The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the most storied franchises in NHL history. As a member of the Original Six, Chicago has enjoyed a long and storied history as one of the most successful American franchises in the NHL. The Blackhawks won their last Stanley Cup in 1961.
The Blackhawks were founded in 1926, and were named after the infantry division that owner Frederick McLaughlin had served in during World War I. McLaughlin helped the Blackhawks become the first NHL team to ever dress a completely American born lineup. Chicago struggled to compete in the NHL at first, but managed to pull it together by 1931, reaching their first Stanley Cup Final. In 1934, the Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings to win their first Cup in franchise history. In 1938, despite a dismal 14-25 record, the Blackhawks squeaked into the playoffs, where they upset Montreal, New York and Toronto on the way to winning their second Cup.
In the 1940s, the Blackhawks were the victim of a poor ownership arrangement, in which their new owner was controlled by Detroit Red Wings’ owner James Norris. Any talent that may have come along for Chicago was quickly moved to Detroit, without any fair exchanges taking place. Once Norris died, his older son and business partner took over the Chicago franchise and began to rebuild.
In the ’50s, the addition of several key players powered Chicago back to the top of the NHL. The drafting of Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Pierre Pilote, combined with the acquisitions of former Red Wings players Ted Lindsay and Glenn Hall gave Chicago the building blocks with which to form a successful franchise. By 1961, the Blackhawks had become regular contenders in the playoffs, and won their 3rd and final Cup, beating Detroit again.
The 1960s would see the Blackhawks make the Finals twice more, but they lost on both occasions. Despite the lack of Stanley Cups, Chicago remained a powerful franchise. Bobby Hull was in the prime of his Hall of Fame career, developing the slapshot and regularly scoring over 50 goals in a season. Stan Mikita won multiple scoring titles, and Pilote won three straight Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman. Glenn Hall made his name as one of the all time greats in net during this decade.
When the league expanded, Chicago lost a number of key pieces that may have changed the future of their franchise. Star goalie Glenn Hall was drafted by the St. Louis Blue and Pierre Pilote was traded away. Prospects Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield were dealt to Boston in 1967. While no one could have known it at the time, these three would be part of the rejuvenation of the Boston franchise. Esposito would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Hodge would finish his career with 800 points, and Stanfield went on to score over 600 points in his career. With a number of weak teams in the new West division after the expansion, Chicago ran all over the competition in 1971, until they lost to Montreal in the Cup Finals. One can only imagine what the 1970s would have been like for Chicago if they had had these great prospects. Adding to the dilemma, Bobby Hull left the NHL for the infant WHA in 1972.
