Chicago Blackhawks

Lore & Background

The Blackhawks were founded on May 15, 1926, when NHL owners awarded an expansion franchise for Chicago to a syndicate headed by Huntington Hardwick. Hardwick purchased the players of the Portland Rosebuds for $100,000, but soon sold the team to coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin. McLaughlin named the team after the 'Blackhawk Division,' a military unit he served with in World War I. The team was spelled 'Black Hawks' until 1986, when it became 'Blackhawks' based on original franchise documents.

McLaughlin was a hands-on owner who fired many coaches. Under him, the team won Stanley Cups in 1934 and 1938. The 1937–38 Black Hawks had a regular-season record of 14–25–9, the poorest of any Stanley Cup champion. After McLaughlin's death in 1944, the Norris family controlled the team, first through a syndicate fronted by Bill Tobin. The team languished until James D. Norris took active ownership, leading to a Stanley Cup win in 1961. The Wirtz family became owners in 1966. Rocky Wirtz took control in 2007 and turned around the organization, winning Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. After Rocky's death in July 2023, his son Danny Wirtz became chairman.

The team played its first game on November 17, 1926, against the Toronto St. Patricks at the Chicago Coliseum, winning 4–1. The 'Curse of Muldoon' originated after McLaughlin fired coach Pete Muldoon, though a sportswriter later admitted fabricating the incident. The Blackhawks have played at the United Center since the 1994–95 season, sharing it with the Chicago Bulls.

Reader's Guide

The Chicago Blackhawks are significant as one of the NHL's Original Six teams, with a history spanning nearly a century. Their six Stanley Cup championships place them among the league's most successful franchises. The team's early years under Frederic McLaughlin were marked by his active involvement and promotion of American players, including the first all-American-born NHL lineup. The 1938 championship, won with a poor regular-season record, remains a notable anomaly in Stanley Cup history.

The Norris era saw the team struggle due to conflicts of interest, as the Norris family also owned the Detroit Red Wings. However, the acquisition of stars like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, and Glenn Hall in the late 1950s revived the franchise and led to the 1961 Cup. The Wirtz family's ownership, particularly under Rocky Wirtz from 2007, revitalized the team's competitiveness and fan engagement, resulting in three modern-era championships. The Blackhawks' legacy includes iconic players, a unique team name derived from a military division, and a long-standing presence in Chicago sports culture.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally spelled 'Black Hawks' as two words until 1986.
• The 1937–38 Black Hawks had the poorest regular-season record of any Stanley Cup champion.
• The 'Curse of Muldoon' was later admitted to be fabricated by a sportswriter.
• The Blackhawks were the first NHL team to field an all-American-born lineup.