Chicago Blackhawks
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled as Black Hawks before 1986, and also known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey
team based in Chicago
, Illinois
. They are members of the Central Division
of the Western Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). They have won four Stanley Cup
championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10
. The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six
NHL teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings
, Montreal Canadiens
, Toronto Maple Leafs
, Boston Bruins
and New York Rangers
. Since the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center
after having spent 65 years playing at Chicago Stadium
.
. They were one of three American teams added that year, along with the Detroit Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings
) and New York Rangers
. Most of the Hawks' original players came from the Portland Rosebuds
of the Western Hockey League
(originally the Regina Capitals
of the Western Canada Hockey League
), which had folded the previous season.
The team's first owner was coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin
, who outbid grain magnate James E. Norris for the franchise. McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division
during World War I
. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk
, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois. McLaughlin evidently named the hockey team in honor of the military unit, making it one of many sports team names using Native American
s as icons. For many years, the name was spelled "Black Hawks." This ambiguity was finally settled in the summer of 1986 when the club officially decided on the one-word version based on the spelling found in the original franchise documents.
McLaughlin took a very active role in running the team despite having no background in the sport. For most of his tenure as owner, he served as his own general manager. He was also very interested in promoting American hockey players, then very rare in professional hockey. Several of them, including Doc Romnes, Taffy Abel, Alex Levinsky
, Mike Karakas
, and Cully Dahlstrom
, become staples with the club, and under McLaughlin, the Blackhawks were the first NHL team with an all-American-born lineup.
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The Hawks' first season was a moderate success. They played their first game on November 17 when they played the Toronto St. Patricks
in the Chicago Coliseum
. The Black Hawks won their first game by beating the St. Pats 4 to 1. They ended up finishing the season in 3rd place with a record of 19-22-3. The Black Hawks lost the 1927 first-round playoff series to the Boston Bruins
.
Following the series, McLaughlin fired head coach Pete Muldoon
. According to Jim Coleman
, sportswriter for the Toronto Globe and Mail, McLaughlin felt the 'Hawks were good enough to finish first. Muldoon disagreed, and in a fit of pique, McLaughlin fired him. According to Coleman, Muldoon responded by yelling, "Fire me, Major, and you'll never finish first. I'll put a curse on this team that will hoodoo it until the end of time." The Curse of Muldoon
was born - although Coleman admitted years after the fact that he had fabricated the whole incident - and became one of the first widely known sports "curses." While the team would go on to win three Stanley Cups in its first 39 years of existence, it did so without ever having finished in first place, either in a single- or multi-division format.
, Cy Wentworth on defense
, and Charlie Gardiner in goal
, but fizzled in the final two games against the Montreal Canadiens
. Chicago had another stellar season in 1932, but that did not translate into playoff success. However, two years later, Gardiner led his team to victory by shutting out the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the Stanley Cup. The score, after double overtime, was 1-0.
the Black Hawks had a record of 14–25, and only barely made the playoffs. They stunned the Canadiens and New York Americans
on overtime goals in the deciding games of both semifinal series, advancing to the Cup Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Black Hawks goalie Mike Karakas
was injured and could not play, forcing a desperate Chicago team to pull minor-leaguer (Pittsburgh Hornets) Alfie Moore
out of a Toronto bar and onto the ice. Moore played one game and won it, but repeating the plan with another player failed as the Hawks lost the game. However, for Games 3 and 4, Karakas was fitted with a special skate to protect his injured toe, and won both games. It was too late for Toronto, as the Hawks won their second championship. To this day, the 1938 Black Hawks possess the poorest regular-season record of any Stanley Cup champion.
's 38-goal season and their linemate Clint Smith
leading the team in assists. After upsetting the Red Wings in the semifinals, they were promptly dispatched by the dominant Canadiens in four games. Mosienko still holds the record for quickest hat trick
, 21 seconds, in the NHL, but Habs star Maurice "The Rocket" Richard
proved to be Mosienko's better.
Owner and founder Frederic McLaughlin died in 1944. His estate sold the team to a syndicate headed by longtime team president Bill Tobin
. However, Tobin was only a puppet for James E. Norris, who now owned the rival Red Wings. Norris had also been the Black Hawks' landlord since his 1936 purchase of Chicago Stadium
. For the next eight years, the Norris-Tobin ownership, as a rule, paid almost no attention to the Black Hawks. Nearly every trade made between Detroit and Chicago ended up being Red Wing heists. As a result, for the next several years, Chicago was the model of futility in the NHL. Between 1945 and 1958, they only made the playoffs twice.
Upon Norris' death, his eldest son, James D. Norris
, and Red Wings minority owner Arthur Wirtz
(the senior Norris' original partner in buying the Red Wings 23 years earlier) took over the floundering club. They guided it through financial reverses, and rebuilt the team from there. One of their first moves was to hire former Detroit coach and GM Tommy Ivan
as general manager.
In the late 1950s, the Hawks struck gold, picking up three young prospects (forwards Bobby Hull
and Stan Mikita
and defenseman Pierre Pilote
), as well as obtaining both star goaltender Glenn Hall
and veteran forward Ted Lindsay
(who had just had a career season with 30 goals and 55 assists) from Detroit. Hull, Mikita, Pilote, and Hall became preeminent stars in Chicago, and all four would eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
in 1959 and 1960, it was expected that the Canadiens would once again beat the Hawks when they met in the semifinals in 1961. A defensive plan that completely wore down Montreal's superstars worked, however, as Chicago won the series in six games. They then bested the Wings to win their third Stanley Cup championship. In the 25 years of the Original Six
era, this was the only time a team other than Montreal, Toronto, or Detroit won the Cup.
The Hawks made the Cup Finals twice more in the 1960s, losing to the Leafs in 1962 and the Habs in 1965. They remained a force to be reckoned with throughout the decade, with Hull enjoying four 50-goal seasons, Mikita winning back-to-back scoring titles and MVP accolades, Pilote winning three consecutive Norris Trophies
, and Hall being named the First or Second All-Star goaltender eight out of nine seasons. Hull and Mikita especially were widely regarded as the most feared one-two punch in the league. However, despite a strong supporting cast which included Bill Hay
, Ken Wharram, Phil Esposito
, Moose Vasko, Doug Mohns
, and Pat Stapleton, the Hawks never quite put it all together.
In 1967, the last season of the six-team NHL, the Black Hawks finished first, breaking the supposed Curse of Muldoon, 23 years after the death of Frederic McLaughlin. However, they lost in the semifinals to Toronto, who went on to win their last Stanley Cup to date. Afterward, Coleman, who first printed the story of the curse in 1943, admitted that he made the story up to break a writer's block he had as a column deadline approached.
in 1968. In that season, despite Hull breaking his own previous record of 54 goals in a season with 58, the Black Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1958—and the last time before .
In 1967, the Black Hawks made a trade with the Boston Bruins
that turned out to be one of the most one-sided in the history of the sport. Chicago sent young forwards Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge
and Fred Stanfield
to Boston in exchange for Pit Martin
, Jack Norris
and Gilles Marotte
. While Martin would star for the Hawks for many seasons, Esposito, Hodge, and Stanfield would lead the Bruins to the top of the league for several years and capture two Stanley Cups. In Boston, Phil Esposito set numerous scoring records en route to a career as one of the NHL's all-time greats.
Nonetheless, in 1971, life was made easier for Chicago, as in an attempt to better balance the divisions, the expansion Buffalo Sabres
and Vancouver Canucks
were both placed in the East Division, while the Hawks moved into the West Division. They became the class of the West overnight, rampaging to a 46–17–15 record and an easy first-place finish. With second-year goalie Tony Esposito
(Phil's younger brother and winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy
for Rookie of the Year the previous season), Hull, his younger brother Dennis
, Mikita, and sterling defensemen Stapleton and Bill White, the Hawks reached the Stanley Cup final before bowing out to the Canadiens.
A critical blow to the franchise came in , though, with the start of the World Hockey Association
. Long dissatisfied with how little he was paid as the league's marquee star, Bobby Hull jumped to the upstart Winnipeg Jets for a million-dollar contract. Former Philadelphia Flyers
star Andre Lacroix, who received very little ice time in his single season in Chicago, joined Hull, and the pair became two of the WHA's great stars. The Hawks repeated their appearance in Cup Final that year, however, again losing to Montreal. Stapleton left for the WHA too after that year, depleting the team further.
While the team led or was second in the West Division for four straight seasons, for the rest of the 1970s, the Black Hawks made the playoffs each year—winning seven division championships in the decade in all—but were never a successful Stanley Cup contender, losing 16 straight playoff games at one point. The team acquired legendary blueliner Bobby Orr
from the Boston Bruins
in 1976, but ill health forced him to sit out for most of the season, and he eventually retired in 1979, having played only 26 games for the Hawks. Mikita did the same the following year after playing 22 years in Chicago, the third-longest career for a single team in league history.
By 1982, the Black Hawks squeaked into the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Norris Division (at the time the top four teams in each division automatically made the playoffs), and were one of the league's Cinderella
teams that year. Led by second-year Denis Savard
's 32 goals and 119 points and Doug Wilson's 39 goals, the Hawks stunned the Minnesota North Stars
and Blues in the playoffs before losing to another surprise team, the Vancouver Canucks
, who made the Stanley Cup Finals
. Chicago proved they were no fluke the next season, also making the third round before losing to the eventual runner-up Edmonton Oilers
. After an off-year in 1984, the Hawks again faced a now fresh-off-a-ring Edmonton offensive juggernaut of a team and lost in the third round in 1985.
During the 1985 playoff series against Edmonton Oilers
, the Black Hawks and their fans started a tradition of cheering during the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner
". The cheering at the United Center
has been known to reach up to 122 Decibels while during the anthem. While this action is not without controversy as some people consider it disrespectful, the tradition continues to the present day. Many people have sung the Star-Spangled Banner for the Blackhawks since the tradition of cheering began, but the current full-time anthem singer is Jim Cornelison
.
Also, prior to the 1986-87 season
, while going through the team's records, someone discovered the team's original NHL contract, and found that the name "Blackhawks" was printed as a compound word as opposed to two separate words ("Black Hawks") which was the way most sources had been printing it for 60 years and as the team had always officially listed it. The name officially became "Chicago Blackhawks" from that point on.
In the late 1980s, Chicago still made the playoffs on an annual basis, but made early-round exits each time.
In , after three straight first-round defeats, and despite a fourth-place finish in their division in the regular season, Chicago made it to the Conference Final in the rookie
seasons of both goalie Ed Belfour
and center Jeremy Roenick
. Once again though, they would fail to make the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the eventual champion Calgary Flames
.
The following season the Hawks did prove they were late-round playoff material, running away with the Norris Division
title, but, yet again, the third round continued to stymie them, this time against the Oilers, despite 1970s Soviet
star goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
coming to Chicago
to become the Blackhawks' goaltender coach.
In , Chicago was poised to fare even better in the playoffs, winning the Presidents' Trophy
for best regular-season record, but the Cinderella Minnesota North Stars
stunned them in six games in the first-round en route to an improbable Stanley Cup Final
appearance.
In the Blackhawks - with Roenick scoring 53 goals, Steve Larmer
scoring 29 goals, Chris Chelios
(acquired from Montreal
two years previously) on defense, and Belfour in goal - finally reached the Final after 19 years out of such status. The Blackhawks won 11 consecutive playoff games that year, which set an NHL record. However, they were swept four games to none by the Mario Lemieux
-led defending Stanley Cup
champion Pittsburgh Penguins
(who, in sweeping the Blackhawks, tied the record Chicago had set only days before). Although the 4–0 sweep indicates Pittsburgh's dominance in won games, it was actually a close series that could have gone either way. Game 1 saw the Blackhawks squander leads of 3–0 and 4–1, and would eventually be beaten 5–4 after a Lemieux power-play goal with 9 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks most lackluster game was Game 2, losing 3–1. A frustrating loss of 1–0 followed in game 3, and a natural hat trick from Dirk Graham
and stellar play from Dominik Hasek
(who showed indications of the goaltender he would later become) could not secure a win in game 4, which ended in 6–5 final in favor of Pittsburgh. The defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls
were in their finals in 1992
, but won their championship in 6, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers
. Although this was the only year that both the Bulls and the Blackhawks reached their respective league's finals in the same year, Blackhawks Coach Mike Keenan
would see this again in New York when he coached the Rangers
to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years
two years later
.
Belfour posted a 40-win season in as the Hawks looked to go deep yet again, and Chelios accumulated career-high penalty time with 282 minutes in the box, but St. Louis stunned Chicago with a first-round sweep to continue Chicago's playoff losing streak.
Although they finished near-.500 season in 1994, the Blackhawks again qualified for the playoffs. They were eliminated by eventual Western Conference finalist Toronto, but broke their playoff losing streak at 10 games with a Game 3 win. It wasn't enough, however, and the Blackhawks fell in six games. The 1993-94 season also marked the Blackhawks' last at the old Chicago Stadium
, and the team moved into the new United Center
in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. Bernie Nicholls
and Joe Murphy
both scored 20 goals over 48 games, and Chicago once again made it to the Western Conference Final, losing to the rival Detroit Red Wings
. Also in 1994, management fired Wayne Messmer
, popular singer of the Star Spangled Banner.
Roenick, Belfour, and Chelios were all traded away as the Blackhawks faltered through the late 1990s until they missed the playoffs in 1998 for the first time in 29 years, one season short of tying the Boston Bruins' record for the longest such streak in North America
n professional sports history.
, Alexei Zhamnov
and Tony Amonte
emerged as some of the team's leading stars by this time. However, aside from a quick first-round exit in 2002, the 'Hawks were consistently out of the playoffs until the 2008-09 season, in most years finishing well out of contention. Amonte left for the Phoenix Coyotes
in the summer of 2002.
A somber note was struck in February 2004, when ESPN
named the Blackhawks the worst franchise in professional sports. Indeed, the Blackhawks were viewed with much indifference by Chicagoans for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, due to anger over several policies instituted by late owner Bill Wirtz
(derisively known as "Dollar Bill"). For example, Wirtz raised ticket prices to an average of $50, and did not allow home games to be televised in the Chicago area. Many hockey fans in Chicago began supporting the American Hockey League
's Chicago Wolves
. For a time, the Wolves took a jab at the Hawks with the slogan, "We Play Hockey The Old-Fashioned Way: We Actually Win." The club under Wirtz was then subject of a highly critical book, Career Misconduct, sold outside games until Wirtz had its author and publisher arrested.
Following the lockout of the 2004–05 season, new GM Dale Tallon
set about restructuring the team in the hopes of making a playoff run. Tallon made several moves in the summer of 2005, most notably the signing of Tampa Bay Lightning
Stanley Cup–winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin
and All-Star defenseman Adrian Aucoin
. However, injuries plagued Khabibulin and Aucoin (among others), and the Blackhawks again finished well out of the playoffs with a 26–43–13 record — next-to-last in the Western Conference
and the second-worst in the league.
The Blackhawks reached another low point on May 16, 2006, when they announced that popular TV/radio play-by-play announcer Pat Foley was not going to be brought back after 25 years with the team, a move unpopular amongst most Blackhawks fans. Foley then became the television/radio voice of the Wolves.
With the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
, the team selected Jonathan Toews
, who led the University of North Dakota
Fighting Sioux hockey team to the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.
The Blackhawks were eager to make a splash in the free-agent market, and offered big money to many of the top free agents. They were, however, denied, only being able to acquire two backup goalies in Patrick Lalime
and Sebastien Caron
. Chicago was one of the biggest buyers in the trade market, though, acquiring a future franchise player in left-winger
Martin Havlat
, as well as center
Bryan Smolinski
from the Ottawa Senators
in a three-way deal that also involved the San Jose Sharks
. The 'Hawks dealt mean forward Mark Bell to the Sharks, Michal Barinka
and a 2008 second-round draft pick to the Senators, while Ottawa also received defenseman Tom Preissing
and center Josh Hennessy
from San Jose. Havlat gave the Blackhawks the talented, first-line caliber gamebreaker they so desperately needed. The Havlat trade was soon followed by another major trade — winger and key Blackhawk player, another left wing, Kyle Calder
, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
in exchange for grinding defensive center Michal Handzus
. The move caused a stir in Chicago. Calder had won an increase in his contract through arbitration, which was accepted by the Hawks, but rather than ink their leading scorer, the Blackhawks decided to address their need for a proven center by acquiring Handzus. Injuries to both Havlat and Handzus hurt the Blackhawks, and Smolinski was eventually traded at the trade deadline to the Vancouver Canucks
. On November 26, 2006, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon fired Head Coach Trent Yawney
and appointed assistant coach Denis Savard
as head coach. Savard had been the assistant coach of the Blackhawks since 1997, the year after he retired as one of the most popular and successful Blackhawks of all time. The Blackhawks continued to struggle, and finished last in the Central Division, 12 points out of the playoffs.
They finished with the fourth worst record in the league, and in the Draft Lottery, won the opportunity to select first overall in the draft, whereas the team had never had a draft pick higher than third overall. They used the pick to draft right wing Patrick Kane
from the London Knights
of the Ontario Hockey League
.
, the long time owner of the Blackhawks, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was succeeded by his son, Rocky
, who drastically altered his father's long-standing policies.
Midway into the 2007–08 NHL season, the franchise experimented with a partnership with Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV
by airing selected Blackhawks home games on television. During the next season, Comcast and WGN began airing all of the team's regular season games. Rocky also named John McDonough
, formerly the president of the Chicago Cubs
, as the franchise's new president. Since taking over the position, McDonough has been an instrumental figure in the Blackhawks current marketing success, including establishing links between the Blackhawks and the very strong Cubs fan base in a number of ways. In April 2008 the Blackhawks announced a partnership with the Chicago White Sox
. In this partnership the Blackhawks have a Zamboni race featuring Kane, Toews, and Keith on the jumbotron at every White Sox Home Game. Wirtz was also able to bring back former Blackhawks greats Tony Esposito
, Stan Mikita
and Bobby Hull
, as the franchise's “hockey ambassadors.”
In addition to the changes in the team's policies and front office, the Blackhawks roster was bolstered by the addition of two young players, Jonathan Toews
and Patrick Kane
. Toews, the third overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
led all rookies in goals scored, while Kane, the first overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
, led all rookies in total points. Both players were finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy
, which is awarded to the NHL's best rookie. Kane ultimately beat his teammate for the award. Kane finished the 2007-2008 season with 21 goals and 51 assists in 82 games. The Blackhawks finished with a record of 40-34-8, missing the playoffs by three points. The 2007-2008 season marked the first time in six years that the team finished above .500.
The Blackhawks made several major roster changes before the 2008-09 NHL season. The team traded Tuomo Ruutu
, their longest tenured player, to the Carolina Hurricanes
for forward Andrew Ladd
on February 26, 2008. Later that day, the Blackhawks traded captain Martin Lapointe
to the Ottawa Senators
for a sixth round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
. On the first day of free agency, July 1, the team signed goaltender Cristobal Huet
to a four year $22.5 million dollar contract, and later signed defenseman Brian Campbell
to an eight year, $56.8 million dollar contact. The team also added former coaches Joel Quenneville
and Scotty Bowman
to their organization.
On February 13, 2008, the Blackhawks announced they would hold their first fan convention. On July 16, 2008, the team announced that they would host the 2009 NHL Winter Classic
on a temporary ice rink at Wrigley Field
on New Years Day against fellow "Original Six
" member Detroit Red Wings
. The Detroit Red Wings
defeated Chicago, 6-4. On June 16, Pat Foley was hired to replace Dan Kelly as the Blackhawks TV play-by-play man. Foley called Blackhawk games from 1981-2006. He then spent the next two years broadcasting for the Chicago Wolves. He has now returned with partner Eddie Olczyk to broadcast all of the Hawks games. The Blackhawks relieved Denis Savard
of his head coaching duties, and replaced him with Joel Quenneville
on October 16, 2008. Savard has since been brought back to the organization as an ambassador.
The Blackhawks finished the 2008-2009 regular season in second place in their division, with a record of 46-24-12, putting them in fourth place in the Western Conference with 104 points. The Blackhawks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2001-02 season with a 3-1 win over Nashville on April 3. On April 8, with a shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets
, the Blackhawks clinched their first 100-point season in 17 years. The Blackhawks beat the fifth-seeded Calgary Flames
in six games to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1996. The team proceeded to defeat the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks
in six games. The Blackhawks played the then Stanley Cup
champions, the Detroit Red Wings
, for the Western Conference Championship. They lost the series to the Red Wings in five games.
Prior to the 2008-09 season opener, the Blackhawks named Toews, at 20 years and 79 days, as the new captain, succeeding the traded Lapointe and making him the third-youngest captain at the time of appointment. During the 2008-09 season, the team led the League in home attendance with a total of 912,155, averaging 22,247 fans per game. This figure includes the 40,818 fans from the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Therefore, the total attendance for games hosted at the United Center is 871,337, good for an average of 21,783 which still leads the league over Montreal's 21,273 average. The Blackhawks welcomed their one millionth fan of the season at the United Center before game six of the Western Conference semi-finals on May 11, 2009.
to a 12-year contract worth 62.8 million dollars. In addition to Hossa, the team also acquired Tomas Kopecky
, John Madden, and Richard Petiot
. In early July, general manager Dale Tallon
and the Blackhawks management came under fire when the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) claimed the team did not submit offers to their restricted free agents before the deadline. In the worst case scenario, the team's unsigned restricted free agents at the time, including Calder Memorial Trophy
finalist Kris Versteeg
, would have become unrestricted free agents. Despite the ordeal, the Blackhawks were able to sign Versteeg and all of their restricted free agents before the NHLPA could take further actions. On July 14, 2009, The Blackhawks demoted Tallon to the position of Senior Adviser. Stan Bowman
, son of Scotty Bowman
, was promoted to general manager. The Blackhawks continued to sellout games, with the best average attendance of 21,356 over Montreal
's 21,273 in the NHL, and had a total of 854,267 excluding the playoffs. The Blackhawks reached the one million mark in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks
.
The Blackhawks re-signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to contract extensions worth $31.5 million over 5 years, and Duncan Keith
to a 13 year extension worth $72 million on December 1, 2009. On April 6, 2010, the Hawks won their 50th game of the 2009-10 season against the Dallas Stars
, setting a new franchise record for wins in a season. The very next night, April 7,the Hawks notched their 109th point of the season against the St. Louis Blues, setting another franchise record.
The Blackhawks made the playoffs for the second consecutive season with a regular season record of 52-22-8. They defeated the Nashville Predators
in six games in the first round, before defeating the third seeded Canucks
for the second straight year, again in six games. The Blackhawks then played the top-seeded San Jose Sharks
in the Western Conference Finals and won the series in four games. The Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the first time since . They faced the Philadelphia Flyers
, and won the series in six games, with the overtime goal scored by Patrick Kane. It was the Blackhawks' first Cup win since 1961.
, the Blackhawks needed the Dallas Stars to either lose to the Minnesota Wild later that evening or at least have the game go into a shootout to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dallas lost 5-3, and the Blackhawks clinched the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.
In the first round of the 2011 playoffs, the Blackhawks faced the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks
. It was the third consecutive post-season the two teams faced each other. The Canucks built a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series before the Blackhawks were able to win three games in a row, becoming just the sixth (the feat was repeated in the second round that year by the Detroit Red Wings
) team in NHL history to force a seventh game in a best-of-seven series after facing a 0-3 deficit. Alex Burrows won the seventh game for the Canucks in overtime, 2-1, to advance to the Western Conference Semifinal round. In the 2011 draft
, they traded Troy Brouwer to the Washington Capitals
for the 2011 26th overall pick and Brian Campbell
to the Florida Panthers
in exchange for Rostislav Olesz
. Their first round picks were Mark McNeill
(18th overall) and Phillip Danault
(26th overall, via Washington).
. Unlike other clubs, Chicago did not deviate much from previous jerseys with small exceptions:
The Blackhawks have brought back their black third jerseys for several games in 2008-09 after a one-year absence. For the 2009 Winter Classic
, the Blackhawks wore jerseys based on the design worn in the 1936-37 season. The jersey is predominantly black with a large beige stripe across the chest (also on the sleeves), with a red border, and an old-style circular Black Hawks logo. The Blackhawks now use this Winter Classic design as their third jersey for the 2009-10 season, with the only change being tomahawks on the shoulders. The Blackhawks' uniform was voted one of the 25 best in professional sports by Paul Lukas of GQ in November 2004. The Hockey News
voted the team's jersey as the best in the NHL. In 2009, The Blackhawks wore special camouflage
jerseys on Veterans Day during their pregame warm-ups. The jerseys were later sold in auctions to raise money for the USO of Illinois. The Winter Classic third jerseys were retired after the 2010-2011 season.
In 2008 The Hockey News
' staff voted the team's main logo to be the best in the NHL. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/17432-THNcoms-NHL-Logo-Rankings.html
sponsored Tommy Hawk water bottle.
!" is the official fight song and introduction of the Chicago Blackhawks. The song was written by J. Swayzee, an avid Blackhawks fan, and produced by the Dick Marx Orchestra and Choir in 1968 and is heard quite often both in vocal and organ renditions during Blackhawks home games. In late 2007 the song "Keys to the City
" was released by Ministry & Co Conspirators as a gift to the Blackhawks organization. "Chelsea Dagger
" by The Fratellis
is played after a home-team goal and after a home-team win.
at Chicago Stadium versus the Edmonton Oilers
.
, which ended in after 54 years http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long179.html. On June 9, 2010, the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship in 6 games, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in sudden death overtime with a goal by Patrick Kane.
(Channel 9) (not available in its superstation channel on WGN America), the first time the Blackhawks have been seen on local over-the-air television in 30 years. On February 15, 2011 on WGN Morning News
, Blackhawks President John McDonough
and former Blackhawks player/coach Denis Savard
announced that the team renewed their contract with WGN-TV for the next five years starting in the 2011-12 NHL season. The others aired on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. For the last 8 seasons, the teams radio affiliate was WSCR
(670). On April 30, 2008, the team signed a three year deal with WGN Radio
(720), with games airing alternately instead on WIND
(560) in scheduling conflict situations during the baseball season due to the Cubs having contractual preference to air on WGN. During the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals the Cubs agreed to allow the Blackhawks games to be broadcast on WGN and have the Cubs revert to WIND when there was a conflict. This allowed the Finals games to be heard over a larger area due to WGN's clear-channel signal. All Blackhawk games also air via online streaming on wgnradio.com, regardless of whether the games are on WGN or WIND.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
, D
, 1969–80, number retired November 12, 2008 3: Pierre Pilote
, D, 1955–68, number retired November 12, 2008 9: Bobby Hull
, LW
, 1957–72, number retired December 18, 1983 18: Denis Savard
, C
, 1980-90 & 1995-97, number retired March 19, 1998 21: Stan Mikita
, C, 1958–80, number retired October 19, 1980 35: Tony Esposito
, G, 1969–84, number retired November 20, 1988 99: Wayne Gretzky
, C, number retired league-wide by NHL
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blackhawks player
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. They are members of the Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). They have won four Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10
2010 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks...
. The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
NHL teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Since the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
after having spent 65 years playing at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
.
Founding
The Chicago Blackhawks joined the NHL in 1926 as part of the league's first wave of expansion into the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were one of three American teams added that year, along with the Detroit Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
) and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Most of the Hawks' original players came from the Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
(originally the Regina Capitals
Regina Capitals
The Regina Capitals were a professional ice hockey team originally based in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan in the Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921.-Franchise history:...
of the Western Canada Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
), which had folded the previous season.
The team's first owner was coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin was the first owner of the Chicago Black Hawks.Born in Chicago, Illinois, McLaughlin inherited a successful coffee business from his father, who died in 1905. McLaughlin was a graduate of Harvard University and served in the United States Army during World War I...
, who outbid grain magnate James E. Norris for the franchise. McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division
U.S. 86th Infantry Division
The 86th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.-World War I:*Combat: Saw no combat; was activated 25 August 1917 at Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois, went overseas in August 1918, returned to United States in November 1918, and was inactivated in...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk
Black Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois. McLaughlin evidently named the hockey team in honor of the military unit, making it one of many sports team names using Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s as icons. For many years, the name was spelled "Black Hawks." This ambiguity was finally settled in the summer of 1986 when the club officially decided on the one-word version based on the spelling found in the original franchise documents.
McLaughlin took a very active role in running the team despite having no background in the sport. For most of his tenure as owner, he served as his own general manager. He was also very interested in promoting American hockey players, then very rare in professional hockey. Several of them, including Doc Romnes, Taffy Abel, Alex Levinsky
Alex Levinsky
Alexander "Mine Boy" Levinsky was an American professional ice hockey Defenseman who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers....
, Mike Karakas
Mike Karakas
Mike Karakas was an American professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League who was the league's first American-born and trained goaltender. Karakas played six full seasons and parts of two others with Chicago Black Hawks. He appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals, winning once...
, and Cully Dahlstrom
Cully Dahlstrom
Carl S. "Cully" Dahlstrom was an American professional ice hockey center who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie for the 1937–38 season and won the Stanley Cup in the same season...
, become staples with the club, and under McLaughlin, the Blackhawks were the first NHL team with an all-American-born lineup.
1926–1938
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
in the Chicago Coliseum
Chicago Coliseum
The Chicago Coliseum was the name of a succession of three large indoor arenas in Chicago, Illinois from the 1860s to 1982 that each served as a sports venue, convention center, and exhibition hall over the course of their respective histories. The first Coliseum briefly made an appearance in the...
. The Black Hawks won their first game by beating the St. Pats 4 to 1. They ended up finishing the season in 3rd place with a record of 19-22-3. The Black Hawks lost the 1927 first-round playoff series to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Following the series, McLaughlin fired head coach Pete Muldoon
Pete Muldoon
Pete Muldoon , born Linton Muldoon Treacy, was a Canadian ice hockey pioneer in the western United States, particularly known for bringing a Stanley Cup championship to Seattle, Washington...
. According to Jim Coleman
Jim Coleman
James F. Coleman is a keyboards and sampler player.He was a member of Cop Shoot Cop, and performed under a variety of stage names: Cripple Jim , and usually as Filer....
, sportswriter for the Toronto Globe and Mail, McLaughlin felt the 'Hawks were good enough to finish first. Muldoon disagreed, and in a fit of pique, McLaughlin fired him. According to Coleman, Muldoon responded by yelling, "Fire me, Major, and you'll never finish first. I'll put a curse on this team that will hoodoo it until the end of time." The Curse of Muldoon
Curse of Muldoon
The Curse of Muldoon was an alleged curse that supposedly prevented the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League from finishing in first place, either in their division or, from 1938 to 1967, in the single-division NHL...
was born - although Coleman admitted years after the fact that he had fabricated the whole incident - and became one of the first widely known sports "curses." While the team would go on to win three Stanley Cups in its first 39 years of existence, it did so without ever having finished in first place, either in a single- or multi-division format.
1934 Cup win
The Black Hawks proceeded to have the worst record in the league in 1927–28. By 1931, they reached their first Stanley Cup Final, with goal-scorer Johnny GottseligJohnny Gottselig
John Gottselig was a professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League between 1928 and 1946. He was the second player born in the Russian Empire to play in the NHL, as well as the first European-born head coach in the league's...
, Cy Wentworth on defense
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, and Charlie Gardiner in goal
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, but fizzled in the final two games against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. Chicago had another stellar season in 1932, but that did not translate into playoff success. However, two years later, Gardiner led his team to victory by shutting out the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the Stanley Cup. The score, after double overtime, was 1-0.
1938 Cup win
In 19381937–38 NHL season
-European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France...
the Black Hawks had a record of 14–25, and only barely made the playoffs. They stunned the Canadiens and New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
on overtime goals in the deciding games of both semifinal series, advancing to the Cup Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Black Hawks goalie Mike Karakas
Mike Karakas
Mike Karakas was an American professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League who was the league's first American-born and trained goaltender. Karakas played six full seasons and parts of two others with Chicago Black Hawks. He appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals, winning once...
was injured and could not play, forcing a desperate Chicago team to pull minor-leaguer (Pittsburgh Hornets) Alfie Moore
Alfie Moore
Alfred Ernest Moore was a professional ice hockey player who played 21 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans....
out of a Toronto bar and onto the ice. Moore played one game and won it, but repeating the plan with another player failed as the Hawks lost the game. However, for Games 3 and 4, Karakas was fitted with a special skate to protect his injured toe, and won both games. It was too late for Toronto, as the Hawks won their second championship. To this day, the 1938 Black Hawks possess the poorest regular-season record of any Stanley Cup champion.
The Original Six era
The Black Hawks returned to the Finals in 1944 behind Doug BentleyDoug Bentley
Douglas Wagner Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers as part of a senior and professional career that spanned nearly three decades...
's 38-goal season and their linemate Clint Smith
Clint Smith
Clinton James "Snuffy" Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and head coach best known for his time spent in the National Hockey League as a player with the New York Rangers and the Chicago Black Hawks...
leading the team in assists. After upsetting the Red Wings in the semifinals, they were promptly dispatched by the dominant Canadiens in four games. Mosienko still holds the record for quickest hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
, 21 seconds, in the NHL, but Habs star Maurice "The Rocket" Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
proved to be Mosienko's better.
Owner and founder Frederic McLaughlin died in 1944. His estate sold the team to a syndicate headed by longtime team president Bill Tobin
Bill Tobin (ice hockey)
Bill Tobin is a former Canadian ice hockey player, executive and head coach. He was president of the Chicago Black Hawks from the team's inception in 1926 until 1954. For the last ten of those years , he was also nominally the team's owner. However, he was actually a puppet for Detroit Red...
. However, Tobin was only a puppet for James E. Norris, who now owned the rival Red Wings. Norris had also been the Black Hawks' landlord since his 1936 purchase of Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
. For the next eight years, the Norris-Tobin ownership, as a rule, paid almost no attention to the Black Hawks. Nearly every trade made between Detroit and Chicago ended up being Red Wing heists. As a result, for the next several years, Chicago was the model of futility in the NHL. Between 1945 and 1958, they only made the playoffs twice.
Upon Norris' death, his eldest son, James D. Norris
James D. Norris
James Dougan Norris was an American sports businessman, with interests in boxing, ice hockey, and horse racing. He was the son of James E. Norris and half-brother of Bruce Norris and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.Born in Chicago, Norris served as a Lieutenant with the United States Navy...
, and Red Wings minority owner Arthur Wirtz
Arthur Wirtz
Arthur Michael Wirtz was a powerful figure in sports and arena operation. He was the owner of Chicago Stadium, the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, the Chicago Black Hawks, and the Chicago Bulls...
(the senior Norris' original partner in buying the Red Wings 23 years earlier) took over the floundering club. They guided it through financial reverses, and rebuilt the team from there. One of their first moves was to hire former Detroit coach and GM Tommy Ivan
Tommy Ivan
Thomas Nathaniel Ivan was a NHL head coach for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks. With the Red Wings from 1947 to 1954, he won three Stanley Cups, and would win another while serving as the Black Hawks' GM...
as general manager.
In the late 1950s, the Hawks struck gold, picking up three young prospects (forwards Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
and Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita
Stanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
and defenseman Pierre Pilote
Pierre Pilote
Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote is a former professional ice hockey defenceman. After playing junior hockey for the St. Catharines Teepees in the Ontario Hockey Association, Pilote played minor professional hockey for the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League. Pilote played 890 games in...
), as well as obtaining both star goaltender Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
and veteran forward Ted Lindsay
Ted Lindsay
Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay is a former professional ice hockey player, a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League . He scored over 800 points in his Hockey Hall of Fame career, won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950, and won the Stanley Cup four times...
(who had just had a career season with 30 goals and 55 assists) from Detroit. Hull, Mikita, Pilote, and Hall became preeminent stars in Chicago, and all four would eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
1961 Cup win
After two first-round exits at the hands of the eventual champions from MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1959 and 1960, it was expected that the Canadiens would once again beat the Hawks when they met in the semifinals in 1961. A defensive plan that completely wore down Montreal's superstars worked, however, as Chicago won the series in six games. They then bested the Wings to win their third Stanley Cup championship. In the 25 years of the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
era, this was the only time a team other than Montreal, Toronto, or Detroit won the Cup.
The Hawks made the Cup Finals twice more in the 1960s, losing to the Leafs in 1962 and the Habs in 1965. They remained a force to be reckoned with throughout the decade, with Hull enjoying four 50-goal seasons, Mikita winning back-to-back scoring titles and MVP accolades, Pilote winning three consecutive Norris Trophies
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 55 times to 23 different players since its beginnings in...
, and Hall being named the First or Second All-Star goaltender eight out of nine seasons. Hull and Mikita especially were widely regarded as the most feared one-two punch in the league. However, despite a strong supporting cast which included Bill Hay
Bill Hay
William Charles "Red" Hay is a retired Canadian ice hockey centre who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks. He is the son of Hockey Hall of Fame member Charles Hay.-Playing career:Hay started his junior career with the Regina Pats in the Western Canadian...
, Ken Wharram, Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
, Moose Vasko, Doug Mohns
Doug Mohns
Douglas Allen "Diesel" Mohns is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1953–54 until 1974–75. Mohns twice won the most coveted prize in junior hockey, the Memorial Cup...
, and Pat Stapleton, the Hawks never quite put it all together.
In 1967, the last season of the six-team NHL, the Black Hawks finished first, breaking the supposed Curse of Muldoon, 23 years after the death of Frederic McLaughlin. However, they lost in the semifinals to Toronto, who went on to win their last Stanley Cup to date. Afterward, Coleman, who first printed the story of the curse in 1943, admitted that he made the story up to break a writer's block he had as a column deadline approached.
The expansion era and Cup drought
Hall was drafted by the expansion St. Louis Blues for the 1967–68 season, while Pilote was traded to the Maple Leafs for Jim PappinJim Pappin
James Joseph Pappin is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He won his first Stanley Cup in 1964 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 1967, Pappin led the NHL in playoff goals and points and won a second Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs...
in 1968. In that season, despite Hull breaking his own previous record of 54 goals in a season with 58, the Black Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1958—and the last time before .
In 1967, the Black Hawks made a trade with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
that turned out to be one of the most one-sided in the history of the sport. Chicago sent young forwards Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge
Ken Hodge
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. is a retired hockey player for the NHL Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers.-Playing career:...
and Fred Stanfield
Fred Stanfield
Frederic William Stanfield is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978.Stanfield played 914 career NHL games, scoring 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points...
to Boston in exchange for Pit Martin
Pit Martin
Hubert Jacques "Pit" Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who served as captain for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League from 1975 to 1977...
, Jack Norris
Jack Norris
John Wayne "Jack" Norris is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. Although never drafted, Norris went on to play parts of four seasons in the NHL, along with another four seasons in the WHA. He broke into the NHL in the 1964–65 season, playing 23 games as the backup to Eddie Johnston, but...
and Gilles Marotte
Gilles Marotte
Jean Gilles Marotte was a Canadian defenceman in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues....
. While Martin would star for the Hawks for many seasons, Esposito, Hodge, and Stanfield would lead the Bruins to the top of the league for several years and capture two Stanley Cups. In Boston, Phil Esposito set numerous scoring records en route to a career as one of the NHL's all-time greats.
Nonetheless, in 1971, life was made easier for Chicago, as in an attempt to better balance the divisions, the expansion Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
were both placed in the East Division, while the Hawks moved into the West Division. They became the class of the West overnight, rampaging to a 46–17–15 record and an easy first-place finish. With second-year goalie Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
(Phil's younger brother and winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
for Rookie of the Year the previous season), Hull, his younger brother Dennis
Dennis Hull
Dennis William Hull is a retired professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League...
, Mikita, and sterling defensemen Stapleton and Bill White, the Hawks reached the Stanley Cup final before bowing out to the Canadiens.
A critical blow to the franchise came in , though, with the start of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. Long dissatisfied with how little he was paid as the league's marquee star, Bobby Hull jumped to the upstart Winnipeg Jets for a million-dollar contract. Former Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
star Andre Lacroix, who received very little ice time in his single season in Chicago, joined Hull, and the pair became two of the WHA's great stars. The Hawks repeated their appearance in Cup Final that year, however, again losing to Montreal. Stapleton left for the WHA too after that year, depleting the team further.
While the team led or was second in the West Division for four straight seasons, for the rest of the 1970s, the Black Hawks made the playoffs each year—winning seven division championships in the decade in all—but were never a successful Stanley Cup contender, losing 16 straight playoff games at one point. The team acquired legendary blueliner Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
from the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in 1976, but ill health forced him to sit out for most of the season, and he eventually retired in 1979, having played only 26 games for the Hawks. Mikita did the same the following year after playing 22 years in Chicago, the third-longest career for a single team in league history.
By 1982, the Black Hawks squeaked into the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Norris Division (at the time the top four teams in each division automatically made the playoffs), and were one of the league's Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
teams that year. Led by second-year Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
's 32 goals and 119 points and Doug Wilson's 39 goals, the Hawks stunned the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and Blues in the playoffs before losing to another surprise team, the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, who made the Stanley Cup Finals
1982 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
. Chicago proved they were no fluke the next season, also making the third round before losing to the eventual runner-up Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. After an off-year in 1984, the Hawks again faced a now fresh-off-a-ring Edmonton offensive juggernaut of a team and lost in the third round in 1985.
During the 1985 playoff series against Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, the Black Hawks and their fans started a tradition of cheering during the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
". The cheering at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
has been known to reach up to 122 Decibels while during the anthem. While this action is not without controversy as some people consider it disrespectful, the tradition continues to the present day. Many people have sung the Star-Spangled Banner for the Blackhawks since the tradition of cheering began, but the current full-time anthem singer is Jim Cornelison
Jim Cornelison
James Cornelison is a tenor who sings The Star-Spangled Banner and O Canada at the beginning of home games for the Chicago Blackhawks. Cornelison started singing the anthem for the Blackhawks part time in 1996; he has been singing the national anthem for the Blackhawks full time since 2007...
.
Also, prior to the 1986-87 season
1986-87 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
, while going through the team's records, someone discovered the team's original NHL contract, and found that the name "Blackhawks" was printed as a compound word as opposed to two separate words ("Black Hawks") which was the way most sources had been printing it for 60 years and as the team had always officially listed it. The name officially became "Chicago Blackhawks" from that point on.
In the late 1980s, Chicago still made the playoffs on an annual basis, but made early-round exits each time.
In , after three straight first-round defeats, and despite a fourth-place finish in their division in the regular season, Chicago made it to the Conference Final in the rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
seasons of both goalie Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
and center Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
. Once again though, they would fail to make the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the eventual champion Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
The following season the Hawks did prove they were late-round playoff material, running away with the Norris Division
Norris Division
The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...
title, but, yet again, the third round continued to stymie them, this time against the Oilers, despite 1970s Soviet
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
star goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
coming to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to become the Blackhawks' goaltender coach.
In , Chicago was poised to fare even better in the playoffs, winning the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for best regular-season record, but the Cinderella Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
stunned them in six games in the first-round en route to an improbable Stanley Cup Final
1991 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the...
appearance.
Steve Larmer
Steven Donald Larmer is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward.Steve played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. He won the 1983 Calder Memorial Trophy as well as being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team that year...
scoring 29 goals, Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
(acquired from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
two years previously) on defense, and Belfour in goal - finally reached the Final after 19 years out of such status. The Blackhawks won 11 consecutive playoff games that year, which set an NHL record. However, they were swept four games to none by the Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
-led defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
(who, in sweeping the Blackhawks, tied the record Chicago had set only days before). Although the 4–0 sweep indicates Pittsburgh's dominance in won games, it was actually a close series that could have gone either way. Game 1 saw the Blackhawks squander leads of 3–0 and 4–1, and would eventually be beaten 5–4 after a Lemieux power-play goal with 9 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks most lackluster game was Game 2, losing 3–1. A frustrating loss of 1–0 followed in game 3, and a natural hat trick from Dirk Graham
Dirk Graham
Dirk Milton Graham is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota North Stars in the National Hockey League. He was honored in 1991 as the Frank J. Selke Trophy winner for outstanding defensive play by a forward...
and stellar play from Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
(who showed indications of the goaltender he would later become) could not secure a win in game 4, which ended in 6–5 final in favor of Pittsburgh. The defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
were in their finals in 1992
1992 NBA Finals
The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991–92 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference took on the Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA.The two teams appeared...
, but won their championship in 6, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. Although this was the only year that both the Bulls and the Blackhawks reached their respective league's finals in the same year, Blackhawks Coach Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
would see this again in New York when he coached the Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years
Curse of 1940
The Curse of 1940, also called Dutton's Curse, was a superstitious explanation for why the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League did not win the league's championship trophy, the Stanley Cup, from 1940 to 1994.-Popular theories:...
two years later
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
.
Belfour posted a 40-win season in as the Hawks looked to go deep yet again, and Chelios accumulated career-high penalty time with 282 minutes in the box, but St. Louis stunned Chicago with a first-round sweep to continue Chicago's playoff losing streak.
Although they finished near-.500 season in 1994, the Blackhawks again qualified for the playoffs. They were eliminated by eventual Western Conference finalist Toronto, but broke their playoff losing streak at 10 games with a Game 3 win. It wasn't enough, however, and the Blackhawks fell in six games. The 1993-94 season also marked the Blackhawks' last at the old Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
, and the team moved into the new United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. Bernie Nicholls
Bernie Nicholls
Bernard Irvine Nicholls is a former professional ice hockey centre. His junior career was spent with the Kingston Canadians, where he established himself as a dynamic scorer and a multi-faceted talent. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, 73rd...
and Joe Murphy
Joe Murphy (ice hockey)
Joseph Patrick Murphy is a former professional hockey right winger. Murphy grew up and played minor hockey in Newmarket, Ontario. Murphy was on the 1990 Edmonton Oilers when they won the Stanley Cup...
both scored 20 goals over 48 games, and Chicago once again made it to the Western Conference Final, losing to the rival Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Also in 1994, management fired Wayne Messmer
Wayne Messmer
Wayne K. Messmer is one of three public address announcers for the Chicago Cubs. He sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" before many Cubs games, as well as prior to many Chicago Wolves American Hockey League games. Messmer is part owner of the Chicago Wolves...
, popular singer of the Star Spangled Banner.
Roenick, Belfour, and Chelios were all traded away as the Blackhawks faltered through the late 1990s until they missed the playoffs in 1998 for the first time in 29 years, one season short of tying the Boston Bruins' record for the longest such streak in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n professional sports history.
The 21st century
The millennium started with disappointment for the Blackhawks. Eric DazeEric Daze
Éric Dazé is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League for eleven seasons.- Playing career :...
, Alexei Zhamnov
Alexei Zhamnov
Alexei Yuryevich Zhamnov is a Russian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins...
and Tony Amonte
Tony Amonte
Anthony Lewis Amonte is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames, all of the National Hockey League...
emerged as some of the team's leading stars by this time. However, aside from a quick first-round exit in 2002, the 'Hawks were consistently out of the playoffs until the 2008-09 season, in most years finishing well out of contention. Amonte left for the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
in the summer of 2002.
A somber note was struck in February 2004, when ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
named the Blackhawks the worst franchise in professional sports. Indeed, the Blackhawks were viewed with much indifference by Chicagoans for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, due to anger over several policies instituted by late owner Bill Wirtz
Bill Wirtz
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings...
(derisively known as "Dollar Bill"). For example, Wirtz raised ticket prices to an average of $50, and did not allow home games to be televised in the Chicago area. Many hockey fans in Chicago began supporting the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
. For a time, the Wolves took a jab at the Hawks with the slogan, "We Play Hockey The Old-Fashioned Way: We Actually Win." The club under Wirtz was then subject of a highly critical book, Career Misconduct, sold outside games until Wirtz had its author and publisher arrested.
Following the lockout of the 2004–05 season, new GM Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current General Manager for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
set about restructuring the team in the hopes of making a playoff run. Tallon made several moves in the summer of 2005, most notably the signing of Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
Stanley Cup–winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
and All-Star defenseman Adrian Aucoin
Adrian Aucoin
Adrian Aucoin is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
. However, injuries plagued Khabibulin and Aucoin (among others), and the Blackhawks again finished well out of the playoffs with a 26–43–13 record — next-to-last in the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
and the second-worst in the league.
The Blackhawks reached another low point on May 16, 2006, when they announced that popular TV/radio play-by-play announcer Pat Foley was not going to be brought back after 25 years with the team, a move unpopular amongst most Blackhawks fans. Foley then became the television/radio voice of the Wolves.
With the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
, the team selected Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
, who led the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
Fighting Sioux hockey team to the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.
The Blackhawks were eager to make a splash in the free-agent market, and offered big money to many of the top free agents. They were, however, denied, only being able to acquire two backup goalies in Patrick Lalime
Patrick Lalime
Patrick Lalime is a Canadian professional ice hockey broadcaster and former player. Lalime played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres...
and Sebastien Caron
Sebastien Caron
Sébastien Caron is a professional ice hockey goaltender.-Biography:Caron was a fourth-round pick in 1999 and is a butterfly goaltender most well known for his great save from Brian Savage against the Philadelphia Flyers. This save came early in the 2005–2006 season with his former team, the...
. Chicago was one of the biggest buyers in the trade market, though, acquiring a future franchise player in left-winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
Martin Havlat
Martin Havlat
Martin Havlát is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, as well as center
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
Bryan Smolinski
Bryan Smolinski
Bryan Anthony Smolinski is an American professional ice hockey center. The Boston Bruins drafted him 21st overall in 1990. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and...
from the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a three-way deal that also involved the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The 'Hawks dealt mean forward Mark Bell to the Sharks, Michal Barinka
Michal Barinka
Michal Barinka is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga. He was drafted 59th overall in the 2nd round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks...
and a 2008 second-round draft pick to the Senators, while Ottawa also received defenseman Tom Preissing
Tom Preissing
Thomas Joseph Preissing is an American professional ice hockey Defenseman currently playing for EHC Biel of the Swiss National League A...
and center Josh Hennessy
Josh Hennessy
Joshua Hennessy is an American professional ice hockey player. Hennessy is currently a member of the Boston Bruins organization. Hennessy most recently played for HC Lugano in 2010/11 and previously for the Ottawa Senators organization....
from San Jose. Havlat gave the Blackhawks the talented, first-line caliber gamebreaker they so desperately needed. The Havlat trade was soon followed by another major trade — winger and key Blackhawk player, another left wing, Kyle Calder
Kyle Calder
Kyle Charles Calder is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League...
, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for grinding defensive center Michal Handzus
Michal Handzus
Michal Handzuš is a Slovak professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The move caused a stir in Chicago. Calder had won an increase in his contract through arbitration, which was accepted by the Hawks, but rather than ink their leading scorer, the Blackhawks decided to address their need for a proven center by acquiring Handzus. Injuries to both Havlat and Handzus hurt the Blackhawks, and Smolinski was eventually traded at the trade deadline to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. On November 26, 2006, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon fired Head Coach Trent Yawney
Trent Yawney
Trent G. Yawney is a retired hockey defenceman, a former head coach of the NHL Chicago Blackhawks, a former professional scout for the Anaheim Ducks, and a former assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL.Yawney was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Third...
and appointed assistant coach Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
as head coach. Savard had been the assistant coach of the Blackhawks since 1997, the year after he retired as one of the most popular and successful Blackhawks of all time. The Blackhawks continued to struggle, and finished last in the Central Division, 12 points out of the playoffs.
They finished with the fourth worst record in the league, and in the Draft Lottery, won the opportunity to select first overall in the draft, whereas the team had never had a draft pick higher than third overall. They used the pick to draft right wing Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
from the London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
.
Rebuilding
On September 26, 2007, Bill WirtzBill Wirtz
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings...
, the long time owner of the Blackhawks, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was succeeded by his son, Rocky
Rocky Wirtz
William Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz is the principal owner and chairman of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He is also president of the Blackhawks' parent company, Wirtz Corporation, a diversified conglomerate headquartered in Chicago....
, who drastically altered his father's long-standing policies.
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
by airing selected Blackhawks home games on television. During the next season, Comcast and WGN began airing all of the team's regular season games. Rocky also named John McDonough
John McDonough (sports executive)
John McDonough is a sports executive who is perhaps best known for his two decades with the Chicago Cubs. In 2007, he left the presidency of the Cubs to become president of the Chicago Blackhawks and guided the team to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, its first since 1961. On June 1, 2011, McDonough...
, formerly the president of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, as the franchise's new president. Since taking over the position, McDonough has been an instrumental figure in the Blackhawks current marketing success, including establishing links between the Blackhawks and the very strong Cubs fan base in a number of ways. In April 2008 the Blackhawks announced a partnership with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. In this partnership the Blackhawks have a Zamboni race featuring Kane, Toews, and Keith on the jumbotron at every White Sox Home Game. Wirtz was also able to bring back former Blackhawks greats Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
, Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita
Stanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
and Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, as the franchise's “hockey ambassadors.”
In addition to the changes in the team's policies and front office, the Blackhawks roster was bolstered by the addition of two young players, Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
and Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
. Toews, the third overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
led all rookies in goals scored, while Kane, the first overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
, led all rookies in total points. Both players were finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
, which is awarded to the NHL's best rookie. Kane ultimately beat his teammate for the award. Kane finished the 2007-2008 season with 21 goals and 51 assists in 82 games. The Blackhawks finished with a record of 40-34-8, missing the playoffs by three points. The 2007-2008 season marked the first time in six years that the team finished above .500.
Tuomo Ruutu
Tuomo Iisakki Ruutu is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
, their longest tenured player, to the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
for forward Andrew Ladd
Andrew Ladd
Andrew Ladd is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . He was originally drafted in 2004 by the Carolina Hurricanes and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2006...
on February 26, 2008. Later that day, the Blackhawks traded captain Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.-Playing career:...
to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a sixth round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
. On the first day of free agency, July 1, the team signed goaltender Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet is a French professional ice hockey goaltender playing for Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A, on loan from the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He developed his goaltending skills in Grenoble with Les Brûleurs de Loups. He has also played with the...
to a four year $22.5 million dollar contract, and later signed defenseman Brian Campbell
Brian Campbell
Brian Wesley Campbell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
to an eight year, $56.8 million dollar contact. The team also added former coaches Joel Quenneville
Joel Quenneville
Joel Norman Quenneville is the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks professional ice hockey team. He is a former ice hockey defenseman and former head coach of the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues...
and Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
to their organization.
On February 13, 2008, the Blackhawks announced they would hold their first fan convention. On July 16, 2008, the team announced that they would host the 2009 NHL Winter Classic
2009 NHL Winter Classic
The 2009 NHL Winter Classic, also known as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009, was a specially staged National Hockey League regular-season game played outdoors on January 1, 2009 at 12:36 p.m. CST at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois...
on a temporary ice rink at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
on New Years Day against fellow "Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
" member Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
defeated Chicago, 6-4. On June 16, Pat Foley was hired to replace Dan Kelly as the Blackhawks TV play-by-play man. Foley called Blackhawk games from 1981-2006. He then spent the next two years broadcasting for the Chicago Wolves. He has now returned with partner Eddie Olczyk to broadcast all of the Hawks games. The Blackhawks relieved Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
of his head coaching duties, and replaced him with Joel Quenneville
Joel Quenneville
Joel Norman Quenneville is the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks professional ice hockey team. He is a former ice hockey defenseman and former head coach of the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues...
on October 16, 2008. Savard has since been brought back to the organization as an ambassador.
The Blackhawks finished the 2008-2009 regular season in second place in their division, with a record of 46-24-12, putting them in fourth place in the Western Conference with 104 points. The Blackhawks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2001-02 season with a 3-1 win over Nashville on April 3. On April 8, with a shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the Blackhawks clinched their first 100-point season in 17 years. The Blackhawks beat the fifth-seeded Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in six games to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1996. The team proceeded to defeat the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in six games. The Blackhawks played the then Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champions, the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, for the Western Conference Championship. They lost the series to the Red Wings in five games.
Prior to the 2008-09 season opener, the Blackhawks named Toews, at 20 years and 79 days, as the new captain, succeeding the traded Lapointe and making him the third-youngest captain at the time of appointment. During the 2008-09 season, the team led the League in home attendance with a total of 912,155, averaging 22,247 fans per game. This figure includes the 40,818 fans from the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Therefore, the total attendance for games hosted at the United Center is 871,337, good for an average of 21,783 which still leads the league over Montreal's 21,273 average. The Blackhawks welcomed their one millionth fan of the season at the United Center before game six of the Western Conference semi-finals on May 11, 2009.
2009–10: The Stanley Cup returns to Chicago
Prior to the 2009-10 NHL season, the Blackhawks made another major free agent purchase, signing Marian HossaMarian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
to a 12-year contract worth 62.8 million dollars. In addition to Hossa, the team also acquired Tomas Kopecky
Tomas Kopecky
Tomáš Kopecký is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .- Detroit Red Wings :...
, John Madden, and Richard Petiot
Richard Petiot
Richard Allan Petiot is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League...
. In early July, general manager Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current General Manager for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
and the Blackhawks management came under fire when the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) claimed the team did not submit offers to their restricted free agents before the deadline. In the worst case scenario, the team's unsigned restricted free agents at the time, including Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
finalist Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
, would have become unrestricted free agents. Despite the ordeal, the Blackhawks were able to sign Versteeg and all of their restricted free agents before the NHLPA could take further actions. On July 14, 2009, The Blackhawks demoted Tallon to the position of Senior Adviser. Stan Bowman
Stan Bowman
Stanley Bowman is the current Vice President and General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. Stan Bowman is the son of Hockey Hall of Fame member, and current senior advisor for the Blackhawks, Scotty Bowman....
, son of Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
, was promoted to general manager. The Blackhawks continued to sellout games, with the best average attendance of 21,356 over Montreal
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
's 21,273 in the NHL, and had a total of 854,267 excluding the playoffs. The Blackhawks reached the one million mark in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Blackhawks re-signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to contract extensions worth $31.5 million over 5 years, and Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is an alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
to a 13 year extension worth $72 million on December 1, 2009. On April 6, 2010, the Hawks won their 50th game of the 2009-10 season against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, setting a new franchise record for wins in a season. The very next night, April 7,the Hawks notched their 109th point of the season against the St. Louis Blues, setting another franchise record.
The Blackhawks made the playoffs for the second consecutive season with a regular season record of 52-22-8. They defeated the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in six games in the first round, before defeating the third seeded Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
for the second straight year, again in six games. The Blackhawks then played the top-seeded San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Western Conference Finals and won the series in four games. The Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
for the first time since . They faced the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and won the series in six games, with the overtime goal scored by Patrick Kane. It was the Blackhawks' first Cup win since 1961.
2010–present
After losing the final game of the 2010-11 regular season at home to the Red WingsDetroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, the Blackhawks needed the Dallas Stars to either lose to the Minnesota Wild later that evening or at least have the game go into a shootout to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dallas lost 5-3, and the Blackhawks clinched the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.
In the first round of the 2011 playoffs, the Blackhawks faced the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. It was the third consecutive post-season the two teams faced each other. The Canucks built a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series before the Blackhawks were able to win three games in a row, becoming just the sixth (the feat was repeated in the second round that year by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
) team in NHL history to force a seventh game in a best-of-seven series after facing a 0-3 deficit. Alex Burrows won the seventh game for the Canucks in overtime, 2-1, to advance to the Western Conference Semifinal round. In the 2011 draft
2011 NHL Entry Draft
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted...
, they traded Troy Brouwer to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
for the 2011 26th overall pick and Brian Campbell
Brian Campbell
Brian Wesley Campbell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in exchange for Rostislav Olesz
Rostislav Olesz
Rostislav Olesz is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Olesz was originally drafted in the 1st round, 7th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft....
. Their first round picks were Mark McNeill
Mark McNeill
Mark McNeill a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL. He was selected 18th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, and he was also selected by Vityaz Chekhov in the 5th round of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft.He was raised...
(18th overall) and Phillip Danault
Phillip Danault
Phillip Danault is a Canadian ice hockey player currently with the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was selected 26th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.-Awards and honours:...
(26th overall, via Washington).
Jerseys
Like all NHL teams for the 2007–08 NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled the Rbk EDGE jerseys from ReebokReebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
. Unlike other clubs, Chicago did not deviate much from previous jerseys with small exceptions:
- new collar with NHL logo
- a "baseball-style" cut along the bottom
The Blackhawks have brought back their black third jerseys for several games in 2008-09 after a one-year absence. For the 2009 Winter Classic
2009 NHL Winter Classic
The 2009 NHL Winter Classic, also known as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009, was a specially staged National Hockey League regular-season game played outdoors on January 1, 2009 at 12:36 p.m. CST at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois...
, the Blackhawks wore jerseys based on the design worn in the 1936-37 season. The jersey is predominantly black with a large beige stripe across the chest (also on the sleeves), with a red border, and an old-style circular Black Hawks logo. The Blackhawks now use this Winter Classic design as their third jersey for the 2009-10 season, with the only change being tomahawks on the shoulders. The Blackhawks' uniform was voted one of the 25 best in professional sports by Paul Lukas of GQ in November 2004. The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
voted the team's jersey as the best in the NHL. In 2009, The Blackhawks wore special camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
jerseys on Veterans Day during their pregame warm-ups. The jerseys were later sold in auctions to raise money for the USO of Illinois. The Winter Classic third jerseys were retired after the 2010-2011 season.
Logo
McLaughlin's wife, Irene Castle, designed the original version of the team's logo which featured a crudely drawn black and white Native head in a circle. This design went through several significant changes between 1926 and 1955. During this period seven distinct versions of the primary logo were worn on their uniforms. At the beginning of the 1955-56 season the outer circle was removed and the head began to resemble the team's current primary logo. This crest and uniform went through subtle changes until the 1964-65 season. The basic logo and jersey design have remained constant since then.In 2008 The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
' staff voted the team's main logo to be the best in the NHL. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/17432-THNcoms-NHL-Logo-Rankings.html
Mascot
The Blackhawks mascot is Tommy Hawk, a hawk who wears the Blackhawks' four feathers on his head, along with a Blackhawks jersey and hockey pants. Tommy Hawk often participates in the T-shirt toss and puck chuck at the United Center. He walks around the concourse greeting fans before and during the game. The Hawks introduced Tommy in the 2001–02 season. His oversized jersey has "WWW" William Wadsworth Wirtz and American flag patch on it. The Hawks have had two giveaways featuring Tommy Hawk items. The first was a bobble-head doll and the second was a Mountain DewMountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
sponsored Tommy Hawk water bottle.
Fight song
"Here Come the HawksHere Come the Hawks
"Here Come the Hawks!" is the official fight song and introduction of the Chicago Blackhawks. The song was written by J. Swayzee and produced by the Dick Marx Orchestra and Choir in 1968. It is still played today during the pre-game video. An abbreviated rendition is also played following the end...
!" is the official fight song and introduction of the Chicago Blackhawks. The song was written by J. Swayzee, an avid Blackhawks fan, and produced by the Dick Marx Orchestra and Choir in 1968 and is heard quite often both in vocal and organ renditions during Blackhawks home games. In late 2007 the song "Keys to the City
Keys to the City (song)
-Personnel:*Josh Bradford: vocals, backing vocals*Al Jourgensen: guitars, programming, backing vocals*Sin Quirin: guitars*Paul Raven: bass*Clayton Worbeck: keyboards*John Billberry: drum programming...
" was released by Ministry & Co Conspirators as a gift to the Blackhawks organization. "Chelsea Dagger
Chelsea Dagger
"Chelsea Dagger" is a song by The Fratellis and their second single. It was released on 28 August 2006. It is taken from their debut album Costello Music, which was released in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2006...
" by The Fratellis
The Fratellis
The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in...
is played after a home-team goal and after a home-team win.
National anthem
It is a tradition for Blackhawks fans to applaud and cheer loudly during the singing of the national anthems. This tradition originated during a 1985 Campbell Conference playoff gameClarence S. Campbell Bowl
The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...
at Chicago Stadium versus the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Cup drought
Before their 2010 Stanley Cup victory, the team had not won the Cup since . At 49 years, it was the second longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history, behind the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, which ended in after 54 years http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long179.html. On June 9, 2010, the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship in 6 games, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in sudden death overtime with a goal by Patrick Kane.
Media and announcers
For the first time in team history, all 82 games plus playoffs were broadcast in high definition on television during the 2008–09 season. At least 20 of which were on WGN-TVWGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
(Channel 9) (not available in its superstation channel on WGN America), the first time the Blackhawks have been seen on local over-the-air television in 30 years. On February 15, 2011 on WGN Morning News
WGN Morning News
The WGN Morning News is a popular morning television news program airing on CW affiliate and national cable superstation WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois. The newscast airs Monday through Friday mornings from 4:00-9 a.m...
, Blackhawks President John McDonough
John McDonough (sports executive)
John McDonough is a sports executive who is perhaps best known for his two decades with the Chicago Cubs. In 2007, he left the presidency of the Cubs to become president of the Chicago Blackhawks and guided the team to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, its first since 1961. On June 1, 2011, McDonough...
and former Blackhawks player/coach Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
announced that the team renewed their contract with WGN-TV for the next five years starting in the 2011-12 NHL season. The others aired on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. For the last 8 seasons, the teams radio affiliate was WSCR
WSCR
WSCR is a sports radio station in the Chicago, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by CBS Radio and transmits on 670 kHz on the AM dial. Its transmitter is located just off Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It is known as "The Score," and has been on...
(670). On April 30, 2008, the team signed a three year deal with WGN Radio
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
(720), with games airing alternately instead on WIND
WIND (AM)
WIND "AM 560" is a radio station based in Chicago, Illinois, broadcasting its talk radio format on 560 kHz.Its current owner is Salem Media, a company specializing primarily in Christian radio...
(560) in scheduling conflict situations during the baseball season due to the Cubs having contractual preference to air on WGN. During the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals the Cubs agreed to allow the Blackhawks games to be broadcast on WGN and have the Cubs revert to WIND when there was a conflict. This allowed the Finals games to be heard over a larger area due to WGN's clear-channel signal. All Blackhawk games also air via online streaming on wgnradio.com, regardless of whether the games are on WGN or WIND.
- Pat FoleyPat FoleyPat Foley is the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.A native of Chicago's North Shore, Foley graduated from Loyola Academy and received a degree in telecommunications from Michigan State University...
- TV play-by-play - Eddie Olczyk - Lead TV analyst for NBC & VersusNHL on VersusThe NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
, TV analyst for Blackhawks - John WiedemanJohn WiedemanJohn Wiedeman is an American broadcaster who currently serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks....
- Radio play-by-play - Troy MurrayTroy MurrayTroy Norman Murray is a former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL. He is currently the color analyst on WGN-AM broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks hockey games.-Amateur career:...
- Radio analyst - Gene HondaGene HondaEugene "Gene" Honda is a popular public address announcer for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks, DePaul University basketball, Big Ten Tournament, and the NCAA Final Four. He is also the voice of Chicago's PBS station WTTW Channel 11, the Big Ten Network, and the Chicago Marathon. He...
- Public address - Steve KonroydSteve KonroydStephen Mark Konroyd is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman. He currently is a co-host of intermission and post-game segments on WGN-TV and Comcast SportsNet broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks' games.-Playing career:...
- Co-Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports, Back-up TV analyst - Chris Boden - Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on CSN ChicagoCSN ChicagoComcast SportsNet Chicago is a member of the Comcast SportsNet network of regional sports networks that covers local sports teams in the Chicago area.-Background:CSN Chicago is jointly owned by NBCUniversal , the family of J...
- Dan RoanDan RoanDaniel Roan is the sports director for WGN, a Chicago television station. He is also the host of WGN's Instant Replay.- Career :Dan's career began in 1977 at WCIA in Champaign, Illinois, where he was sports director for seven years....
- Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on WGNWGN-TVWGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W... - Denis SavardDenis SavardDenis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
- Back-up Co-Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on CSN ChicagoCSN ChicagoComcast SportsNet Chicago is a member of the Comcast SportsNet network of regional sports networks that covers local sports teams in the Chicago area.-Background:CSN Chicago is jointly owned by NBCUniversal , the family of J... - Brianne Dillman - Locker Room enternainer for home games
- Judd SirottJudd SirottJudd Kevin Sirott is an American sportscaster on WGN 's coverage of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Blackhawks. On Cubs broadcasts he does color commentary during the 5th inning, provides scores on other games throughout the broadcast, and hosts pregame and postgame shows...
- Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on WGN RadioWGN (AM)WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Blackhawks. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Chicago Blackhawks seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 31 | 42 | 9 | 71 | 201 | 258 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 40 | 34 | 8 | 88 | 239 | 235 | 3rd, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | 264 | 216 | 2nd, Central | Lost in Conference Finals, 1-4 (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 52 | 22 | 8 | 112 | 271 | 209 | 1st, Central | Stanley Cup Champions 2010 Stanley Cup Finals The 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks... , 4-2 (Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 44 | 29 | 9 | 97 | 258 | 225 | 3rd, Central | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... ) |
Players
Honored members
Retired numbers:- 1: Glenn HallGlenn HallGlenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
, GGoaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, 1957–67, number retired November 20, 1988
Keith Magnuson
Keith Arlen Magnuson was a professional ice hockey defenceman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who played in the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1979...
, D
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, 1969–80, number retired November 12, 2008 3: Pierre Pilote
Pierre Pilote
Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote is a former professional ice hockey defenceman. After playing junior hockey for the St. Catharines Teepees in the Ontario Hockey Association, Pilote played minor professional hockey for the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League. Pilote played 890 games in...
, D, 1955–68, number retired November 12, 2008 9: Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, LW
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
, 1957–72, number retired December 18, 1983 18: Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
, C
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
, 1980-90 & 1995-97, number retired March 19, 1998 21: Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita
Stanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
, C, 1958–80, number retired October 19, 1980 35: Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
, G, 1969–84, number retired November 20, 1988 99: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, C, number retired league-wide by NHL
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blackhawks player
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