Chicago Blackhawks

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Lore & Background

The Blackhawks' history is marked by distinct ownership eras. Original owner Frederic McLaughlin, a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion during World War I, named the team after the military unit, the "Blackhawk Division." He was a hands-on owner who fired many coaches and promoted American players, fielding the first all-American-born lineup. Under McLaughlin, the team won Stanley Cups in 1934 and 1938. The 1938 team had the poorest regular season record of any Stanley Cup champion. After McLaughlin's death in 1944, the Norris family's ownership initially saw the team languish in favor of the Norris-owned Detroit Red Wings. However, after James D. Norris became owner in 1952, the team won the Stanley Cup in 1961, led by stars Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, and Glenn Hall. The Wirtz family took over in 1966. Under Rocky Wirtz, who took control in 2007, the Blackhawks won three more Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. The team was spelled as two words, "Black Hawks," until 1986, when it officially became "Blackhawks" based on original franchise documents.

In Their Own Story

The Blackhawks began play in the 1926–27 season. In their first season, they finished third with a 19–22–3 record but lost the first-round playoff series to the Boston Bruins. After that series, owner Frederic McLaughlin fired head coach Pete Muldoon. According to sportswriter Jim 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." This became the "Curse of Muldoon," though Coleman later admitted he fabricated the story. The team never finished first in the regular season during its first 39 years, despite winning three Stanley Cups. In 1937–38, the Black Hawks had a 14–25–9 record, nearly missing the playoffs. They stunned the Canadiens and New York Americans on overtime goals, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With goaltender Mike Karakas injured, Chicago pulled minor-leaguer Alfie Moore out of a Toronto bar to win game one. Karakas returned with a special skate for his injured toe, and the Hawks won their second championship.

Reader's Guide

The Blackhawks' early years were shaped by owner Frederic McLaughlin, who hired Bill Tobin as his assistant but directed the team himself. The team played its first game on November 17, 1926, against the Toronto St. Patricks at the Chicago Coliseum, winning 4–1 in front of over 7,000 fans. For the 1928–29 season, due to construction delays at the Chicago Stadium and a dispute between McLaughlin and arena president Paddy Harmon, the Black Hawks divided their time between the Coliseum, the Detroit Olympia, and the Peace Bridge Arena in Fort Erie, Ontario. They moved to Chicago Stadium the following season. In the late 1950s, the Hawks acquired Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, Glenn Hall, and Ted Lindsay. Hull, Mikita, Pilote, and Hall became preeminent stars, all eventually inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. After two first-round exits to Montreal in 1959 and 1960, the Hawks defeated the Canadiens in six games in the 1961 semifinals, then beat the Red Wings to win their third Stanley Cup. The Hawks made the Cup Final twice more in the 1960s, losing to the Leafs in 1962 and the Canadiens in 1965.

Did You Know?

• The team was spelled as two words, 'Black Hawks,' until 1986, when it officially became 'Blackhawks' based on the spelling found in the original franchise documents.
• The 1937–38 Black Hawks possess the poorest regular season record of any Stanley Cup champion.
• According to sportswriter Jim Coleman, the 'Curse of Muldoon' began when owner Frederic McLaughlin fired coach Pete Muldoon after the 1927 playoffs; Coleman later admitted he fabricated the story.
• In the 1938 Stanley Cup Final, the Black Hawks pulled minor-leaguer Alfie Moore out of a Toronto bar to play goal after Mike Karakas was injured; Moore won the only game he played.
• The Blackhawks were the first NHL team with an all-American-born lineup under owner Frederic McLaughlin.