The Chicago Blackhawks, originally known as the Black Hawks (the spelling was changed to “Blackhawks” in 1986 to match the original NHL paperwork), 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).
The Blackhawks were founded in 1926 by Frederic McLaughlin, who was awarded one of the first U.S. expansion franchises by the NHL. McLaughlin purchased the defunct Portland Rosebuds of the Western Hockey League to form the nucleus of his team. The Blackhawks played their first game on November 17, 1926, against the Toronto St. Patricks at the Chicago Coliseum. They won their first game 4–1 in front of a crowd of over 7,000.
The Blackhawks quickly became one of the most successful teams in the NHL, winning their first Stanley Cup in 1934. They went on to win two more Stanley Cups in the 1930s, and they continued to be a dominant force in the league throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
The Blackhawks won their fourth Stanley Cup in 1961, and they reached the Stanley Cup Finals again in 1971 and 1973.
The Blackhawks experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s, led by players such as Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, and Ed Belfour. They won their fifth Stanley Cup in 1992, and they reached the Stanley Cup Finals again in 1995.
The Blackhawks entered a period of rebuilding in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, they returned to prominence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, led by players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith. They won three Stanley Cups in six years, in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
