As salaries in the NHL climbed, other leagues such as the Western Hockey League found it increasingly difficult to compete for the good players. The founders of the Western Hockey League, Frank and Lester Patrick found it necessary to disband the league, and in the mid 1920's they contacted Major Frank McLaughlin, a noted coffee baron and renowned American Polo Player, and pitched him on the idea of establishing an NHL team in Chicago. McLaughlin liked the idea and formed a consortium of local businessmen who purchased the Portland (Oregon) Rosebuds and promptly moved them to the "Windy City."

The origins of the team's name had it's roots in the fact that McLaughlin was a member of the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion, and belonged to the 85th Blackhawk Division. It was also a well know fact that Chief Blackhawk roamed the plains of the midwest, so the Blackhawks seemed like a fitting name. McLaughlin's wife Irene, designed the black, red and white uniforms with the head of Chief Blackhawk as the logo. The Blackhawks opened their first season, 1926-27, in the 6000 seat Chicago Coliseum, and finished their inaugural season in third place with a 19W-22L-3T record.

Pete Muldoon was recruited as the first coach and players like Rabbit McVeigh, Mickey Mackay, George Hay, Percy Traub and Bob Trapp were the first to wear Blackhawk sweaters. Later that year the Blackhawks acquired Cecil "Babe" Dye from Toronto. According to legend, McLaughlin fired Muldoon after the first season and upon his dismissal, Muldoon laid a "curse" on the team and said they would never finish first. Whether Muldoon had powers that no one knew of is still in question as the Blackhawks never finished first until the 1966-67 season.

In 1928 they moved into what was then the largest stadium in the NHL, the 18,000 seat Chicago Stadium. From 1928 until 1934, Charlie Gardiner held down the goaltending duties. During that time he steadily improved his game. In 1929 he finished second to George Hainsworth for the Vezina Trophy, and by 1932 he laid claim to the trophy on his own. Throughout the 1933-34 season there was a noticeable change in Gardiner's behaviour, and 2 months after leading his team to their first ever Stanley Cup, Gardiner died at the age of 29 of a brain hemmorhage.

Annoyed by the lack of Americans in the NHL, McLaughlin began to assemble a team of American players starting with Mike Karakas, Alex Levinsky Doc Rommes and Lou Trudel. These Americans existed until the 1935-36 season, finishing a distant third, with little or no hope of winning the Stanley Cup. They managed to defeat the Montreal Canadians in the Quarterfinals and the New York Rangers in the Semi Finals, and met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Finals. Mike Karakas was in net for the Blackhawks, and during the Ranger series had broken a toe. Karakas found it impossible to even put a skate on, let alone play, so Chicago went out into the streets of Toronto and drafted one Alfie Moore, who was found tipping a cool one at a local bar. In true ironic fashion, the Blackhawks defeated Toronto 2-0 in a best of 3 series.

Just prior to the war, the Black Hawks picked up the trio of Max Bentley, brother Doug Bentley and Bill Mosienko who formed the famous Pony Line. The Black Hawks went nowhere until 1947-48 when they shocked Chicago fans by trading Max Bentley and Cy Thomas to Toronto the entire forward line of Bud Poile, Gaye Stewart and Gus Bodnar along with the defensive pair of Bob Goldham and Ernie Dickens.

September 11, 1952 brought about a change of ownership as the team was purchased by James Norris Sr., James D. Norris Jr., and Arthur Wirtz. That same season saw the Black Hawks make the playoffs due in no small part to ex Toronto goalie, Al Rollins. Even after starting the series with a 2-0 game lead, the Black Hawks were not able to convert this lead into a championship. Tommy Ivan was brought in with the mandate to establish a farm system that would continually feed talent up through the organization, and by the 1955-56 season, that investment was paying off with the likes of Ken Wharram, Pierre Pilote, Bobby Hull and Hank Ciesla.

In 1961 with stars such as Bobby Hull, Stan Makita, Glenn Hall, Ed Litzenberger, and Eric Nesterinko, the Black Hawks captured their first Stanley Cup in 23 years. The 1965-66 season saw Hull score his 300th goal and became the first player to break the 50 goal season mark, scoring his 51st against Cesare Maniago on March 12, 1966. One of the trades that had a huge impact on the Black Hawks came about in 1967 when Chicago traded Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to Boston for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and a minor league goalie by the name of Jack Norris. All you have to do is check the record books to see the positive impact this trade had both the individuals that went to Boston and the Boston Bruins themselves.

The 1970's saw the formation of the WHA and Bobby Hull was by far the biggest coup for the new league. Fuelled by a dispute with management Hull signed on with the WHA for a 10 year, $2.75 Million contract. It wasn't until 1991-92 under the coaching of Mike Keenan that the Black Hawks once again reached the reached the Stanley Cup Finals with the likes of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick, and Chris Chelios. After 65 years in the Chicago Stadium*, the Black Hawks moved across the street to the United Centre. In their first game they hosted the Edmonton Oilers, defeating them 5-1. The first goal at the United Centre was scored by Joe Murphy. By 1997, only Chris Chelios remained from the nucleus of the early '90s, and clearly, Chicago is now starting the difficult process of rebuilding for the future.

*Author's note: I had the privilege of attending one of the final games ever played in Chicago Stadium. It was truly a building filled with history and tradition, and when the US National Anthem was sung, it sent a chill through my body. Anyone who has ever been at a Chicago game knows what I am talking about…there are simply no words to adequately describe the feeling that comes over you.

As salaries in the NHL climbed, other leagues such as the Western Hockey League found it increasingly difficult to compete for the good players. The founders of the Western Hockey League, Frank and Lester Patrick found it necessary to disband the league, and in the mid 1920's they contacted Major Frank McLaughlin, a noted coffee baron and renowned American Polo Player, and pitched him on the idea of establishing an NHL team in Chicago. McLaughlin liked the idea and formed a consortium of local businessmen who purchased the Portland (Oregon) Rosebuds and promptly moved them to the "Windy City."

The origins of the team's name had it's roots in the fact that McLaughlin was a member of the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion, and belonged to the 85th Blackhawk Division. It was also a well know fact that Chief Blackhawk roamed the plains of the midwest, so the Blackhawks seemed like a fitting name. McLaughlin's wife Irene, designed the black, red and white uniforms with the head of Chief Blackhawk as the logo. The Blackhawks opened their first season, 1926-27, in the 6000 seat Chicago Coliseum, and finished their inaugural season in third place with a 19W-22L-3T record.

Pete Muldoon was recruited as the first coach and players like Rabbit McVeigh, Mickey Mackay, George Hay, Percy Traub and Bob Trapp were the first to wear Blackhawk sweaters. Later that year the Blackhawks acquired Cecil "Babe" Dye from Toronto. According to legend, McLaughlin fired Muldoon after the first season and upon his dismissal, Muldoon laid a "curse" on the team and said they would never finish first. Whether Muldoon had powers that no one knew of is still in question as the Blackhawks never finished first until the 1966-67 season.

In 1928 they moved into what was then the largest stadium in the NHL, the 18,000 seat Chicago Stadium. From 1928 until 1934, Charlie Gardiner held down the goaltending duties. During that time he steadily improved his game. In 1929 he finished second to George Hainsworth for the Vezina Trophy, and by 1932 he laid claim to the trophy on his own. Throughout the 1933-34 season there was a noticeable change in Gardiner's behaviour, and 2 months after leading his team to their first ever Stanley Cup, Gardiner died at the age of 29 of a brain hemmorhage.

Annoyed by the lack of Americans in the NHL, McLaughlin began to assemble a team of American players starting with Mike Karakas, Alex Levinsky Doc Rommes and Lou Trudel. These Americans existed until the 1935-36 season, finishing a distant third, with little or no hope of winning the Stanley Cup. They managed to defeat the Montreal Canadians in the Quarterfinals and the New York Rangers in the Semi Finals, and met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Finals. Mike Karakas was in net for the Blackhawks, and during the Ranger series had broken a toe. Karakas found it impossible to even put a skate on, let alone play, so Chicago went out into the streets of Toronto and drafted one Alfie Moore, who was found tipping a cool one at a local bar. In true ironic fashion, the Blackhawks defeated Toronto 2-0 in a best of 3 series.

Just prior to the war, the Black Hawks picked up the trio of Max Bentley, brother Doug Bentley and Bill Mosienko who formed the famous Pony Line. The Black Hawks went nowhere until 1947-48 when they shocked Chicago fans by trading Max Bentley and Cy Thomas to Toronto the entire forward line of Bud Poile, Gaye Stewart and Gus Bodnar along with the defensive pair of Bob Goldham and Ernie Dickens.

September 11, 1952 brought about a change of ownership as the team was purchased by James Norris Sr., James D. Norris Jr., and Arthur Wirtz. That same season saw the Black Hawks make the playoffs due in no small part to ex Toronto goalie, Al Rollins. Even after starting the series with a 2-0 game lead, the Black Hawks were not able to convert this lead into a championship. Tommy Ivan was brought in with the mandate to establish a farm system that would continually feed talent up through the organization, and by the 1955-56 season, that investment was paying off with the likes of Ken Wharram, Pierre Pilote, Bobby Hull and Hank Ciesla.

In 1961 with stars such as Bobby Hull, Stan Makita, Glenn Hall, Ed Litzenberger, and Eric Nesterinko, the Black Hawks captured their first Stanley Cup in 23 years. The 1965-66 season saw Hull score his 300th goal and became the first player to break the 50 goal season mark, scoring his 51st against Cesare Maniago on March 12, 1966. One of the trades that had a huge impact on the Black Hawks came about in 1967 when Chicago traded Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to Boston for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and a minor league goalie by the name of Jack Norris. All you have to do is check the record books to see the positive impact this trade had both the individuals that went to Boston and the Boston Bruins themselves.

The 1970's saw the formation of the WHA and Bobby Hull was by far the biggest coup for the new league. Fuelled by a dispute with management Hull signed on with the WHA for a 10 year, $2.75 Million contract. It wasn't until 1991-92 under the coaching of Mike Keenan that the Black Hawks once again reached the reached the Stanley Cup Finals with the likes of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick, and Chris Chelios. After 65 years in the Chicago Stadium*, the Black Hawks moved across the street to the United Centre. In their first game they hosted the Edmonton Oilers, defeating them 5-1. The first goal at the United Centre was scored by Joe Murphy. By 1997, only Chris Chelios remained from the nucleus of the early '90s, and clearly, Chicago is now starting the difficult process of rebuilding for the future.

*Author's note: I had the privilege of attending one of the final games ever played in Chicago Stadium. It was truly a building filled with history and tradition, and when the US National Anthem was sung, it sent a chill through my body. Anyone who has ever been at a Chicago game knows what I am talking about…there are simply no words to adequately describe the feeling that comes over you.