn is open to trades and has Craig Kimbrel as a chip, so stay tuned. Signed to a three-year, $16.5 million deal in the offseason, Garcia is most valuable in his familiar all-purpose infield/outfield role, but he’s currently No. 1 on the Sox’ depth chart. Third baseman Jake Burger was introduced to second base last season and was told to keep working around the bag in the offseason, but probably only to expand his versatility. Vaughn, a first-rounder drafted as a first baseman, unexpectedly was converted to the outfield when Eloy Jimenez went down last spring. He held his own, so don’t rule anything out when it comes to the team’s defensive alignment. But second base is a higher premium position and more demanding than the outfield, and Burger has 42 plate appearances in the majors.

Is free-agent right fielder Michael Conforto a Sox target? An experienced left-handed hitter who plays good defense, Conforto checks a lot of boxes. But how much beyond the Sox’ all-time-high payroll is chairman Jerry Reinsdorf willing to go? Conforto could demand something such as four years and $90 million, which would be the biggest deal in club history. In-house options are the left-handed-hitting Gavin Sheets and right-handed-hitting Vaughn and Adam Engel. Sheets and Vaughn are entering their second seasons. Sheets, a first baseman who like Vaughn learned a new position last season, would be a risk defensively.

What does the rotation look like? Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech and Dallas Keuchel, with Reynaldo Lopez as a sixth man. The wild cards are the electric Kopech and Keuchel, who needs a turnaround in the last year of his contract. With Kopech on an innings limit in his first year starting in the majors, Lopez will be needed for more than just protection.

Unsure of when camp will open, pitchers have been throwing on their own at private facilities but without interaction and feedback from Sox pitching coaches and staff.

They’d all be reporting to spring training next week.

Stay tuned.

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Less than 18 months ago, Theo Epstein was laying out his goals for the 2020-21 offseason:

“Productive contact hitters are at a premium, but it is important that we continue to integrate that into our lineup.”

Fast forward to the present, and Epstein is a consultant for the commissioner’s office. The three-true-outcomes hitters who powered the Cubs’ offense to a World Series and five playoff berths in six years are scattered throughout Major League Baseball. And building a diverse lineup highlights a different set of offseason needs for the Cubs.

How quickly the tables have turned.

Building a successful team takes more than filling out a pitching staff and eight spots on the field. The way the offense flows plays a large role in setting a team’s ceiling.

In the wake of the Cubs’ trade deadline sell-off, the club’s positional targets, with pitching and shortstop at the top of the list, have drummed up discussion among fans and media members — for good reason.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and his team addressed rotation concerns early in the offseason, adding Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley. And there’s still top talent available in a deep shortstop free-agent class.

Whenever collective bargaining talks end the lockout, teams will have to be ready for a flurry of activity. And while the Cubs fortify weak spots on their roster, they’ll keep in mind position players’ offensive fits.

The Cubs know what it’s like to watch a lineup full of talent hit a late-season slump. In 2018, after they posted a meager .663 OPS in September and early October, Epstein said, “Our offense broke somewhere along the lines,” driving home the lesson that a consistent offense takes a variety of hitting profiles.

Contact

For the past several years the Cubs have had plenty of sluggers but lacked contact hitters. When Hoyer took over ahead of the 2021 season, contact hitting was clearly a priority.

Most notably, the Cubs acquired second baseman Nick Madrigal at the trade deadline.

Madrigal has yet to suit up for the Cubs. A hamstring tear has sidelined him since June, but in his young career Madrigal has already established himself as an elite contact hitter.

“I’m a ‘contact hitter,’ ” said Nico Hoerner, a former Pac-12 rival of Madrigal’s, “but if you actually dive into it, he’s the best, right? There’s no one that puts the bat on the ball as well as him.”

Between last season and the beginning of this year, Madrigal made contact on 95.3% of pitches in the zone, according to Statcast.

He has the profile of a traditional leadoff hitter. And the Cubs have had so much trouble finding an everyday leadoff man in recent seasons that in 2020, according to Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo called the role “cursed.”

Now, the Cubs may have found their man, as long as Madrigal can pick up where he left off before the injury and stay healthy.

Either way, the Cubs have options at the top of the order. Ian Happ, Willson Contreras and Rafael Ortega all served as leadoff hitters at different points last season. Hoerner continues to develop. Frank Schwindel became a fan favorite late in the year batting second in the order, another spot traditionally reserved for contact hitters, and could slide right back into that role.

Power

On the flip side, the heart of the order allows the most room for improvement.

When Epstein gave those comments about diversifying the 2020 lineup, the Cubs were bursting at the seams with potential No. 3-5 hitters. But because of the team’s leadoff hitter carousel and the wealth of pop in the batting order, several of them took on non-traditional roles for their skill sets. (Think Bryzzo at the top of the order.)

The 2021 trade deadline shifted the balance and opened opportunities for new hitters in prominent roles. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom established himself as the Cubs’ best power hitter by the end of the season.

Adding established power hitting, however, is never cheap.

“We have money to spend this winter,” Hoyer said in October, “but I think it’s really important that we do that in an intelligent way.”

Signing a player like Carlos Correa would address two thin spots in the roster, adding a heart-of-the-order bat and an elite shortstop in one move. The Cubs could then tap into Hoerner’s versatility and move him to the outfield.

Correa, however, is in high demand on the free-agent market. And the Cubs have to decide how much they’re willing to commit to a shortstop with plenty of areas to address as they build back up after this summer’s tear down.

The next CBA is expected to include the universal designated hitter, automatically deepening National League lineups. But to take full advantage of the change, and roll out a lineup that’s dangerous from top to bottom, the Cubs will need to remain active when the transaction window reopens.

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One of my favorite parts of each Super Bowl is when time expires because it means the baseball season has begun. Let’s hope that’s the outcome this year, as well.

As George Carlin said in his famous comparison of baseball and football:

“In football, you receive a penalty.

“In baseball, you make an error.”

There are no penalties in our weekly quiz, just an occasional error. Have fun.

1. The first Super Bowl was held Jan. 15, 1967, in the Los Angeles Coliseum (Packers over Chiefs 35-10). Who had a better record in the 1967 baseball season?

a. Cubs

b. White Sox

c. Same

2. The Bears have played in two Super Bowls and have a .500 record of 1-1. Which Chicago pitcher has had the most career decisions with a .500 record?

a. Francisco Barrios

b. Larry Jackson

c. Scott Sanderson

d. Joe Horlen

3. Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, marked the Bears’ first appearance in the game, and the Mike Ditka-led team destroyed the Patriots 46-10. Which Chicago player(s) have hit exactly 46 homers in a season?

a. Ernie Banks

b. Frank Thomas

c. Derrek Lee

d. Paul Konerko

4. The Bears’ second appearance in the big game did not go as well as the first. The Colts beat the Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI on

Feb. 4, 2007. The halftime show was one of the greatest with Prince performing. That leads me to this question about a baseball father-son duo: Who hit more career homers?

a. Cecil Fielder

b. Prince Fielder

c. Same

5. In 2005, the White Sox swept the Astros to win the World Series. In the Super Bowl, on

Feb. 6, 2005, the Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21, and the MVP was not Tom Brady but wide receiver Deion Branch. Who was the MVP of the 2005 World Series?

a. Harold Baines

b. Tim Raines

c. Jermaine Dye

d. Paul Konerko

6. In 2016, the Cubs defeated Cleveland to win the World Series in seven games, with a 10-inning victory in the finale. Earlier that year, in the 50th Super Bowl, the Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. Von Miller led the impenetrable Denver defense and was the MVP. Who was the Cubs’ MVP in the Series?

a. Kris Bryant

b. Anthony Rizzo

c. Ben Zobrist

d. Aroldis Chapman

7. Tom Brady won more Super Bowls (seven) than any team has won in its existence (Patriots and Steelers with six). Which major-league player has won the most World Series rings?

a. Joe DiMaggio

b. Bill Dickey

c. Yogi Berra

d. Phil Rizzuto

8. Since the first Super Bowl in 1967, who has the better winning percentage?

a. White Sox

b. Cubs

c. Same

9. The Browns, Lions, Texans and Jaguars have never appeared in the Super Bowl. The Mariners have never appeared in the World Series. Which team(s) have never won the World Series?

a. Rangers

b. Rays

c. Rockies

d. Padres

ANSWERS

1. 1967 was a meh year for Chicago baseball. Even though neither team made the postseason, both teams finished over .500. The Cubs were 87-74-1 (.540), while the Sox were 89-73 (.549).

2. The Cubs’ Larry Jackson was 52-52 in 1963-1966, but Joe Horlen was 113-113 with the Sox in 1961-1972.

3. Only Derrek Lee, who went deep 46 times for the Cubs in 2005.

4. From 2005 to 2016, Prince Fielder hit 319 homers. His dad, Cecil, hit 319 homers from 1985 to 1998.

5. Jermaine Dye hit .438 with a homer and three RBI to become the Series MVP.

6. Ben Zobrist went 10-for-28 (.357) with a pair of doubles, a triple, five runs scored and two RBI. He hit the go-ahead RBI double in the 10th inning of Game 7. Zobrist became the first player to be the World Series MVP in his first season with a team since Dye.

7. From 1946 to 1965, Yogi Berra won 10 rings with the Yankees, who have 27 championships. Only the Cardinals, with 11 championships, have won more titles than Yogi.

8. This is a pretty glum answer. Since 1967, the Sox have gone 4,278-4,385 (.494), while the Cubs have gone 4,251-4,414 (.491).

9. Add the Brewers to this list, and you have the five teams who have never won a World Series.

The great Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell put together a list of reasons why baseball is better than football. It included, “In football, nobody says, ‘Let’s play two!’ “

Enjoy the game tomorrow!

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Xherdan Shaqiri and Fire sporting director Georg Heitz have known each other for more than a decade. Shaqiri launched his career at FC Basel when Heitz was part of the Swiss club’s brass and trusts the Fire executive.

But Shaqiri wanted to make something clear: That relationship isn’t the reason he decided to come to Chicago.

“The project is the most important thing for me, that Georg and the club showed to me,” Shaqiri told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I came not because Georg is a top guy and I can go with him to restaurants. It’s because of the club. Don’t understand me wrong: I didn’t come because Georg is my friend. I came for the project, for Chicago Fire FC.

“This is for me the most important thing at the end of the day, to work hard on the pitch and to try with this team, together as a team, with Georg together, to be successful. This is my goal, to bring this experience from Europe to give to the young players [and] to the experienced players, too, to try to win games and to give confidence to the players, to try to win trophies and to try to bring trophies to Chicago.”

Officially signed Wednesday to a three-year designated-player deal, Shaqiri has a stocked trophy cabinet. An attacking player with flair, he has won Champions League titles with Bayern Munich and Liverpool and was part of Liverpool’s 2020 English champion that gave the famed Reds their first domestic crown in 30 years.

Yet, in an answer reminiscent of former Bayern teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger — who basically had claimed every trophy worth winning and whose competitive hunger didn’t dissipate when he played for the Fire — Shaqiri wants to keep collecting medals with the Fire and improving his game.

Actually, winning trophies with the Fire is one thing Schweinsteiger couldn’t accomplish, and it grated on him as his time with the team ticked away. Shaqiri doesn’t want to emulate that.

“I’m always hungry for titles,” Shaqiri said. “I’m always hungry for trophies. That’s why I’m looking forward to it, to a new country, to also try to win trophies there, to be successful with my team and the whole club.”

That attitude was reflected in a conversation with coach Ezra Hendrickson before Shaqiri signed. Hendrickson said he saw how humble Shaqiri is, despite his name recognition and resume.

Perhaps most important, Hendrickson relayed that Shaqiri isn’t coming to the Fire for a vacation. That’s still a concern for some when a well-known European player comes to MLS in the second half of his -career and gets a big salary.

“All of the things that when I spoke with him that he was saying, I think it’s going to be easy for him to fit in,” Hendrickson said. “We have a young team that he’s going to have to be patient with some of the guys. But I think after speaking to him, I can see that he’s a guy that’s going to come here and do whatever it takes to help us, whether it’s defending, because we talked about everyone defending as a team and we all attack as a team, and he has buy-in to that. So I think that’s going to help all of us.”

If Shaqiri is on his game, he will add another dimension to the Fire. Slated to be their main central attacking midfielder, the Fire will run their offense through him. It wouldn’t be surprising if he takes free kicks, corner kicks and penalties and becomes a focal point for defenses. Shaqiri’s arrival is also key for new striker Kacper Przybylko. It answers the question about who would get the former Philadelphia Union player the ball.

But Shaqiri, 30, knows his move from French side Olympique Lyonnais has more value to the Fire than just on the field. Other than the 2021 home finale when the Fire drew 31,308 fans, the team struggled to attract people to Soldier Field last season. They’re in a crowded sports market competing for eyeballs with more established franchises, and having players worth watching is key for the Fire to make inroads and reach the heights owner Joe Mansueto wants.

This isn’t news to Shaqiri.

“I think it’s a big chance and a big step forward from the club that they want to show the people in Chicago, [where] we know that basketball at the moment and football and NHL are bigger than soccer,” Shaqiri said. “I want, and I think the whole club wants, the people [to start] watching soccer more, but you need to be successful. This is pretty normal in this business, where you want people to [be attracted more] to soccer.

“I think this is a big step from the owner of the club, that they want to move forward to be successful.”

Obviously, it’s very early in Shaqiri’s tenure, but the early returns seem positive. Instead of almost dreading the season, Fire fans are excited to see Shaqiri and the rest of the team kick things off later this month.

“I never thought that American people know me that well and it was going to be like this, how it goes at the moment [with] the people going crazy,” Shaqiri said. “They are really happy that I came to this club.I appreciate that, and I hope I can also make them very happy on the pitch. I know what I can do, and I want to help this club go forward.

“This is an important message, too, for me. I came to be successful, to [work hard] and to try to win trophies with this club.”

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ST. LOUIS — Seth Jones knows he’s in this for the long run.

Because as he looks around at the Blackhawks — an organization essentially starting their rebuild from rock bottom — he does so as perhaps the most locked-in member of the organization at any level.

While interim general manager Kyle Davidson and interim coach Derek King lay the foundation for this long-term project, they’re keenly aware they might not be around for much of it — and might be out of their current roles within weeks or months. King has acknowledged that publicly several times.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the remaining members of the team’s core, have only slightly more stability. They’re deep into the second-to-last years of their contracts. In fact, zero Hawks forwards are signed past 2023.

Jones finds himself in a radically different spot. His eight-year contract extension, which theoretically will keep him in Chicago until 2030, hasn’t even kicked in yet.

And that certainty about his situation allows him to contemplate and embrace a bigger-picture perspective about the Hawks’ situation than many of his peers can afford to think about.

“For me, we need to build for the future,” he said Friday. “We have to start doing the necessary things now. We’re obviously not out of it this season — we can get on a heater here — but for the years moving forward, [we need to establish] the way we want to play and hold each other accountable in all areas of the ice and build that trust in the team. What we do these next 30-something games will transfer into next year and the year after.”

Even if the Hawks rack up, say, 45 points in their 36 post-All-Star-break games — a stretch that started with a win Wednesday against the Oilers and continues Saturday against the Blues — it wouldn’t be enough to lift them anywhere close to playoff contention. That’s how deep the hole is after earning just 39 points in their first 46 games.

But doing so would generate some chemistry, optimism and momentum that just might carry over to 2022-23.

“It’s a culture thing,” Jones said. “Off the ice, your camaraderie together affects how you play together on the ice. We had a lot of new faces this year in our [locker] room, myself included, so it took time. Going forward, we’re going to be that much more familiar with each other. [That’ll help], when it comes to the fall of next year and the year after, to try to build back to that playoff team.”

“It just starts with accountability, knowing that everyone is going to do the right thing every time we’re on the ice — playing for each other, blocking shots, protecting our goalie, things like that. It’s the little things that help the team come together and bond.”

Of course, Jones came to Chicago expecting to play for a resurgent contender after years stuck in the Blue Jackets’ own cycle of mediocrity. In July, he surely imagined 46 points after the All-Star break would lift the Hawks from bubble team to top-four seed, not just create a silver lining in a lost season.

Instead, he has endured yet another mediocre-at-best season. He insists, though, he’s willing to stay patient through the coming rebuild.

“We’re all in this together,” he said. “If a couple guys aren’t in it, the whole thing falls apart. I’m willing to do my part in that, whichever role I need to play in this whole scheme. There’s been a lot of things happening this year in our organization, and hockey is one thing we can just go out and do well and work hard [at].”

The Hawks will need Jones to be a leader — perhaps even their cornerstone player — through the rocky times ahead, especially once Toews and Kane are gone.

The past few weeks, with Toews absent in the concussion protocol, have provided a preview of what that will be like. So as the team tries to build momentum down the stretch, Jones said his top priority will be expanding and solidifying his leadership skills, hoping to become more outspoken.

“I’m trying to fill that void,” he said. “Our room is pretty unique, actually, where everyone says what they feel. That’s actually the first thing Toews said this year in camp: ‘It’s our team, so if you have something to say in the room, you can say it, no matter how many games you’ve played.’ That has been good. But when I want to say something, I do — whether it’s for the team or one-on-one with a guy, helping him out in practice or a game.”

He has reflected on the best leaders he has played with — naming Shea Weber, Mike Fisher, Paul Gaustad and Pekka Rinne with the Predators and Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell with the Jackets — and what made them so effective. Those influences have helped him “put piece by piece together” to develop his own leadership style.

The coaching staff, meanwhile, has challenged Jones to force himself outside his comfort zone as a leader even more than he already has.

“This is where he needs to improve his game,” King said. “It’s not always on the ice; it’s off the ice. He is a leader — he puts a lot of pressure on himself that way. But he still can be a little bit more vocal and challenge the other guys. We have young guys who need to learn, and what better way [is there] to learn than from another player?”

After all, it looks like the Hawks might be Jones’ team in a few years.

Added King: “I just was more saying, ‘Hey, you’re going to take over here.’ ”

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LOS ANGELES — As with any Super Bowl, the attention-getting stars going into Sunday are the quarterbacks. Joe Burrow and Matt Stafford are the leading men, and they’re the ones with the cameras in their faces.

But when it comes to special effects, the explosive wide receivers are the ones to watch.

The Rams and Bengals each believe they have the NFL’s best corps at the position, either one could be correct. The Rams have all-pro Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham and Van Jefferson, while the Bengals boast the trio of incredible rookie Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

“It’s definitely gonna be a show,” Higgins said after the Bengals wrapped up their final practice at UCLA. “Those guys over there are really great, then you’ve got me, Tyler and Chase. It’s definitely gonna be a fun one.”

This is what it looks like to assemble an elite group of passing targets, which is a non-negotiable requirement in the modern NFL. Of the 37 wide receivers who had at least 800 yards this season, five are in this game.

The Bears should take note.

The Bengals did it despite parting with A.J. Green, thanks to developing Boyd (a 2016 second-round pick) and striking instant gold on Higgins (No. 33 overall in ’20) and Chase (No. 5 last year).

The Rams did it despite losing longtime No. 1 receiver Robert Woods to a torn ACL in November. They signed Beckham the day before to bolster a crew that already included Kupp (third round in 2017) and Jefferson (second round in ’20).

Regardless of whether it’s through the draft or being aggressive in free agency, it takes major investment to get this good.

Assuming they let Allen Robinson walk in free agency, the Bears are headed toward next season with Darnell Mooney as their top receiver. While he’s dependable and topped 1,000 yards this season, he might not crack the top three if he was on either Super Bowl team.

“This will be a battle of the best receivers,” Boyd said. “I look at us as the best group in the country. We showed that. But the Rams also have a great group.”

Within that showdown, the main event is Chase against five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Ramsey has been saying all week he wants to spend the entire game covering Chase, and the rookie welcomes it.

“I’m just gonna play my game, bro,” Chase said. “He’s the one that’s gotta check me. I’m not playing defense. I’m playing offense, so he’s gotta check me.”

It’s no surprise that putting a premium on wide receivers paid off for these teams. The game is all about passing, so every priority connects back to that: Get a good quarterback, protect him and provide him an arsenal. On the other side of the ball, it starts with pass rushers, followed by cornerbacks.

Taking the wide receiver position seriously means doing what the Rams and Bengals have done, as opposed to the course the Bears took the last three seasons when at most they had two receivers clicking: Robinson and Mooney. Often, it was only one or the other.

But it takes more than just one, even if he’s a star. Top defensive backs and savvy coverages can negate that. So it’s not Kupp or Chase that makes his team’s passing game so fearsome; it’s the overwhelming collective of talent that forces a defense to make tough, futile decisions.

“In years when guys were getting banged up and it was just kinda me out there and I was getting doubled, it was hard to do what I needed to do,” Boyd said. “Now that we’ve got all these guys that are ballin’ and making plays, everybody’s job is easier. It’s way more relaxed. It’s so easy for all of us to get into our game.”

Same for the Rams.

“We bounce off each other well, and then it’s a pick-your-poison thing,” Beckham said. “I feel like [all] of us are dangerous.”

Kupp has been a budding star for years and is fresh off winning the receiving Triple Crown with 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He opened the season with seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown against the Bears and pretty much averaged that the rest of the way. He’s widely regarded as the sharpest route runner in the game.

Jefferson, third in the Rams’ hierarchy, never had a 100-yard game this season, but played his role reliably and averaged 16 yards per reception on his way to 50 catches, 802 yards and six touchdowns.

In 11 games with the Rams, including the playoffs, Beckham has 46 catches for 541 yards and six touchdowns.

Chase was fourth in the NFL with 1,455 yards and third with 13 touchdown catches. The Bengals were one of five teams that had multiple 1,000-yard receivers, with Higgins putting up 1,091 and six touchdowns on 74 catches.

Boyd, a two-time 1,000-yard receiver a few years ago, slotted neatly into the No. 3 spot with 67 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns.

With that many options, Burrow and Stafford will be hard to stop.

There will be moves and countermoves all night, and that’s a lot different than that perpetually checkmated feeling the Bears’ offense has had for years. As new general manager Ryan Poles sketches out the personnel he wants to supply for Justin Fields, it should look a lot like what he’ll see in the Super Bowl.

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