Chicago Blackhawks
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Chicago Blackhawks
Known adoringly by their fans as "Cold Steel on Ice," the Chicago Blackhawks have a long and storied history. While the team has seen its ups and downs, fans still support what may be one of the most beloved, yet elusive teams Chicago has to offer.
The Early Years
Professional hockey came to Chicago on September 25, 1926 when Major Frederic McLaughlin (a local coffee millionaire) was given permission by the National Hockey League to field a team that would begin playing in the 1926-27 season. The Major wanted to be competitive right out of the gate, so he purchased the Western Canadian Hockey League’s Portland Rosebuds for $200,000 and moved the team to Chicago.
Two stories surround the naming of the team. One claims that McLaughlin served as a commander of the 333rd Machine-Gun Battalion of the U.S. Army. Blackhawk, the division’s nickname honored Black Hawk, a prominent Indian warrior of the 1800s. McLaughlin is said to have named the team to honor his unit. A second story tells the tale of the Major having owned a restaurant in Chicago by the same name, making him hungry for a little free publicity. Ironically, the name had been written as Black Hawk until 1986 when owner Bill Wirtz changed the spelling to its original form to conform to Chicago’s original charter in 1926.
The Blackhawks began play at the Chicago Coliseum (16th and Wabash) on November 17, 1926 against the Toronto St. Patricks and won 4-1. The first year proved gloomy with a 19-22-3 record and a first round loss in the playoffs. While many Chicagoans are aware of the famed Chicago Cubs goat curse, the Blackhawks have one of their own. The legendary Pete Muldoon was coach that year. McLaughlin fired Muldoon after the first season, believing they should have been better. Muldoon claimed the Hawks would never finish first. Known as the Curse of Muldoon, it looked as though it may have been true until 1967 when the Hawks finished first. Later, the story was retracted and said to be entirely made up.
The Madhouse
On March 28, 1929 the Blackhawks moved to the historic Chicago Stadium. The $7 million-stadium hosted and won its first Hawk game on December 16, 1929 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This building became known as the "Mad House on Madison" and was said to be the toughest for opponents to play in due to crowd noise.
The Sweater
The Blackhawk sweater is known to be one of the best in professional sports. Designed in the inaugural year by the Major’s wife Irene Castle, the first sweaters were white with horizontal black stripes and the Indian head. It changed to its present form after the ’54-55 season, complete with tomahawks with the help of long time Hawk GM Tommy Ivan’s wife. Finally, in 1996 the Hawks added a third black sweater.
The Cups
The Blackhawks have enjoyed many landmarks and legendary seasons. On April 10, 1934 the Hawks captured their first Stanley Cup in a 3-1 series final over Detroit. Harold "Mush" March scored the cup winner in a second overtime. Unfortunately, Hawk goaltender Charlie Gardiner would die of a brain tumor eight weeks after this win. On April 12, 1938, the Hawks would win their second Stanley Cup defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs. This team included eight American-born players to set a Stanley Cup record for US talent on a championship team. The Hawks set a hockey landmark in March 1941. Coach Paul Thompson pulled goaltender Sam LoPresti for an extra attacker. This was the first time the NHL had seen such a tactic. Sam Lopresti also recorded 80 saves in one game that year to set an NHL record.
In a rebuilding effort, the Blackhawks acquired Detroit’s General Manager Tommy Ivan and the Blackhawks developed into a formidable force in the 1960s. On April 16, 1961, the Hawks won their third Stanley Cup over the Detroit Red Wings. They finished first in the league in 1967 and reached the finals in the ’61-61 and ’64-65 seasons. The ’61 team, along with the rest of the 60s era, saw the emergence of Hawks legends Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Glenn Hall. At no point in their history had the Blackhawks enjoyed such an exciting lineup, and it was during the ‘60s that this team was truly in the midst of their glory days. This era, like no other, defined Blackhawks hockey.
Longtime coach Billy Reay gave the Hawks a second run of success in the ‘70s with first-place finishes in 1969-1970 and ’70-71. The team also made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1970-71 and ’72-73. The ’80 were once again rebuilding years and the Hawks has one more spurt in the ‘90s as they reached the Stanley Cup finals in 1991-92 and finished first in the NHL in ’92-93. Unfortunately, the Hawks have struggled since. Legendary Blackhawk Denis Savard is the assistant to current head coach Trent Yawney.
The Players
Throughout its history, the Blackhawks have produced an entire host of memorable stars. More recently, names like Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Ed Belfour, and Steve Larmer all come to mind. Once again, to find Chicago’s real legends one must revisit the Hawks heyday. The 1961 Stanley Cup team will always go down in history. Known as the "Gashouse Gang", Pierre Pilote (led the league in penalties), Reg Fleming, Murray Balfour and Eric Nesterenko set an NHL record for penalty minutes with 1,072. The Hawks certainly did not finesse this win and were known throughout the league as hockey’s bad boys.
No Blackhawk history would ever be complete without mention of five glorious names. Retired jerseys belong to Glenn Hall (1), Bobby Hull (9), Denis Savard (18), Stan Mikita (21) and Tony Esposito (35).
Bobby Hull, "The Golden Jet" dominated the game in the ‘60s with 28 hat-tricks and four 4 goal games. Hull still leads the team in goals per game (.58) and secured his 500th goal in 1970 during his 861st career game. Besides his speed and blond hair, Hull is probably most remembered for a booming slap-shot that once clocked 118.3 miles per hour. Glenn Hall (Mr. Goalie) played in 502 straight games. Unheard of for a goaltender, when they didn’t wear masks, Sports Illustrated named this feat as the most unbeatable record in all of sports.
Stan Mikita was known to be aggressive and hold the current career points record with 1,467. He is also credited with inventing the curved stick after becoming enraged during a practice. Tony Esposito "Mr. Zero" was a five-time All-Star and still holds the current record for career shutouts with 74. Sadly enough, his days ended with the Hawks due to poor contract negotiations that have been cursing Chicago sports teams for all time. Denis Savard was probably the Blackhawks best skater and invented what has been called the "spin-o-rama" move. It cannot be described but made jaws drop in the ‘80s. He currently holds the record for most assists (87) and points in a season (131). All of these players have been named to the NHL Hall of Fame with the exception of Savard. Surely his wait will not be long.
End of the Madness
On January 25, 1995 the Blackhawks played their first game in their current home the United Center. Many fans were saddened to see the old "Madhouse" go. Despite the newer, quieter home, poor management by team owner Bill Wirtz and lackluster performances over the past couple of years, the Chicago Blackhawks still remain one of Chicago’s most loved and respected sporting teams.
Roster
| Position | Number | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Center | 10 | Patrick Sharp |
| Center | 19 | Denis Arkhipov |
| Center | 26 | Michal Handzus |
| Center | 29 | Jason Williams |
| Center | 49 | Carl Corazzini |
| Left Wing | 14 | Rene Bourque |
| Left Wing | 15 | Tuomo Ruutu |
| Left Wing | 17 | Michael Holmqvist |
| Left Wing | 51 | Jeff Hamilton |
| Left Wing | 57 | Karl Stewart |
| Right Wing | 8 | Tony Salmelainen |
| Right Wing | 12 | Peter Bondra |
| Right Wing | 16 | Radim Vrbata |
| Right Wing | 22 | Martin Lapointe |
| Right Wing | 24 | Martin Havlat |
| Right Wing | 29 | Troy Brouwer |
| Right Wing | 34 | Reed Low |
| Right Wing | 37 | Adam Burish |
| Defenseman | Pierre Parenteau | |
| Defenseman | Bruno St. Jacques | |
| Defenseman | 2 | Duncan Keith |
| Defenseman | 5 | Jassen Cullimore |
| Defenseman | 7 | Brent Seabrook |
| Defenseman | 23 | Jim Vandermeer |
| Defenseman | 25 | Cam Barker |
| Defenseman | 33 | Adrian Aucoin |
| Goalie | 39 | Nikolai Khabibulin |
| Goalie | 40 | Patrick Lalime |
| Coach | Denis Savard | |
| Assistant Coach | Mark Hardy |
