2014 Playoffs – 7-Game Series vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Lore & Background

The Blackhawks were founded in 1926 by Frederic McLaughlin, who named the team after the 'Blackhawk Division' of the U.S. Army. The team has won Stanley Cups in 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, and 2015. Under the ownership of Rocky Wirtz, the team won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

In Their Own Story

The arena is humming before the puck drops. You can feel it in the floorboards, in the way the ice shimmers under the lights. Game 7. The crowd noise is a living thing, a roar that swells and dips with every shift. A Stars forward skates the blue line, stick low, eyes locked on the slot where the Blackhawks' D-man is holding his ground. The puck is tapped across, a quick pass, a screen set by a big body in the corner. For three seconds the whole building holds its breath. Then the shot, the save, the scramble, the ice cracking under ten pairs of skates. The horn sounds. The scoreboard tells the story. And in the stands, a thousand fans in Stars blue and silver stand up, not in defeat, but in the stubborn, aching pride of a team that went seven games with the best in the league and lost by a thread. The season is over. The next one is already being imagined.

Reader's Guide

The Blackhawks have played at the United Center since the 1994–95 season. Their original owner was Frederic McLaughlin. After his death in 1944, the team came under the ownership of the Norris family. In 2007, Rocky Wirtz took control, and after his death in July 2023, his son Danny Wirtz became chairman.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally spelled 'Black Hawks' until 1986, when it became 'Blackhawks' based on the original franchise documents.
• 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.
• The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015 under Rocky Wirtz.
• Despite a strong 2014 playoff run, the Blackhawks fell to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final, ending their bid for a repeat championship.