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Bolland, Hawks have mutual respect going into his return

Dave Bolland

Dave Bolland #63 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on October 2, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (October 1, 2013 - Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

Dave Bolland is the type of player that can get under opponents skin. He chips at both ends of the rink and until this summer, he was part of a Chicago Blackhawks squad that won the Stanley Cup twice in just four seasons.

After Bolland netted the 2013 Stanley Cup-winning goal, the cap constrained Blackhawks dealt him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s gotten off to a good start with his new team and tonight he’ll get to show his former squad what it’s like to be at the other end in his return to Chicago.

Not that any form of revenge seems to be something he’s looking for. After all the success Bolland had with the Blackhawks, he’s not entering this game with hard feelings. He still thinks very highly of the city and is close with many of the core Chicago players he spent years playing alongside.

“I still text with some of the guys and stay in touch,” Bolland told the Toronto Sun. "(Jonathan) Toews and Kane and (Duncan) Keith, guys like that.

“When you are on a winning team and you are together for that long, going through two Stanley Cups, I don’t think any of us will ever break apart from one another. You win as a team and you are always along on that same path.”

Toews largely echoed Bolland’s comments. The former teammates will both work hard to exit the game with two points as they each fight to add to their successful careers, but that doesn’t have to diminish their previous accomplishments together.

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