The Chicago Blackhawks were established in 1926 as one of the NHL's expansion teams, bringing professional hockey to the city of Chicago 1)
Owner Frederic McLaughlin named the team after the “Blackhawk Division” (86th Infantry) he served in during WWI, which was named for the Sauk leader Black Hawk 2)
The team's original logo was designed by Irene Castle, the wife of owner Frederic McLaughlin, and debuted in 1926 3)
In their first-ever game on November 17, 1926, the Blackhawks defeated the Toronto St. Patricks with a final score of 4-1 4)
The team’s longtime home, the Chicago Stadium, was famously known as the “Madhouse on Madison” due to its incredible acoustics 5)
The Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in 1934 by defeating the Detroit Red Wings; goalie Charlie Gardiner tragically died of a brain hemorrhage shortly after 6)
Bill Stewart became the first American-born coach to lead an NHL team to a Stanley Cup title when the Hawks won in 1938 7)
The 1938 Blackhawks hold the record for the lowest regular-season winning percentage (.385) of any team to win the Stanley Cup 8)
Bill Mosienko holds the NHL record for the fastest hat trick, scoring three goals in just 21 seconds in a 1952 game against the Rangers 9)
Legend Stan Mikita is credited with popularizing the curved hockey stick blade after his stick was accidentally bent during a practice session 10)
In 1966, Bobby Hull became the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season, finishing with 54 11)
The Blackhawks ended a 23-year drought in 1961 by defeating the Detroit Red Wings to capture their third Stanley Cup title 12)
Tony Esposito set a modern-era NHL record for rookies by recording 15 shutouts during his historic 1969-70 season 13)
The tradition of fans cheering loudly through the entire National Anthem began at the Chicago Stadium during the 1985 playoffs 14)
The team moved into the United Center in 1994, an arena built by a partnership between William Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf 15)
Upon its opening, the United Center became the largest arena by physical size in the United States 16)
The 2010 Stanley Cup-winning goal by Patrick Kane was so fast that the puck was initially hidden under the net's padding 17)
The 2012-13 Blackhawks set a record by earning at least one point in their first 24 consecutive games 18)
In the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, the Blackhawks scored two goals in just 17 seconds in the final minute to stun the Boston Bruins 19)
By winning three championships in six seasons (2010, 2013, 2015), the Blackhawks were dubbed the first dynasty of the salary cap era 20)
Stan Mikita remains the franchise leader in career points, amassing a total of 1,467 points over his 22-season career 21)
The team retired number 9 in 1983 to honor “The Golden Jet” Bobby Hull, the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer 22)
Tony Esposito’s number 35 was retired in 1988, recognizing the goalie with the most career wins (418) in team history 23)
The number 3 is uniquely retired for two different players who were not related: Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson 24)
Denis Savard, known for his signature “spin-o-rama” move, had his number 18 retired by the Blackhawks in 1998 25)
In 2022, Marian Hossa became the first player from the 2010s championship core to have his number (81) retired 26)
Chris Chelios, one of the greatest American-born defensemen, saw his number 7 jersey raised to the rafters in early 2024 27)
The United Center features a digital organ designed to replicate the massive Barton pipe organ sound from the old Chicago Stadium 28)
The Blackhawks mascot, Tommy Hawk, was introduced during the 1995 season and is known for his signature feathered headdress 29)
In 2009, the Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at historic Wrigley Field for one of the most-watched outdoor games in history 30)
In the 2015 playoffs, the Hawks and Ducks played a triple-overtime game that ended after 116 minutes of total play 31)
The Blackhawks led the NHL in average home attendance for 11 consecutive seasons between 2008 and 2019 32)
In 2018, accountant Scott Foster famously entered a game as an emergency backup and saved all 7 shots he faced 33)
Jonathan Toews earned the nickname “Captain Serious” for his intense focus; he led the team to three Stanley Cups and joined the Triple Gold Club 34)
Defenseman Duncan Keith lost seven teeth to a puck during the 2010 playoffs but returned to the ice only minutes later 35)
Patrick Kane became the first American-born player in league history to win the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring champion in 2016 36)
The Blackhawks lost Game 7 of the 1971 Finals to Montreal after blowing a 2-0 lead, a loss that haunted the team for decades 37)
The franchise record for most wins in a single regular season is 52, achieved during the 2009-10 championship campaign 38)
Only three players in franchise history have won the Conn Smythe Trophy: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith 39)
The Blackhawks originally wore black and white striped jerseys; the iconic red color was not part of the primary home kit until 1955 40)
The Blackhawks have played regular-season openers overseas in both Helsinki, Finland (2009) and Prague, Czech Republic (2019) 41)
In 2023, the Blackhawks selected generational talent Connor Bedard with the #1 overall pick, their first top pick since Patrick Kane in 2007 42)
The Blackhawks' goal horn is uniquely modeled after the powerful whistles used by ships on Lake Michigan 43)
The Blackhawks organization has seen over 40 players and builders inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame throughout its history 44)
The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation has distributed over $16 million in grants to local nonprofits since its partnership with the McCormick Foundation began 45)