My friend Mike is the general manager and coach of a Canadian junior hockey team, the Flin Flon Bombers. The team, which has picked up steam during Mike’s tenure, is actually owned by the city of Flin Flon and its residents. It is a big source of community pride, and is also counted on for revenue.

We in the West Loop could view our relationship with the Blackhawks in a similar way. By supporting our team, we also acknowledge that their success has a direct impact on our local economy.

Over this past season, the neighborhood certainly preened its feathers (no Blackhawk pun intended), as if preparing for display. Even the most casual West Loop sports fan got into the Blackhawk Hockey spirit. Now you can walk the streets and see balconies donning Blackhawk banners, cars sporting signs and flags, and people wearing hats, T-shirts and jerseys (sweaters to you real fans).

Fans may have gotten the season of their lives, but the West Loop businesses are reaping the benefits. Last week I actually stood in a line to get into West End to watch game one of the finals with friends. When was the last time you stood in a line to get into a bar? But the energy has been electric there and at the other places west of Morgan, and people are flocking.

I’ve been to Beer Bistro, West End and Bottom Lounge during the playoffs and they have all offered great atmospheres for hockey. Bottom Lounge on Lake near Ogden won me over though. It boasts two movie screens, making it easy to follow the puck. And after the puck hits the boards, the quality of their 54-channel sound system provides that second of irrational fear that it might take a bad bounce right toward my head.

Ticket-holding fans bring an exuberant energy and their wallets to the West Loop when the Hawks and Bulls play at home. Other fans come from around the Chicago area to enjoy the camaraderie and to score tables with good views of the televisions as ticket holders vacate them for the United Center. Each of the bars also has its own free bus or trolley system in place to get those ticket holders back to their establishment after the final buzzer. We’ve become a direct extension of the United Center.

The media recognize this too. They have been swarming the West Loop looking for local reaction to the Blackhawks playoff run. WGN Radio interviewed the executive director of West Loop Community Organization about the neighborhood logistics behind a Stanley Cup run. Johnny’s Ice House at Madison and Loomis has been a local favorite for coverage of all-things hockey including “Coach Ken” and his mouth of missing teeth that rivals Duncan Keith’s.

Even I got in on the action. While buying another Hawks T-shirt at Star Apparel on Madison and Laflin, I was interviewed by NBC about playoff rituals. For those of you who didn’t see it, my off-the-cuff comment is too embarrassing to retell. But for those who did, I broke down and bought more bananas after last Friday’s loss. We got the win on Sunday, so I’ve decided I don’t mind being Banana Girl if it means bringing home the cup.

The caliber of play by both the Bulls and Hawks have kicked up over the past couple of years. I bet a few of our local restaurants have been able to weather the recession in part because of the longer sports seasons. That means less empty storefronts and more retail options for residents.

There is no doubt that a good team and intriguing players bring more fans — and more money. Crain’s Chicago Business recently ran an article on the impact local businesses could see if Lebron James were to join the Chicago Bulls. Bob McDermott, owner of Beer Bistro on W. Madison was interviewed for the piece and said that his business more than doubled on each of the four nights James played at the United Center last year. It’s no wonder he created the FaceBook page, “Chicago Deals for Lebron.”

So although we don’t own the teams as they do in Flin Flon, let’s be sure to embrace our teams just the same. For businesses in the West Loop, sports well played equals being well paid.