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Blackhawks Fans Cheer on Stanley Cup Champions Ahead of New Season

By DNAinfo Staff on October 1, 2013 4:40pm  | Updated on October 1, 2013 6:11pm

 Blackhawks players make their way into the United Center during the Blackhawks season-opening red carpet event on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. The Hawks are raising their 2013 Stanley Cup championship banner Tuesday night before facing the Washington Capitals.
Blackhawks Return to United Center
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NEAR WEST SIDE — Hundreds of Chicago Blackhawks fans flocked to the United Center Tuesday afternoon to get a glimpse of their beloved Stanley Cup champions.

As supporters cheered them on, the Hawks walked into the arena on a red carpet ahead of the first game of the season against the Washington Capitals.

"I wanted to see the players before the game. I wanted to cheer them on before the season began," said Dominique Collins, a 20-year-old fan from the South Loop, who wore a Brandon Saad T-shirt.

The team's second NHL championship in four years was met with cheers and celebration, most notably with a parade and rally that the city said drew 2 million people downtown.

During last season, fans showed their love for the team in a variety of ways, including painting a mural in Portage Park, growing odd-looking mullets, and answering the math problem "9 times 9" in a very creative way.