"Sport Has the Power to Change the World...."
The topic of this article, though, is not about politics unlike all of my previous 43 completed posts. This is about the world of sports. My best friend, who happens to be a nuclear engineer, once maintained a blog on the Blogger service some years back about his great love for sports. In reflecting upon one of the most profound comments in terms of its great wisdom I have ever read by a world leader known for freeing the majority population of South Africa -- the black demographic -- from the evil institution of Apartheid in the early 1990's upon his release from prison and election to the nation's presidency, Nelson Mandela, who perhaps is on his death bed as we speak due to respiratory failure at the ripe old age of 94, said this, the phrase from which my best friend named his blog after:
(Above: Nelson Mandela, who ended Apartheid in South Africa in 1994 after serving 27 years as a political prisoner. Courtesy of Wikipedia)
“Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
We so commonly attribute this to Mandela, and rightfully so, because he was the one who first was wise enough to state what is so painfully obvious. However, there were many instances throughout the course of history where sports played a key role in bringing together political, ethnic, and racial groups normally engaged in great conflict that sometimes resulted in mass numbers of deaths. One such event was the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin, which was under the rule of Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler, who just a few years later would begin bearing the responsible of the genocide of some 11 million Jews across Europe, as well as as many as 30 million soldiers and citizens living in the Soviet Union. The intention of Hitler during the Olympic Games was not to promote peace and harmony among the peoples of the participating nations from across the globe, but to promote the superiority of the Aryan race over all other ethnic, racial, and other nationalities. Yet, he did not count on the American spirit of one of the first advocates for civil rights in the history of the United States, who did so unwittingly at the time. The man was Jesse Owens, and as my best friend is commonly fond of touting his collegiate history as a former student at The Ohio State University, that was where Owens spent his years as an NCAA athlete. Though we can say unequivocally that Owens would have lived on with great notoriety simply by his recording breaking track accomplishments that would have been enough to live on in the hearts of black civil rights activists both present and future, his winning Gold Medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter, 4 x 100 meter relay, and the Long Jump, a feat not equaled until Carl Lewis won Gold Medals in the same events in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. And in 1935, the prior to the Berlin Games, Owens set the record in the Long Jump of 26 feet, 6 inches, which stood for 25 years until it was broken in 1960 by Ralph Boston. Despite these monumental accomplishments by a truly greater American, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a member of the Democratic Party, and later Harry S. Truman some years later, snubbed Owens, who upon reflection of their racist transgression, said this:
"Hitler didn't snub me – it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram."
In an irony only a member of the Republican Party can enjoy due to more than nine in ten African-American votes going to Democratic Party candidates for public officers today, it was none other than President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955, himself an athlete of note, who finally honored Owens by naming him an "Ambassador of Sports."
There are other instances of sports bringing together the peoples of the world. To borrow a phrase most commonly attributed to the former British Empire, whose origins date back as far as 1497 and is commonly considered to have officially ceased to exist upon the transferal of Hong Kong from British sovereignty to that of China's in 1997, "the sun never sets" on the the event. We know that Cassius Clay, now known as Muhammad Ali, made his name at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan; the Black Power salute by Gold Medal winners Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, etc. And on a couple of occasions, lives were lost due to hate, bigotry, intolerance, or some other form of malevolence, with the murder of 11 members of the Israeli National Team at their dorms at the Munich Summer Olympic Games in 1972 by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, the coverage of which gained ABC News journalist Jim McKay his fame on which his legacy would largely rest upon, though unwanted. McKay's words will never be forgotten, as he so skillfully in a very Kronkitian fashion guided America and the world through the events and news as they were revealed to him into his earpiece by another legend of the ABC Wide World of Sports franchise, Roone Arledge:
"We just got the final word ... you know, when I was a kid, my father used to say "Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized." Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They've now said that there were eleven hostages. Two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They're all gone."
Finally, there is the bombing at the Atlanta Olympic village by Murphy, North Carolina, native Eric Rudolph, who was infamous for bombing abortion clinics in such cities as Birmingham, Alabama. As there are more great attributes to such a peaceful event as that of the Olympic Games, so, too, is there a series of historically dark times that blackened that spirit of peace. We can therefore be for certain that in aspects of life superceding those of the scientific realm, Sir Issac Newton's Third Law of Motion and Physics is confirmed in is validity:
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
My Tribute to the Chicago Blackhawks: 2012-2013 Stanley Cup Champions
After more than four days since the Stanley Cup Finals concluded, I will finally discuss the winners: the Chicago Blackhawks. I have been a Hawks fans for several years now, though not as long as having been a Yankees or University of Tennessee sports fan. I first began expressing interest in the franchise probably 10 to 12 years ago after my dad purchased an Old Time Hockey cap with the franchise's renowned-Indian head logo. He also bought a winter face mask, and upon looking at the logo and later at the jersey as a whole, I thought they had among the very best uniforms in the league.
Below is the history of the franchise, courtesy of Wikipedia. It has had its share of ups-and-downs, particularly in the 1940's, 1950's, and from the late 1990's through the late 2000's. But it is one of the "Original Six" franchises, and as such, should be treated with respect:
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled as Black Hawks before 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They have won five Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently in 2012–13. 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. Since 1994 the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center after having spent 65 years playing at Chicago Stadium.[1]
Franchise history[edit]
Founding[edit]
The Chicago Black Hawks joined the NHL in 1926 as part of the league's first wave of expansion into the United States. They were one of three American teams added that year, along with the Detroit Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings) and New York Rangers, and as of the 2013-14 season, they will be the only Original Six team in the Western Conference of the NHL. Most of the Hawks' original players came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Hockey League(originally the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League), which had folded the previous season.[2]
The team's first owner was coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin, who outbid grain magnate James E. Norris for the franchise. McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I.[3] This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois.[3] McLaughlin evidently named the hockey team in honor of the military unit, making it one of many sports team names using Native Americans as icons. For many years, the name was spelled "Black Hawks." This ambiguity was finally settled in the summer of 1986 when the club officially decided on the one-word version based on the spelling found in the original franchise documents.[4]
McLaughlin took a very active role in running the team despite having no background in the sport. For most of his tenure as owner, he served as his own general manager. He was also very interested in promoting American hockey players, then very rare in professional hockey. Several of them, including Doc Romnes, Taffy Abel, Alex Levinsky, Mike Karakas, and Cully Dahlstrom, become staples with the club, and under McLaughlin, the Black Hawks were the first NHL team with an all-American-born lineup.[3]
1926–1938[edit]
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The Hawks' first season was a moderate success. They played their first game on November 17 when they played the Toronto St. Patricks in the Chicago Coliseum. The Black Hawks won their first game by beating the St. Pats 4 to 1. They ended up finishing the season in 3rd place with a record of 19–22–3. The Black Hawks lost the 1927 first-round playoff series to the Boston Bruins.
Following the series, McLaughlin fired head coach Pete Muldoon. According to Jim Coleman, sportswriter for the Toronto Globe and Mail, McLaughlin felt the 'Hawks were good enough to finish first. Muldoon disagreed, and in a fit of pique, McLaughlin fired him. According to Coleman, Muldoon responded by yelling, "Fire me, Major, and you'll never finish first. I'll put a curse on this team that will hoodoo it until the end of time." The Curse of Muldoon was born – although Coleman admitted years after the fact that he had fabricated the whole incident[citation needed] – and became one of the first widely known sports "curses." While the team would go on to win three Stanley Cups in its first 39 years of existence, it did so without ever having finished in first place, either in a single- or multi-division format.
1934 Cup win[edit]
The Black Hawks proceeded to have the worst record in the league in 1927–28. By 1931, they reached their first Stanley Cup Final, with goal-scorer Johnny Gottselig, Cy Wentworth on defense, and Charlie Gardiner in goal, but fizzled in the final two games against the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago had another stellar season in 1932, but that did not translate into playoff success. However, two years later, Gardiner led his team to victory by shutting out the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the Stanley Cup. The score, after double overtime, was 1–0.
Further information: 1934 Stanley Cup Finals
1938 Cup win[edit]
In 1938 the Black Hawks had a record of 11–25, and almost missed the playoffs. They stunned the Canadiens and New York Americans on overtime goals in the deciding games of both semifinal series, advancing to the Cup Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Black Hawks goalie Mike Karakas was injured and could not play, forcing a desperate Chicago team to pull minor-leaguer (Pittsburgh Hornets) Alfie Moore out of a Toronto bar and onto the ice. Moore played one game and won it, but repeating the plan with another player failed as the Hawks lost the game. However, for Games 3 and 4, Karakas was fitted with a special skate to protect his injured toe, and won both games. It was too late for Toronto, as the Hawks won their second championship. To this day, the 1938 Black Hawks possess the poorest regular-season record of any Stanley Cup champion.
Further information: 1938 Stanley Cup Finals
The Original Six era[edit]
The Black Hawks returned to the Finals in 1944 behind Doug Bentley's 38-goal season and their linemate Clint Smith leading the team in assists. After upsetting the Red Wings in the semifinals, they were promptly dispatched by the dominant Canadiens in four games.
Owner and founder Frederic McLaughlin died in 1944. His estate sold the team to a syndicate headed by longtime team president Bill Tobin. However, Tobin was only a puppet for James E. Norris, who now owned the rival Red Wings. Norris had also been the Black Hawks' landlord since his 1936 purchase of Chicago Stadium. For the next eight years, the Norris-Tobin ownership, as a rule, paid almost no attention to the Black Hawks. Nearly every trade made between Detroit and Chicago ended up being Red Wing heists. As a result, for the next several years, Chicago was the model of futility in the NHL. Between 1945 and 1958, they only made the playoffs twice.
Upon Norris' death, his eldest son, James D. Norris, and Red Wings minority owner Arthur Wirtz (the senior Norris' original partner in buying the Red Wings 23 years earlier) took over the floundering club. They guided it through financial reverses, and rebuilt the team from there. One of their first moves was to hire former Detroit coach and GM Tommy Ivan as general manager.
(Above: Bobby Hull to the Left; Stan Mikita to the Right)
In the late 1950s, the Hawks struck gold, picking up three young prospects (forwards Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita and defenseman Pierre Pilote), as well as obtaining both star goaltender Glenn Hall and veteran forward Ted Lindsay (who had just had a career season with 30 goals and 55 assists) from Detroit. Hull, Mikita, Pilote, and Hall became preeminent stars in Chicago, and all four would eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
1961 Cup win[edit]
After two first-round exits at the hands of the eventual champions from Montreal in 1959 and 1960, it was expected that the Canadiens would once again beat the Hawks when they met in the semifinals in 1961. A defensive plan that completely wore down Montreal's superstars worked, however, as Chicago won the series in six games. They then bested the Wings to win their third Stanley Cup championship. In the 25 years of the Original Six era, this was the only time a team other than Montreal, Toronto, or Detroit won the Cup.
Further information: 1961 Stanley Cup Finals
The Hawks made the Cup Finals twice more in the 1960s, losing to the Leafs in 1962 and the Habs in 1965. They remained a force to be reckoned with throughout the decade, with Hull enjoying four 50-goal seasons, Mikita winning back-to-back scoring titles and MVP accolades, Pilote winning three consecutive Norris Trophies, and Hall being named the First or Second All-Star goaltender eight out of nine seasons. Hull and Mikita especially were widely regarded as the most feared one-two punch in the league. However, despite a strong supporting cast which included Bill Hay, Ken Wharram, Phil Esposito, Moose Vasko, Doug Mohns, and Pat Stapleton, the Hawks never quite put it all together.
In 1967, the last season of the six-team NHL, the Black Hawks finished first, breaking the supposed Curse of Muldoon, 23 years after the death of Frederic McLaughlin. However, they lost in the semifinals to Toronto, who went on to win their last Stanley Cup to date. Afterward, Coleman, who first printed the story of the curse in 1943, admitted that he made the story up to break a writer's block he had as a column deadline approached.
The expansion era and Cup drought[edit]
Hall was drafted by the expansion St. Louis Blues for the 1967–68 season, while Pilote was traded to the Maple Leafs for Jim Pappin in 1968. In that season, despite Hull breaking his own previous record of 54 goals in a season with 58, the Black Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1958—and the last time before 1997–98.
In 1967, the Black Hawks made a trade with the Boston Bruins that turned out to be one of the most one-sided in the history of the sport. Chicago sent young forwards Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to Boston in exchange for Pit Martin, Jack Norris and Gilles Marotte. While Martin would star for the Hawks for many seasons, Esposito, Hodge, and Stanfield would lead the Bruins to the top of the league for several years and capture two Stanley Cups. In Boston, Phil Esposito set numerous scoring records en route to a career as one of the NHL's all-time greats.
Nonetheless, in 1971, life was made easier for Chicago, as in an attempt to better balance the divisions, the expansion Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks were both placed in the East Division, while the Hawks moved into the West Division. They became the class of the West overnight, rampaging to a 46–17–15 record and an easy first-place finish. With second-year goalie Tony Esposito (Phil's younger brother and winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year the previous season), Hull, his younger brother Dennis, Mikita, and sterling defensemen Stapleton, Keith Magnuson and Bill White, the Hawks reached the Stanley Cup final before bowing out to the Canadiens.
A critical blow to the franchise came in 1972–73, though, with the start of the World Hockey Association. Long dissatisfied with how little he was paid as the league's marquee star, Bobby Hull jumped to the upstart Winnipeg Jets for a million-dollar contract. Former Philadelphia Flyers starAndre Lacroix, who received very little ice time in his single season in Chicago, joined Hull, and the pair became two of the WHA's great stars. The Hawks repeated their appearance in Cup Final that year, however, again losing to Montreal. Stapleton left for the WHA too after that year, depleting the team further.
While the team led or was second in the West Division for four straight seasons, for the rest of the 1970s, the Black Hawks made the playoffs each year—winning seven division championships in the decade in all—but were never a successful Stanley Cup contender, losing 16 straight playoff games at one point. The team acquired legendary blueliner Bobby Orr from the Boston Bruins in 1976, but ill health forced him to sit out for most of the season, and he eventually retired in 1979, having played only 26 games for the Hawks. Mikita did the same the following year after playing 22 years in Chicago, the third-longest career for a single team in league history.
By 1982, the Black Hawks squeaked into the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Norris Division (at the time the top four teams in each division automatically made the playoffs), and were one of the league's Cinderella teams that year. Led by second-year Denis Savard's 32 goals and 119 points and Doug Wilson's 39 goals, the Hawks stunned the Minnesota North Stars and Blues in the playoffs before losing to another surprise team, the Vancouver Canucks, who made the Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago proved they were no fluke the next season, also making the third round before losing to the eventual runner-up Edmonton Oilers. After an off-year in 1984, the Hawks again faced a now fresh-off-a-ring Edmonton offensive juggernaut of a team and lost in the third round in 1985.
During the 1985 playoff series against Edmonton Oilers, the Black Hawks and their fans started a tradition of cheering during the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner".[5] The cheering at the United Center has been known to reach up to 122 Decibels while during the anthem.[6] While this action is not without controversy as some people consider it disrespectful, the tradition continues to the present day.[7] Many people have sung the Star-Spangled Banner for the Blackhawks since the tradition of cheering began, but the current full-time anthem singer is Jim Cornelison.[5]
Also, prior to the 1986–87 season, while going through the team's records, someone discovered the team's original NHL contract, and found that the name "Blackhawks" was printed as a compound word as opposed to two separate words ("Black Hawks") which was the way most sources had been printing it for 60 years and as the team had always officially listed it. The name officially became "Chicago Blackhawks" from that point on.
In the late 1980s, Chicago still made the playoffs on an annual basis, but made early-round exits each time.
In 1988–89, after three straight first-round defeats, and despite a fourth-place finish in their division in the regular season, Chicago made it to the Conference Final in the rookie seasons of both goalie Ed Belfour and center Jeremy Roenick. Once again though, they would fail to make the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the eventual champion Calgary Flames.
The following season the Hawks did prove they were late-round playoff material, running away with the Norris Division title, but, yet again, the third round continued to stymie them, this time against the eventual champion Oilers, despite 1970s Soviet star goaltender Vladislav Tretiak coming to Chicago to become the Blackhawks' goaltender coach.
In 1990–91, Chicago was poised to fare even better in the playoffs, winning the Presidents' Trophy for best regular-season record, but the Cinderella Minnesota North Stars stunned them in six games in the first-round en route to an improbable Stanley Cup Final appearance.
In 1991–92 the Blackhawks – with Roenick scoring 53 goals, Steve Larmer scoring 29 goals, Chris Chelios (acquired from Montreal two years previously) on defense, and Belfour in goal – finally reached the Final after 19 years out of such status. The Blackhawks won 11 consecutive playoff games that year, which set an NHL record. However, they were swept four games to none by the Mario Lemieux-led defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (who, in sweeping the Blackhawks, tied the record Chicago had set only days before). Although the 4–0 sweep indicates Pittsburgh's dominance in won games, it was actually a close series that could have gone either way. Game 1 saw the Blackhawks squander leads of 3–0 and 4–1, and would eventually be beaten 5–4 after a Lemieux power-play goal with 9 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks most lackluster game was Game 2, losing 3–1. A frustrating loss of 1–0 followed in game 3, and a natural hat trick from Dirk Graham and stellar play from Dominik Hasek (who showed indications of the goaltender he would later become) could not secure a win in game 4, which ended in 6–5 final in favor of Pittsburgh. The defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls were in their finals in 1992, but won their championship in 6, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers. Although this was the only year the city of Chicago would host a concurrent NBA/NHL finals in the same year, Blackhawks Coach Mike Keenan would see this again in New York when he coached the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years two years later.
Belfour posted a 40-win season in 1992–93 as the Hawks looked to go deep yet again, and Chelios accumulated career-high penalty time with 282 minutes in the box, but St. Louis stunned Chicago with a first-round sweep to continue Chicago's playoff losing streak.
Although they finished near-.500 season in 1994, the Blackhawks again qualified for the playoffs. They were eliminated by eventual Western Conference finalist Toronto, but broke their playoff losing streak at 10 games with a Game 3 win. It wasn't enough, however, and the Blackhawks fell in six games. The 1993–94 season also marked the Blackhawks' last at the old Chicago Stadium, and the team moved into the new United Center in the lockout-shortened 1995season. Bernie Nicholls and Joe Murphy both scored 20 goals over 48 games, and Chicago once again made it to the Western Conference Final, losing to the rival Detroit Red Wings. Also in 1994, management fired Wayne Messmer, popular singer of "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Roenick, Belfour, and Chelios were all traded away as the Blackhawks faltered through the late 1990s until they missed the playoffs in 1998 for the first time in 29 years, one season short of tying the Boston Bruins' record for the longest such streak in North American professional sports history.
The 21st century[edit]
The millennium started with disappointment for the Blackhawks. Éric Daze, Alexei Zhamnov and Tony Amonte emerged as some of the team's leading stars by this time. However, aside from a quick first-round exit in 2002, the 'Hawks were consistently out of the playoffs until the 2008–09 season, in most years finishing well out of contention. Amonte left for the Phoenix Coyotes in the summer of 2002.
A somber note was struck in February 2004, when ESPN named the Blackhawks the worst franchise in professional sports.[8] Indeed, the Blackhawks were viewed with much indifference by Chicagoans for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, due to anger over several policies instituted by late owner Bill Wirtz (derisively known as "Dollar Bill"). For example, Wirtz did not allow home games to be televised in the Chicago area, claiming it was unfair to the team's season ticket holders. He also raised ticket prices to an average of $50, among the most expensive in the league. Many hockey fans in Chicago began supporting the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves. For a time, the Wolves took a jab at the Hawks with the slogan, "We Play Hockey The Old-Fashioned Way: We Actually Win." The club under Wirtz was then subject of a highly critical book,Career Misconduct, sold outside games until Wirtz had its author and publisher arrested.
Following the lockout of the 2004–05 season, new GM Dale Tallon set about restructuring the team in the hopes of making a playoff run. Tallon made several moves in the summer of 2005, most notably the signing of Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup–winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and All-Star defenseman Adrian Aucoin. However, injuries plagued Khabibulin and Aucoin (among others), and the Blackhawks again finished well out of the playoffs with a 26–43–13 record – next-to-last in the Western Conference and the second-worst in the league.
The Blackhawks reached another low point on May 16, 2006, when they announced that popular TV/radio play-by-play announcer Pat Foley was not going to be brought back after 25 years with the team, a move unpopular amongst most Blackhawks fans. Foley then became the television/radio voice of the Wolves.
With the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the team selected Jonathan Toews, who led the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team to the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.
The Blackhawks were eager to make a splash in the free-agent market, and offered big money to many of the top free agents. They were, however, denied, only being able to acquire two backup goalies in Patrick Lalime and Sébastien Caron. Chicago was one of the biggest buyers in the trade market, though, acquiring a future franchise player in left-winger Martin Havlat, as well as center Bryan Smolinski from the Ottawa Senators in a three-way deal that also involved the San Jose Sharks. The 'Hawks dealt mean forward Mark Bell to the Sharks, Michal Barinka and a 2008 second-round draft pick to the Senators, while Ottawa also received defenseman Tom Preissing and center Josh Hennessy from San Jose. Havlat gave the Blackhawks the talented, first-line caliber gamebreaker they so desperately needed. The Havlat trade was soon followed by another major trade – winger and key Blackhawk player, another left wing, Kyle Calder, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for grinding defensive center Michal Handzus. The move caused a stir in Chicago. Calder had won an increase in his contract through arbitration, which was accepted by the Hawks, but rather than ink their leading scorer, the Blackhawks decided to address their need for a proven center by acquiring Handzus. Injuries to both Havlat and Handzus hurt the Blackhawks, and Smolinski was eventually traded at the trade deadline to the Vancouver Canucks. On November 26, 2006, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon fired Head Coach Trent Yawney and appointed assistant coach Denis Savard as head coach. Savard had been the assistant coach of the Blackhawks since 1997, the year after he retired as one of the most popular and successful Blackhawks of all time. The Blackhawks continued to struggle, and finished last in the Central Division, 12 points out of the playoffs.
They finished with the fourth worst record in the league, and in the Draft Lottery, won the opportunity to select first overall in the draft, whereas the team had never had a draft pick higher than third overall. They used the pick to draft right wing Patrick Kane from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
2007-Present: The Rocky Wirtz era[edit]
Rebuilding[edit]
On September 26, 2007, Bill Wirtz, the longtime owner of the Blackhawks, died after a brief battle with cancer.[9] He was succeeded by his son, Rocky, who drastically altered his father's long-standing policies.[10]
Midway into the 2007–08 NHL season, the franchise experimented with a partnership with Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV by airing selected Blackhawks home games on television.[11] During the next season, Comcast and WGN began airing all of the team's regular season games.[11] Rocky also named John McDonough, formerly the president of the Chicago Cubs, as the franchise's new president.[12] Since taking over the position, McDonough has been an instrumental figure in the Blackhawks current marketing success, including establishing links between the Blackhawks and the White Sox fan base in a number of ways.[13] In April 2008 the Blackhawks announced a partnership with the Chicago White Sox. In this partnership the Blackhawks have a Zamboni race featuring Kane, Toews, and Keith on the jumbotron at every White Sox Home Game. Wirtz was also able to bring back former Blackhawks greats Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, as the franchise's "hockey ambassadors."[14]
In addition to the changes in the team's policies and front office, the younger Wirtz also made a concerted effort to rebuild the team. He had let it be known that he was not shy about spending what it would take to make the Blackhawks a winner again; according to a team source, he believed in "spending money to make money."[15] The Blackhawks roster was bolstered by the addition of two young players, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Toews, the third overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft led all rookies in goals scored, while Kane, the first overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, led all rookies in total points.[16] Both players were finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's best rookie. Kane ultimately beat his teammate for the award.[17] Kane finished the 2007–2008 season with 21 goals and 51 assists in 82 games. The Blackhawks finished with a record of 40–34–8, missing the playoffs by three points. The 2007–2008 season marked the first time in six years that the team finished above .500.[18]
The Blackhawks made several major roster changes before the 2008–09 NHL season. The team traded Tuomo Ruutu, their longest tenured player, to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Andrew Ladd on February 26, 2008.[19] Later that day, the Blackhawks traded captain Martin Lapointe to the Ottawa Senators for a sixth round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.[19] On the first day of free agency, July 1, the team signed goaltender Cristobal Huet to a four-year $22.5 million US$ contract, and later signed defenseman Brian Campbell to an eight-year, $56.8 million dollar contact.[20] The team also added former coaches Joel Quenneville and Scotty Bowman to their organization.[21][22][23]
On February 13, 2008, the Blackhawks announced they would hold their first fan convention. On July 16, 2008, the team announced that they would host the 2009 NHL Winter Classic on a temporary ice rink at Wrigley Field on New Years Day against fellow "Original Six" member Detroit Red Wings.[24] The Detroit Red Wings defeated Chicago, 6–4. On June 16, Pat Foley was hired to replace Dan Kelly as the Blackhawks TV play-by-play man. Foley called Blackhawk games from 1981–2006. He then spent the next two years broadcasting for the Chicago Wolves. He has now returned with partner Eddie Olczyk to broadcast all of the Hawks games.[25][26] The Blackhawks relieved Denis Savard of his head coaching duties, and replaced him with Joel Quenneville on October 16, 2008.[27] Savard has since been brought back to the organization as an ambassador.
The Blackhawks finished the 2008–2009 regular season in second place in their division, with a record of 46–24–12, putting them in fourth place in the Western Conference with 104 points. The Blackhawks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2001–02 season with a 3–1 win over Nashville on April 3. On April 8, with a shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Blackhawks clinched their first 100-point season in 17 years. The Blackhawks beat the fifth-seeded Calgary Flames in six games to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1996.[28] The team proceeded to defeat the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks in six games.[29] The Blackhawks played the thenStanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings, for the Western Conference Championship. They lost the series to the Red Wings in five games.[30]
Prior to the 2008–09 season opener, the Blackhawks named Toews, at 20 years and 79 days, as the new captain, succeeding the traded Lapointe and making him the third-youngest captain at the time of appointment. During the 2008–09 season, the team led the League in home attendance with a total of 912,155, averaging 22,247 fans per game.[31] This figure includes the 40,818 fans from the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Therefore, the total attendance for games hosted at the United Center is 871,337, good for an average of 21,783 which still leads the league over Montreal's 21,273 average. The Blackhawks welcomed their one millionth fan of the season at the United Center before game six of the Western Conference semi-finals on May 11, 2009.[32]
2009–10: The Stanley Cup returns to Chicago[edit]
Prior to the 2009–10 NHL season, the Blackhawks made another major free agent purchase, signing Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract worth 62.8 million US$.[33] In addition to Hossa, the team also acquired Tomas Kopecky, John Madden, and Richard Petiot.[33][34] In early July, general manager Dale Tallon and the Blackhawks management came under fire when the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) claimed the team did not submit offers to their restricted free agents before the deadline.[35] In the worst case scenario, the team's unsigned restricted free agents at the time, including Calder Memorial Trophy finalist Kris Versteeg, would have become unrestricted free agents.[35] Despite the ordeal, the Blackhawks were able to sign Versteeg and all of their restricted free agents before the NHLPA could take further actions.[35] On July 14, 2009, The Blackhawks demoted Tallon to the position of Senior Adviser. Stan Bowman, son of Scotty Bowman, was promoted to general manager.[36] The Blackhawks continued to sellout games, with the best average attendance of 21,356 over Montreal's 21,273 in the NHL, and had a total of 854,267 excluding the playoffs. The Blackhawks reached the one million mark in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks.
The Blackhawks re-signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to contract extensions worth $31.5 million over 5 years, and Duncan Keith to a 13-year extension worth $72 million on December 1, 2009. On April 6, 2010, the Hawks won their 50th game of the 2009–10 season against the Dallas Stars, setting a new franchise record for wins in a season. The very next night, April 7, the Hawks notched their 109th point of the season against the St. Louis Blues, setting another franchise record.
The Blackhawks made the playoffs for the second consecutive season with a regular season record of 52–22–8. They defeated the Nashville Predators in six games in the first round, before defeating the third seeded Canucks for the second straight year, again in six games. The Blackhawks then played the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals and won the series in four games. The Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992. They faced the Philadelphia Flyers, and won the series in six games, with the overtime goal scored by Patrick Kane. It was the Blackhawks' first Cup win since 1961.
Further information: 2010 Stanley Cup Finals
2011–2012 [edit]
After losing the final game of the 2010–11 regular season at home to the Red Wings, the Blackhawks needed the Dallas Stars to either lose to the Minnesota Wild later that evening or at least have the game go into a shootout to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dallas lost 5–3, and the Blackhawks clinched the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.
In the first round of the 2011 playoffs, the Blackhawks faced the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks. It was the third consecutive post-season the two teams faced each other. The Canucks built a 3–0 lead in the best-of-seven series before the Blackhawks were able to win three games in a row, becoming just the sixth (the feat was repeated in the second round that year by the Detroit Red Wings) team in NHL history to force a seventh game in a best-of-seven series after facing a 0–3 deficit. Alex Burrows won the seventh game for the Canucks in overtime, 2–1, to advance to the Western Conference Semifinal round. In the 2011 draft, they traded Troy Brouwer to the Washington Capitals for the 2011 26th overall pick and Brian Campbell to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Rostislav Olesz. Their first round picks were Mark McNeill (18th overall) and Phillip Danault (26th overall, via Washington).
On March 31, 2012, the Blackhawks clinched the playoffs with a 5–4 win over the Nashville Predators. This win marks the Blackhawks 4th consecutive season making the playoffs. Eventually finishing with the sixth seed, they faced the Phoenix Coyotes in the opening round. The series, which Phoenix won in six games for their first playoff series win since the days of the old Winnipeg Jets, saw five of the six games going to overtime, with Bryan Bickell (Game 2) and Jonathan Toews (Game 5) scoring the only Blackhawk overtime winners of the series. The series was overshadowed however, by Raffi Torres' blindside hit on Marian Hossa in Game 3, forcing him out of the series with an upper body injury. Torres was suspended for 25 games, though it was eventually reduced to 21 games.
2013 Cup win[edit]
The Blackhawks started the shortened 2012–13 season with much success, by establishing several new franchise and NHL records. On January 27, 2013, the Blackhawks set a new franchise record for starting the season 6–0–0 with a win against the Red Wings. On February 19 against the Vancouver Canucks, the Blackhawks tied the NHL record previously set by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006-07 season for earning points in the first 16 consecutive games of a season, and beat the Ducks record (28 points) by 1 point. On February 22 against the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks set a new NHL record for earning points in the first 17 consecutive games of a season. On March 5 against theMinnesota Wild, the Blackhawks recorded a franchise record of 10 consecutive wins. On March 6, the Blackhawks extended the NHL record to 24 games with a record of 21–0–3, and the franchise record for most consecutive wins to 11 games. On March 6, goaltender Ray Emery also set an NHL record of 10–0–0 with most consecutive wins to start a season. The Blackhawks lost 6–2 to the Colorado Avalanche on March 8. It was their first loss in regulation and ended their 24-game streak in which they earned at least one point, an NHL record to start a season. The streak was the third-longest in NHL history. The 1979–80 Philadelphia Flyers had a 35-game unbeaten streak from October 14 – January 6, and the 1977–78 Montreal Canadiens had a 28-game unbeaten streak.[37][38][39]
The United Center also recorded its 200th consecutive combined regular season and playoff Blackhawks sell-out streak on March 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which began during the 2007–08 season with the game on March 30, 2008 against the Blue Jackets. The Blackhawks won the 2012–13 President's Trophy for the best regular season record in the league, at the same time earning home ice advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. A 4–3 win in Game 5 of the Conference Final against the LA Kings on June 8, 2013 saw them make their second Stanley Cup Final appearance in 4 seasons.
Starting on June 12, 2013, they faced the Boston Bruins, another Original Six team, in the Finals. It was the first time since 1979 that two Original Six teams have made the Stanley Cup Finals and the first time since 1945 that the last 4 teams to win the Stanley Cup were in the Conference Finals. The Bruins made their second appearance in the Finals in three years (winning in 2011) and were making a similar resurgence as the Blackhawks. On June 24, 2013, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Final to win the Stanley Cup for the 2012-2013 NHL season, having overcome a 2–1 deficit with just over a minute remaining. Bryan Bickell andDave Bolland scored goals with 1:16 and 0:59 remaining in the game, to win 3–2. By winning their second Stanley Cup in four years, the Blackhawks became the first team to win multiple times in the Post-Lockout Era (Since 2005).
Team information[edit]
Jerseys[edit]
The Blackhawks started out wearing black and white jerseys until 1934, when it introduced red to the palette. With the exception of cream replacing white from 1935–37, and a minimally designed sweater during that period, the Black Hawks, as they were called then, wore barber pole-styled jerseys from 1926–55. In 1940 a white uniform was introduced, featuring none of the barber pole stripes the team was known for then. The crest logo went through some cosmetic changes during the uniform's lifetime.
Since 1955, the Blackhawks basically had the same uniform design, featuring red uniforms with alternating white and black stripes on the bottom and sleeves, and white uniforms with black and red stripes on the bottom and sleeves. Over the years, the crest logo underwent several cosmetic changes before evolving to its current form by 1999. The crossed tomahawk logo adorned both sleeves before it moved to the shoulders in 1959. In 1957 sleeve numbers were added, while a secondary trim color for the uniform numbers were added in 1973. Player names were added in 1977, in compliance with the new NHL rule put in place. A black alternate jersey was introduced in 1996, featuring white and red stripes.
Like all NHL teams for the 2007–08 NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled the Rbk EDGE jerseys from Reebok. Unlike other clubs, Chicago did not deviate much from previous jerseys with small exceptions:
- new collar with NHL logo
- a "baseball-style" cut along the bottom
The Blackhawks brought back their black third jerseys for several games in 2008–09 after a one-year absence. For the 2009 Winter Classic, the Blackhawks wore jerseys based on the design worn in the 1936–37 season. The jersey is predominantly black with a large beige stripe across the chest (also on the sleeves), with a red border, and an old-style circular Black Hawks logo.[40] The Blackhawks used this Winter Classic design as their third jersey for the 2009–10 season, with the only change being tomahawks on the shoulders. The Blackhawks' uniform was voted one of the 25 best in professional sports by Paul Lukas of GQ in November 2004. The Hockey News voted the team's jersey as the best in the NHL.[41] In 2009, The Blackhawks wore special camouflage jerseys on Veterans Day during their pregame warm-ups. The jerseys were later sold in auctions to raise money for the USO of Illinois.[42] The Winter Classic third jerseys were retired after the 2010–2011 season.[43]
Logo[edit]
Further information: Native American mascot controversy
McLaughlin's wife, Irene Castle, designed the original version of the team's logo which featured a crudely drawn black and white Native head in a circle. This design went through several significant changes between 1926 and 1955. During this period seven distinct versions of the primary logo were worn on their uniforms. At the beginning of the 1955–56 season the outer circle was removed and the head began to resemble the team's current primary logo. This crest and uniform went through subtle changes until the 1964–65 season. The basic logo and jersey design have remained constant since then. In 2008 The Hockey News' staff voted the team's main logo to be the best in the NHL.[44] In 2010 sports columnist Damien Cox called on the franchise to retire the "racially insensitive" logo, saying that: "Clearly, no right-thinking person would name a team after an aboriginal figure these days any more than they would use Muslims or Africans or Chinese or any ethnic group to depict a specific sporting notion."[45]
Mascot[edit]
The Blackhawks mascot is Tommy Hawk, a hawk who wears the Blackhawks' four feathers on his head, along with a Blackhawks jersey and hockey pants. Tommy Hawk often participates in the T-shirt toss and puck chuck at the United Center. He walks around the concourse greeting fans before and during the game. The Hawks introduced Tommy in the 2001–02 season. The Hawks have had two giveaways featuring Tommy Hawk items. The first was a bobble-head doll and the second was a Mountain Dewsponsored Tommy Hawk water bottle.
Fight song[edit]
"Here Come the Hawks!" is the official fight song and introduction of the Chicago Blackhawks. The song was written by J. Swayzee, an avid Blackhawks fan, and produced by the Dick Marx Orchestra and Choir in 1968 and is heard quite often both in vocal and organ renditions during Blackhawks home games. In late 2007 the song "Keys to the City" was released by Ministry & Co Conspirators as a gift to the Blackhawks organization. "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis is played after a home-team goal and after a home-team win.
National anthem[edit]
It is a tradition for Blackhawks fans to applaud and cheer loudly during the singing of the national anthem. This tradition originated during a 1985 Campbell Conference playoff game at Chicago Stadium versus the Edmonton Oilers.[46] Jim Cornelison currently sings the national anthem for all home games.
Cup drought[edit]
Before their 2010 Stanley Cup victory, the team had not won the Cup since 1961. At 49 years, it was the second longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history, behind the New York Rangers, which ended in 1994 after 54 years.[47] On June 9, 2010, the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship in 6 games, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 in sudden death overtime with a goal by Patrick Kane. Most of the team didn't even know it went in the goal, but after replays, it showed that Kane had gotten the Stanley Cup-winning goal.
Media and announcers[edit]
Main article: List of Chicago Blackhawks broadcasters
For the first time in team history, all 82 games plus playoffs were broadcast on television during the 2008–09 season. At least 20 of them aired on WGN-TV (Channel 9), the first time the Blackhawks have been seen on local over-the-air television in 30 years. Games produced by WGN-TV through its WGN Sports department are not available in its superstation feed WGN America due to league broadcast rights restrictions. Other games not broadcast by WGN-TV are aired on regional sports network Comcast SportsNet Chicago. It is the first time in at at least 35 years that home games have been seen locally, either over-the-air or on cable. On February 15, 2011, it was announced that the team had renewed their broadcast contract with WGN-TV for the next five years, starting in the 2011–12 NHL season.
For the last eight seasons, the team's radio affiliate was WSCR (670 AM). On April 30, 2008, the team signed a three-year deal with WGN Radio (720 AM), with games airing alternately instead on WIND (560 AM) in scheduling conflict situations during the baseball season due to the Cubs having contractual preference to air on WGN. During the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, the Cubs agreed to allow the Blackhawks games to be broadcast on WGN and have the Cubs revert to WIND when there was a conflict. This allowed the Finals games to be heard over a larger area due to WGN's clear-channel signal. All Blackhawk games are also streamed live on wgnradio.com, regardless of whether the games are on WGN or WIND. WLUP-FM (97.9 FM) is also utilized as an alternate station.
- Pat Foley – TV play-by-play
- Eddie Olczyk – Lead TV analyst for NBC & TV analyst for Blackhawks
- John Wiedeman – Radio play-by-play
- Troy Murray – Radio analyst
- Gene Honda – Public address
- Steve Konroyd – Co-Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports, Back-up TV analyst
- Pat Boyle – Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on CSN Chicago
- Dan Roan – Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on WGN
- Denis Savard – Back-up Co-Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on CSN Chicago
- Judd Sirott – Host of Intermission, pre-game & post-game reports for games on WGN Radio
Season-by-season record[edit]
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Blackhawks. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Chicago Blackhawks seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs 2008–09 82 46 24 12 104 264 216 2nd, Central Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Red Wings) 2009–10 82 52 22 8 112 271 209 1st, Central Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Flyers) 2010–11 82 44 29 9 97 258 225 3rd, Central Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Canucks) 2011–12 82 45 26 11 101 248 238 4th, Central Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Coyotes) 2012–13 48 36 7 5 77 155 102 1st, Central Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Bruins), Presidents trophy winner
Players[edit]
Main article: List of Chicago Blackhawks playersFor more details on this topic, see List of Chicago Blackhawks statistics and records.
Current roster[edit]
Updated May 15, 2013.[48]
Honored members[edit]
Retired numbers[edit]
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenn Hall | G | 1957–67 | November 20, 1988 |
| 3 | Keith Magnuson 1 | D | 1969–80 | November 12, 2008 |
| Pierre Pilote 1 | D | 1955–68 | November 12, 2008 | |
| 9 | Bobby Hull | LW | 1957–72 | December 18, 1983 |
| 18 | Denis Savard | C | 1980–90, 1995–97 | March 19, 1998 |
| 21 | Stan Mikita | C | 1958–80 | October 19, 1980 |
| 35 | Tony Esposito | G | 1969–84 | November 20, 1988 |
| 99 2 | Wayne Gretzky | C | - | February 6, 2000 [49] |
- Notes:
- 1 Both players that wore the #3 were honored.
- 2 Gretzky never played for the franchise. His #99 was retired League-wide by the NHL.
Team captains[edit]
- Dick Irvin, 1926–29
- Duke Dukowski, 1929–30
- Ty Arbour, 1930–31
- Cy Wentworth, 1931–32
- Helge Bostrom, 1932–33
- Charlie Gardiner, 1933–34
- Johnny Gottselig, 1935–40
- Earl Seibert, 1940–42
- Doug Bentley, 1942–44
- Clint Smith, 1944–45
- John Mariucci, 1945–46
- Red Hamill, 1946–47
- John Mariucci, 1947–48
- Gaye Stewart, 1948–49
- Doug Bentley, 1949–50
- Jack Stewart, 1950–52
- Bill Gadsby, 1952–54
- Gus Mortson, 1954–57
- Ed Litzenberger, 1958–61
- Pierre Pilote, 1961–68
- Pat Stapleton, 1969–70
- Pit Martin, 1975–76
- Pit Martin; Stan Mikita; Keith Magnuson, 1976–77
- Keith Magnuson, 1977–79
- Terry Ruskowski, 1979–82
- Darryl Sutter, 1982–87
- Bob Murray, 1985–86
- Denis Savard, 1988–89
- Dirk Graham, 1989–95
- Chris Chelios, 1995–99
- Doug Gilmour, 1999–2000
- Tony Amonte, 2000–02
- Alexei Zhamnov, 2002–04
- Adrian Aucoin, 2005–07
- Martin Lapointe, 2006
- Jonathan Toews, 2008– present
Franchise scoring leaders[edit]These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blackhawks player
Home attendance at United Center[edit]The Blackhawks have led the NHL in attendance for the last five consecutive seasons.
Points Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G Stan Mikita C 1394 541 926 1467 1.05 Bobby Hull LW 1036 604 549 1153 1.11 Denis Savard C 881 377 719 1096 1.24 Steve Larmer RW 891 406 517 923 1.04 Doug Wilson D 938 225 554 779 .83 Dennis Hull LW 904 298 342 640 .71 Pit Martin C 740 243 384 627 .85 Jeremy Roenick C 524 267 329 596 1.14 Tony Amonte RW 627 268 273 541 .86 Bill Mosienko RW 711 258 282 540 .76
Goals Player Pos G Bobby Hull LW 604 Stan Mikita C 541 Steve Larmer RW 406 Denis Savard C 377 Dennis Hull LW 298 Tony Amonte RW 268 Jeremy Roenick C 267 Bill Mosienko RW 258 Ken Wharram RW 252 Pit Martin C 243
Assists Player Pos A Stan Mikita C 926 Denis Savard C 719 Doug Wilson D 554 Bobby Hull LW 549 Steve Larmer RW 517 Pierre Pilote D 400 Chris Chelios D 395 Pit Martin C 384 Bob Murray D 382 Dennis Hull LW 342
[50]NHL awards and trophies[edit]See also: List of Chicago Blackhawks award winners
Home attendance at United Center Season Attendance Average 2000–2001 614,875 14,996 2001–2002 638,324 15,568 2002–2003 606,580 14,794 2003–2004 543,374 13,253 2005–2006 546,075 13,318 2006–2007 521,809 12,727 2007–2008 689,377 16,814 2008–2009 871,337 21,783 2009–2010 854,267 21,356 2010–2011 878,356 21,423 2011–2012 882,874 21,533 2012–2013 522,619 21,775
