Roenick, Roy Trade Trash Talk

The Chicago Blackhawks say they want to re-sign Jeremy Roenick, who will be a Group 2 free agent after this season.

Relations between Roenick and management have often been rocky, especially since he took a strong pro-union stance during the lockout last season. However, club president Bill Wirtz realized that Roenick is a cornerstone player.

“It’s going to take a lot (of money), but that’s all I do anymore, anyway - sign checks,” Wirtz told the Chicago Tribune.

Roenick may be worth the money for his needling skills alone. He and Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy have had an ongoing verbal battle that’s almost as good as their teams’ battle on the ice.

When Roenick complained that he should have gotten a penalty shot after being pulled down on a breakaway in Game 4, Roy replied, “I don’t care if he got a penalty shot, because I would have stopped him anyway.”

Roenick fired back, “I like Patrick’s quote, that he would have stopped me. I just want to know where he was in Game 3 (won by Chicago 4-3 in overtime). Probably getting his jock out of the stands or out of the rafters of the United Center.”

Roy had a great parting shot: “I can’t really hear what Jeremy says because I got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears.”