Toews compares Blues rivalry to old relationship with Canucks

There will never be another rivalry like the one shared by the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. That one goes back to the 1920s and bonds (or divides) two sets of passionate fans from rival cities.

But with the Red Wings in the East, there seems to be a never-ending quest by some people to find a foe to replace Detroit. The St. Louis Blues won’t replace the Wings, but their rivalry with the Hawks might be more similar to another of more recent vintage.

“You might say they’re the new Vancouver Canucks, if anything, not the new Detroit Red Wings. I’ve always said that the rivalry between us and the Red Wings is mostly between the fans,” captain Jonathan Toews said. “Between the players there was always some hatred elsewhere.”

That intensity is now directed to the Blues, whom the Hawks dumped out of the playoffs last season.

“It kind of goes both ways. I don’t think they like us very much, either,” Toews said. “Every game you know something’s going to happen and it gets personal more and more as you go along.”

>>PICS: TOEWS BUYS LINCOLN PARK MANSION

MOURNING A LEGEND

The Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday that legend Jean Beliveau died. Beliveau, 83, was on 10 Stanley Cup winners and was regarded as both one of the game’s greatest players and people.

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Beliveau “epitomized the word class every which way.”

“I wasn’t fortunate (enough) to play against the man but you only heard everybody raves about what kind of a person he was,” Quenneville said. “A great ambassador for the sport.”

SHARP SOON?

Patrick Sharp, out since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 4 in Montreal, skated again Wednesday. Quenneville said “we’ll see” when asked if it’s possible Sharp would play Friday against the Canadiens.