The Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks made their debut at the Chicago Coliseum, in front of 9,000 cheering fans. It was the year 1926 and the Blackhawks beat the Toronto St. Patricks 4-1. In the many decades since, the Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups and have become a Chicago institution. The Blackhawks have always had many great players who created unforgettable moments in history.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Chicago, Illinois and are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of NHL (National Hockey League). Along with the three Stanley Cups, the Blackhawks have also won fourteen division titles. The Blackhawks form part of the Original Six NHL teams. The other teams include Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.

The NHL expanded into the United States in 1926 and the Blackhawks joined them as part of the first wave. Detroit Cougars (now Detroit Red Wings) and New York Rangers were the other two teams that were in that year. Most of the Blackhawks players came from the Portland Rosebuds of WHL.

Frederic McLaughlin, the coffee tycoon, was the first owner of Blackhawks. He was a commander during World War I. His division was called the Blackhawk Division and McLaughlin named his hockey team in honor of the military unit. The earlier version of the name was spelt as two separate words, Black Hawks. In the summer of 1986, the club officially decided to opt for a one word version Blackhawks.

McLaughlin did not know much about hockey, nonetheless he played a very active role in running the team. He served as the general manager for the team and showed a great deal of interest in promoting American hockey players. It was rare at the time. Under the leadership of McLaughlin, the Blackhawks became the first NHL team with an all American lineup.

The Blackhawks played their first game against the Toronto St. Patricks. They won the game and finished the season in third place. They lost their 1927 playoff series first round to Boston Bruins. McLaughlin fired head coach Pete Muldoon following this. Mclaughlin and Muldoon had a disagreement about whether the Blackhawks were good enough. McLaughlin felt that his team was good enough to finish first and the coach disagreed.

Frederic McLaughlin died in 1944. His estate then sold the Blackhawks to a syndicate headed by Bill Tobin. Tobin was only a puppet for Red Wings owner James Norris. Norris had been the Blackhawks landlord since he bought the Chicago Stadium in 1936.

The Blackhawks were consistently out of the playoffs from 2001 till the 2008-09 season. During most years they finished well out of contention.

The team has nonetheless captured the hearts of American hockey fans by making strong comebacks after temporary setbacks.

For confirmed Chicago Blackhawks tickets, you need to prepare well in advance and go through a reliable ticket broker. Any hockey fan worth is salt must watch at least one Blackhawks game. Get your Blackhawks tickets as soon as they become available.