The Chicago Blackhawks are an Original Six NHL franchise, and as such one of the league's hallmark teams. They play in the Western Conference's Central Division, having previously competed in the now defunct Norris Division. The Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup three times, most recently in 1961.
Heading into the final months of the regular season, the Blackhawks are among the strongest teams in the NHL. They have led their division for most of the season, and they have among the leading point totals in the conference and the league.
The team is led by center Jonathan Toews (also the team captain), winger Patrick Kane, defenseman Duncan Keith, and a pair of solid goalies (Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi). The Blackhawks are a well-rounded team, with a bevy of goal scoring threats on different lines and a handful of two-way defenseman. More significantly for Hawks fans, the team's base is young, and built to compete for many years. Kane and Toews are both just 21, and Niemi and Keith are just 26. Of the team's top 12 scorers this season, only two are 30: 31-year-old Marian Hossa and 30-year-old Patrick Sharp.
Background
Although they've not won many Stanley Cups and they are often overshadowed by the Detroit Red Wings, the Blackhawks have long been considered one of the league's iconic franchises. They've had a welter of great players: Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, and Bobby Hull in the 1960s; Tony Esposito in the 1970s; Denis Savard in the 1980s; and Jeremy Roenick, Ed Belfour, and Chris Chelios in the 1990s. The team made the playoffs for a record 29 straight years, a streak that ended in 1998. Their most recent Stanley Cup victory came in 1961, when a strong defensive plan and an attacking line of Bill Hay, Bobby Hull, and Chico Maki helped the Hawks past the heavily favored Montreal Canadians and the Detroit Red Wings for the title. They also lifted the Cup in 1934, with a victory over the Red Wings, and in 1938, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the 1990s, Chicago, led by Roenick, Belfour, and Chelios, came close to a title on a number of occasions, but always falling short to more talented Red Wings, Penguins, or Avalanche squads. From the late 1990s until 2007, the Blackhawks were a franchise characterized by dysfunction, underperformance, and rancor between owner Bill Wirtz and the team's fan base.
In the expansion era, the Hawks have never hoisted a Stanley Cup, but their recently improved play (this year will likely make two consecutive playoff appearances after just one in ten seasons) and young talent base have Chicago fans hopeful about the future.
Playoff Timeline
- 2009—Lost in conference finals to the Detroit Red Wings
- 2008—Missed playoffs
- 2007—Missed playoffs
- 2006—Missed playoffs
- 2005—No playoffs, season cancelled due to lockout
- 2004—Missed playoffs
- 2003—Missed playoffs
- 2002—Lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues
- 2001—Missed playoffs
- 2000—Missed playoffs
- 1999—Missed playoffs
- 1998—Missed playoffs
- 1997—Lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche
- 1996—Lost in the second round to the Colorado Avalanche
- 1995—Lost in the Western Conference finals to the Detroit Red Wings
- 1994—Lost in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1993—Lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues
- 1992—Lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins
- 1991—Lost in the first round to the Minnesota North Stars
- 1990—Lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Edmonton Oilers
- 1961—Stanley Cup Champs
- 1938—Stanley Cup Champs
- 1934—Stanley Cup Champs
