The Chicago Blackhawks are a popular hockey team with millions of fans across America. The base of the sports club is located in Chicago. The Chicago Blackhawks won six Stanley Cups and were the first team to join the US National Hockey League.
According to ichicago.net, the Chicago Blackhawks founded the league and were part of the so-called “Original Six” era, which was one of the best periods of the NHL’s formation.
The emergence of professional hockey in Chicago
The history of the Chicago Blackhawks stretches back to 1926. Its initial owner was Frederic McLaughlin, who returned from the First World War, where he served as commander of a machine-gun unit. However, since the owner was not very interested in the team’s development, it was frequently reorganized.
The club was named after Black Hawk, a Native American who left his mark on Illinois history. The hockey club has been forced to change its name several times, but the Chicago Blackhawks stick to tradition and retain their logo and brand.
Furthermore, the team constantly supports the Sauk tribe, from which the legendary Black Hawk originated. Every year, the Chicago Blackhawks make large donations to the Native American tribe and invite its representatives to their games.
The team’s first professional hockey games took place in 1926. The performance quite was successful, as the Chicago Blackhawks took third place in the competition. Beginning with the 1929-1930 season, the team began playing home games at the newly constructed Chicago Stadium.
In 1930, the Chicago Blackhawks made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup final, but they were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens. They finally achieved their long-awaited victory in 1933, when they gained an advantage in the final match against the Detroit Red Wings.
In 1938, the team won their second Stanley Cup in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Chicago Blackhawks goalkeeper sustained a significant injury and was forced to miss the first two games of the series. The team’s management was desperately searching for a replacement for the goalkeeper. Overall, based on game outcomes, the Chicago Blackhawks lineup in 1938 was regarded as the weakest in NHL history.
McLaughlin’s death and a string of bad luck
In 1944, Frederic McLaughlin died, and his team faced numerous difficulties. The Chicago Blackhawks experienced a difficult period in their history throughout this decade. However, everything changed in 1950.
The Chicago Blackhawks signed tremendously successful contracts with Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote, Glenn Hall and Stan Mikita. They have been inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. Star players helped the team win its third Stanley Cup in 1961. Following that, the Chicago Blackhawks endured nearly a half-century of failure.
However, amid those dark times, one of the Chicago Blackhawks games went down in history as the most perfect match in the National Hockey League. In particular, in 1944, the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs met in the final match at Chicago Stadium. They drew 0-0, with no goals or penalties.
The match had a special significance since, according to NHL regulations, it could never happen again. According to Hockey League rules, no match can end with a 0-0 result.
New lineup and current state of the Chicago Blackhawks
Since 2007, the team has been owned by Rocky Wirtz. He was able to establish an extremely successful team. The key players of the revised Chicago Blackhawks team included Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane.
In 2010, in the final with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup once again. Defender Duncan Keith had a particularly traumatic game as he lost seven teeth from the puck at once.
In 2012, the Chicago Blackhawks reached the Stanley Cup final again, winning it for the fifth time. At the conclusion of the 2014/2015 season, the team again received the highest award in the world of hockey, the Stanley Cup.
Another triumph clearly demonstrated the fact that the Chicago Blackhawks were able to put together the best team in the entire history of the National Hockey League. The Chicago Blackhawks’ streak of victories went down in history as the “five-year Blackhawks dynasty”.
Since 2015, team management has been unable to come to an agreement with key players of the Chicago Blackhawks. As a result, the majority of the star players departed the club. The Chicago Blackhawks entered a period of rearrangement.
«Banana blades»
One of the most famous hockey players in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks was Bobby Hull. He made significant contributions to the game of hockey. Perhaps his most well-known innovation was the “banana blade”.
In the 1960s, Bobby Hull and teammate Stan Mikita created innovative clubs with sharp curves. These unusual clubs made it possible to deliver unpredictable blows. The adjustments spread fast throughout the National Hockey League.
However, back then, goalkeepers did not wear helmets, thus banana blades, which were extremely sharp, posed a threat to players’ lives. As a result, the NHL agreed to limit the maximum curve of each blade.
The “banana blades” era is now firmly ingrained in hockey history and is well remembered by fans. The fans were thrilled by Bobby Hull’s performance.
He is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the National Hockey League. Bobby Hull was one of the few players who scored over 600 goals in his career. Simultaneously, the sportsman became the only player to score that many goals for Chicago.
During his last season for the Chicago Blackhawks, Bobby Hull scored 50 goals, which became the greatest rating in his career. Following that, he joined the Winnipeg Jets.
Bans for fans
In addition to traditions, the club imposes its own restrictions. In 2020, the Chicago Blackhawks prohibited fans from wearing Indian hats to their home games. In fact, the Black Hawk’s head is the club’s main symbol.
The decision to prohibit Native American feathered headdresses was adopted in response to several complaints from indigenous tribes in the United States. The management of the Chicago Blackhawks later explained that Native American hats are considered sacred symbols that are exclusively worn by tribal leaders who are highly respected. As a result, they should not be worn as a suit or as part of everyday clothing.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made significant efforts to raise awareness of the history of indigenous tribes. To this purpose, a platform has been created to integrate the culture of the indigenous peoples of America.
Interestingly, following the tragic death of African-American George Floyd, the United States experienced a wave of protests against prejudice and social injustice. As a result of the events, some American clubs decided to completely change their team logos and names. The Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians were among those affected by the changes.
However, unlike other clubs, the Chicago Blackhawks chose not to change any of the club’s symbols. The team management stated that they respect the personality of Black Hawk and that he is a prominent historical figure who has inspired thousands of Americans.