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Blackhawks sign goalie Delia, from Rancho Cucamonga

Historical Route 66 Increasingly Threatened By Development

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA - JUNE 15: A Marilyn Monroe statue stands along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Route 66 opened in 1926 to become an icon of American motoring freedom. It stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930s or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. Today the motels, gas stations, and roadside attractions along the “Mother Road” are disappearing at an alarming rate. Route 66 aficionados try to preserve some reminders of the by-gone era ? restoring some buildings, collecting memorabilia, and erecting thousands of new signs that read “Route 66" - but most of the old landmarks are already in a state of decay or destroyed by vandals and neglect. Freeways, modern hotel chains, developer’s projects, and even tourist attractions are blotting out the original reminders of the highway that inspired countless movies, books, and songs about life on the Western highway. Last week the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the old motels of Route 66 on its list of the 11 most endangered historic places. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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The Chicago Blackhawks handed a two-year, two-way contract to goalie Collin Delia on Friday.

Delia turned 23 about a week ago. He spent the last three years goaltending for Merrimack College, putting up nice numbers in Hockey East last season. As Second City Hockey notes, Delia’s put in the work in impressing Blackhawks brass during two prospect camps.

The netminder could be a long shot, although Second City Hockey posits a possible Scott Darling upside.

However, while goaltenders do typically develop more slowly than other players, it should be noted that Delia isn’t exactly a long-term project like, say, Wouter Peeters. But given that the Blackhawks’ goalie prospect list is basically just Peeters at this point, it makes sense to take a shot on Delia if the team liked what it saw earlier this month. Maybe he can be a Scott Darling-like steal.

Here’s the reported structure for the deal:

Really, though, the most exciting thing about him is probably that he hails from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Apparently CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers shares PHT’s amusement at that.

Seriously though, it’s fun to say. Try it.