The Chicago Blackhawks Tickets : The Blackhawks Are One Of The Original Six Nhl Teams

The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled as Black Hawks before 1986

, and also 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 four Stanley Cup Championships and fourteen division titles since their founding in 1926.

The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six NHL teams, along with the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. Since 1994, the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center after having spent 65 years playing at Chicago Stadium. Currently, they are the defending Stanley Cup champions, having defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at the conclusion of their 2009/10 season.

The Chicago Blackhawks 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. 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.

The Blackhawks' first owner was coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin. He had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois.

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.

McLaughlin took a very active role in running the team despite knowing very little about hockey. 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 Blackhawks were the first NHL team with an all-American-born lineup.

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 have 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 jersey with a large beige stripe across the chest (also on the sleeves), with a red border, and an old-style circular Black Hawks logo.[33] The Blackhawks now use 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. 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.

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.

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.

by: Amanda Harrison

POST COMMENT

3 Great Burgers You Must Try on Your Next Visit to Chicago NFL - Chicago Bears take a 20-17 win over Green Bay Packers Chicago Chat Rooms are the Best Place to Find a Date Are You In Chicago? Find Out Why You Must See The Navy Pier! 2010-11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL Predictions and Odds Rockit Chicago Lunch Menu Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears I Pass Holders No More Delays: Chicago Is Ready to Go 4G I Pass Chicago and Chicago Cubs I Pass Holders Chicago Bears I Pass Holders Chicago White Sox I Pass Holder Chicago Floor Sanding Chicago Flooring