The Chicago Blackhawks began play in the National Hockey League for the 1926-27 season, the same year that the Victoria Cougars moved east to become the Detroit Cougars and later the Red Wings. 1926-27 also marked the first year for the New York Rangers.

The first ever team captain of the Blackhawks was Dick Irvin Sr. Irvin was captain for the first three seasons that Chicago played in the NHL. It was the only three years the Dick played in the league. However, he would achieve Hockey Hall of Fame status as a coach. Irvin coached the Blackhawks for two years then went on to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, winning a Stanley Cup with Toronto and three with Montreal. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 after passing away the year before.

There are six Chicago Blackhawks retired numbers hanging from the rafters of the United Centre in honour of seven players. The number 3 is retired for both Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson. Goaltenders cannot wear the number 1 of Glenn Hall or the number 35 of Tony Esposito. The team’s dynamic duo of the 1960’s, Bobby Hull (9) and Stan Mikita (21) of course both have their numbers retired. The newest number to be taken out of circulation by the team is the number 18 of Denis Savard.

The Blackhawks have won four Stanley Cups in their history. The first came in their eighth season in the NHL, 1933-34. The most impressive Stanley Cup victory came in 1937-38 when Chicago finished the regular season with a dismal 14-25 record. Somehow, the Blackhawks knocked off the Montreal Canadiens, New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Cup. The won next in 1960-61 then it took nearly five decades before they won in 2009-10.

Stan Mikita will most likely remain the team’s all-time leader in points forever. Mikita played with only the Blackhawks in a career that spanned from 1959 to 1980. Stan retired with 1,467 points, over 300 more than the next closest, Bobby Hull. Mikita’s 926 assists are also a team all-time mark, over 200 more than number 2 Denis Savard. Stan is the only player in NHL history to win the ‘triple crown’ consisting of the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring leader, the Hart Trophy as MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player. He not only accomplished the feat once but in two consecutive seasons.