The original six-era of the National Hockey League was arguably one of the most entertaining time frames in league history. In 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks joined the league, and the team had a lot of success in their early years, winning the Stanley Cup in the 1933-34 and 1937-38 seasons. In the 1943-44 season, the team returned to the Stanley Cup final, where the Montreal Canadiens swept them. Then came the downfall, every season, besides two, between 1946 and 1957, they finished in last place in the league.
1960s revival
At the start of the 1957-58 season, the Chicago Blackhawks announced the signing of Bobby Hull, Glen Hall and Pierre Pilote. Despite finishing the season 24-29-7, it was still a much more improved team compared to what the decade previous had to offer. The following season didn’t exactly go to plan either, the only positive of the 1958-59 season was the signing of future Hall of Famer Stan Mikita. The 1960-61 season was the turning point for the franchise as Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita led the Blackhawks to the team’s third Stanley Cup, beating the Detroit Red Wings in a 4-2 series. During the 1960s, the NHL was heavily dominated by Canadian teams, and the Blackhawks learned that very quickly. After winning the Cup in 1961, the Hawks returned to the Stanley Cup Finals the following season where they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat the Hawks in a 4-2 series. Three Toronto Stanley Cup’s later, the Hawks returned to the Stanley Cup Final in 1965, where they went up against another Canadian powerhouse in the Montreal Canadiens. In a seven-game thriller, the Blackhawks fell just short, losing game seven by a 4-0 scoreline. The next four seasons the Canadians proved to be too much to handle for the rest of the league as they won three more Stanley Cups with the Maples Leafs winning one as well.
Throughout the 1960s, the Chicago Blackhawks had many memorable names that were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players such as Phil Esposito, Glenn Hall, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Pierre Pilote. Even though they only won one Stanley Cup during their time in Chicago, the 1961 team was arguably one of the best teams the franchise has ever seen and is still talked about.
