The Saginaw Hawks were an ice hockey team that competed in the International Hockey League from 1987 to 1989. Prominent former Saginaw Hawks include goalie Ed Belfour. The team was formerly known as the Saginaw Generals from 1985 to 1987.
The Saginaw Generals came into existence upon the relocation of the Flint Generals to Saginaw for the 1985–86 International Hockey League season. The Generals were renamed the Saginaw Hawks for the 1987–88 season to reflect their primary affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. [1] After the 1988–89 season, the Chicago Blackhawks transferred their affiliated players from the Saginaw Hawks to the Indianapolis Ice.
The radio broadcaster for the Hawks from 1987 to 1989 was Greg Waddell, who also broadcast games for the Dayton Bombers of the East Coast Hockey League and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League.
The Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hawks from 1987 to 1989 was Tom Egan, who came aboard after spending a season with the Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena Football League as press box and media relations director.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926. They are one of the "Original Six" NHL teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers. Since 1995, the team has played their home games at the United Center, which they share with the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls; both teams previously played at the now-demolished Chicago Stadium.
The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the United States and Canada. The league was headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and, in its last year, consisted of seven teams. It folded in 2010, with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League. The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL. The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2022 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.
Darryl John Sutter is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ; all but Rich and Gary worked alongside Darryl in some capacity during his first tenure with the Flames.
Edward Walter Olczyk Jr. is an American former center in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994. Olczyk was also the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from June 2003 to December 2005.
Marc Bergevin is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is currently senior advisor to the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings. Bergevin played as a defenceman in the NHL.
Denis Joseph Savard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Savard was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks and became the forefront of the team during the 1980s. He led the Blackhawks to the Conference Finals four times, losing each time, twice being to Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers. Savard is known for the spin' o rama move, a tactic in Hockey used to create distance between the puck carrier and opponent. Savard won one Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Savard also played with the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons before returning to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1994, and then retiring there in 1997. He has also served as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, and now serves as an ambassador for the Blackhawks' organization. Savard was born in Gatineau, Quebec, but grew up in Montreal.
John J. "Jack" O'Callahan is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 390 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season games between 1982 and 1989 for the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils. Before turning professional, he was a member of the 1980 Winter Olympics United States national team that upset the Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice" game.
Darren Robert Pang is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.
Raymond Jude LeBlanc is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played one game in the National Hockey League, with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1991–92 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1984 to 2000, was spent in the minor leagues. Internationally LeBlanc played for the American national team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and at the 1992 World Championships.
Gregory H. Millen is a Canadian hockey commentator-analyst and a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons for six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently a colour commentator on Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on Sportsnet, primarily covering the Calgary Flames.
Clifford Eugene Koroll is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1980. He played in two Stanley Cup Finals with the Black Hawks.
Troy Norman Murray is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL. He is currently the color analyst on NBC Sports Chicago broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks hockey games. Murray was born in Calgary, Alberta, but grew up in St. Albert, Alberta.
Bruce James Cassidy, nicknamed "Butch", is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 18th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. As a coach, Cassidy won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.
Kent Douglas Paynter is a Canadian former ice hockey player. Paynter played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1985 to 1998.
Stephen Paul Ludzik is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach who has worked as a television analyst for The Score television network. He played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres between 1981 and 1990. He later coached the Tampa Bay Lightning between 1999 and 2001, and also spent several years coaching in the minor leagues.
Jean-Yves Leroux is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1997 to 2001.
The 1988–89 Chicago Blackhawks season saw the Blackhawks finish in fourth place in the Norris Division with a record of 27 wins, 41 losses, and 12 ties for 66 points. Chicago did not clinch a postseason berth until the season's final game, needing an overtime goal by Troy Murray against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blackhawks proceeded to defeat the higher seeded divisional rivals, the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues before falling in the Campbell Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames.
Michael S. Rucinski is an American retired professional ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 2008–09 Chicago Blackhawks season was the 83rd season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on September 25, 1926. Prior to the start of the season, the Blackhawks announced that 20-year-old center Jonathan Toews would serve as the team's captain for the 2008–09 season, thus making him the 3rd-youngest player to earn that distinction in the NHL. Their regular season began on October 10, 2008, against the New York Rangers and concluded on April 12, 2009, against the rival Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks played in the Winter Classic, an outdoor game, against the Red Wings at Wrigley Field on January 1, 2009. The team succeeded in making the 2008–09 playoffs with a 3–1 win over Nashville on April 3 after missing the 2007–08 playoffs by three points.
Marty Nanne is an American former professional ice hockey player. He is currently an amateur scout within the Minnesota Wild organization of the National Hockey League. Nanne was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 8th round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.