The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice Hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They currently play in the Central Division of the National hockey League (NHL). They have won three Stanley Cup Championships and thirteen division titles since their foundation in 1926. The team's name was spelled Chicago Black Hawks prior to the 1986-87 season. 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 in the United Center in Chicago.

Franchise history

Beginnings

The Chicago Black Hawks joined the NHL in 1926 as part of the league's successful foray into United States-based teams. They were founded by coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin. Most of the Hawks' original players came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Canada Hockey League, which had folded the previous season.

McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. The division was named after a Native American; Chief Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois, and is one of many sports team names using Native Americans as icons. McLaughlin's wife, Irene Castle, designed the original version of the team's logo, which survived with only minor changes until 1955.

For many years the name was spelled primarily "Black Hawks", but sometimes "Blackhawks", even by the club itself. 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. Over the years, McLaughlin took a very active role in running the team, even though he knew very little about Hockey. For instance, he served as his own general manager for many years.

The Black Hawks won their first Stanley Cup in 1934 (over the Detroit Red Wings) with Gardiner's 1.73 goals against average and Paul Thompson's 20 goals. Gardiner died of a brain hemorrhage two months after the season ended.

Source: www.wikipedia.com