CHICAGO – MAY 31: Goaltender Antti Niemi #31 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks to make a save while taking on the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Two of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on May 31, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks had some heroes step up in 2010 and none were more important than that of Antti Niemi in the goal crease.
The most important season in the modern history of the Chicago Blackhawks was in 2010. They took all of their great players that they drafted from 2003-2007 and built around them and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 49 years. It was an incredible championship drought broken for them as they finally got it done. One major factor in that was the play of goaltender Antti Niemi. He was a hero by the end of the playoffs and Stanley Cup Final.
Niemi signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008 as an undrafted free agent. He was assigned to the Rockford Ice Hogs where he spent the 2008-09 season splitting starts with Corey Crawford. By the time the 2009-10 season started, he was splitting time with Cristobal Huet at the NHL level. He beat out Huet for the starting goalie spot in those 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.