Key
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| No. | Number of general managers [a] |
| Ref(s) | References |
| – | Does not apply |
 | Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category |
The Chicago Blackhawks are an American professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They play in the Central Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). [1] The team was first named the "Chicago Black Hawks", until 1986, when spelling found in the original franchise documents spelled the franchise name as the "Chicago Blackhawks", making the team change its name in response. [2] The team is also referred to as the "Hawks". [3] The Blackhawks began their NHL play in the 1926–27 season as an expansion team with the Detroit Cougars and the New York Rangers, and is one of the Original Six teams. [4] The franchise has 6 Stanley Cup championships, most recently winning in the 2014–15 season. Having played in the Chicago Coliseum (1926–1929) and the Chicago Stadium (1929–1994), the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center since 1994. The team has had ten general managers since their inception. [5]
For much of the early history of the Chicago Black Hawks, the title of "general manager" did not exist. Much of the work of managing the team operations, player contracts and the like was done by owner Frederic McLaughlin, with Bill Tobin as his assistant. Tobin joined the team in 1926 after a brief playing career as a goaltender. He has been variously named as a ticket taker, stick boy [6] and first general manager by appointment by McLaughlin from that time. Tobin held several titles during his term with the Black Hawks. He coached for two years in the 1930s. On the 1934 Stanley Cup win, Tobin is listed as secretary-treasurer. In 1938, Tobin was named president of the team, and for all practical purposes was general manager from that time forward, although McLaughlin stated at the time that it was a change in title only. After McLaughlin died, Tobin was part-owner and president of the team. The actual title of general manager was created in 1952, and Bill Tobin held the title in addition to the title of vice-president. [6] Even when Tommy Ivan was hired in 1954, his title was manager of hockey operations, including the farm team. [6]
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| No. | Number of general managers [a] |
| Ref(s) | References |
| – | Does not apply |
| Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category |
| No. | Name | Tenure | Accomplishments during this term | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederic McLaughlin | September 25, 1926 – 1942 |
| [7] |
| 2 | Bill Tobin | 1942 – July 7, 1954 |
| [6] |
| 3 | Tommy Ivan | July 7, 1954 – July 6, 1977 | [6] [8] | |
| 4 | Bob Pulford | July 6, 1977 – June 5, 1990 |
| [8] [9] |
| 5 | Mike Keenan | June 5, 1990 – November 6, 1992 |
| [9] [10] |
| – | Bob Pulford | November 6, 1992 – July 3, 1997 |
| [10] [11] |
| 6 | Bob Murray | July 3, 1997 – December 2, 1999 |
| [11] [12] |
| – | Bob Pulford (Interim) | December 2, 1999 – September 22, 2000 |
| [12] [13] |
| 7 | Mike Smith | September 22, 2000 – October 24, 2003 |
| [13] [14] |
| – | Bob Pulford | October 24, 2003 – June 21, 2005 |
| [14] [15] |
| 8 | Dale Tallon | June 21, 2005 – July 14, 2009 |
| [15] [5] |
| 9 | Stan Bowman | July 14, 2009 – October 26, 2021 | [5] | |
| 10 | Kyle Davidson | October 26, 2021 – present | [16] |
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.
Darryl John Sutter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. 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.
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.
Michael Edward Keenan is a Canadian professional hockey coach who most recently coached the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL teams between 1984 and 2009. He currently ranks fifth in playoff wins with 96. He is noted for his early career success in coaching Team Canada to win the 1987 Canada Cup round-robin tournament in a thrilling best-of-three series finale against Viktor Tikhonov's Red Army team.
Robert Jesse Pulford is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. He later served as head coach of the Kings before spending 30 years with the Chicago Blackhawks as a coach and general manager.
Maj. Frederic McLaughlin was an American businessman and soldier. He was the first owner of the Chicago Black Hawks National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey team.
Douglas Frederick Wilson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, who later served as general manager of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.
James E. Norris was a Canadian-American businessman, operating companies in the grain and cattle industries, and owner of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. He also had significant ownership interests in the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers. He is often referred to as James Norris Sr., to distinguish him from his son, James D. Norris. Norris is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, as are his sons James and Bruce Norris, but not Margurite his daughter who was Detroit Red Wings co-owner with brother Bruce and President from 1952–55.
Thomas Nathaniel Ivan was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager. He served as a National Hockey League (NHL) head coach for the Detroit Red Wings from 1947 to 1954 where he won three Stanley Cups, and was the general manager for the Chicago Black Hawks from 1954 to 1977, winning a Stanley Cup in 1961. He produced an overall record of 288–174–111.
Michael "Dale" Tallon is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He played in the NHL for ten years as a defenceman for the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Following his retirement as a player, Tallon began a broadcasting career with the Blackhawks lasting 16 years. In 1998, he joined the front office as director of player personnel before working his way up to general manager. Serving in the latter capacity from 2005 to 2009, he helped rebuild the team into a Stanley Cup winner in 2010, at which point he had been demoted to assistant general manager. In May 2010, he was named general manager for the Panthers for the 2010–11 NHL season, serving in that position until August 2020. He returned to the Canuck's organization in 2022 as a scout and senior adviser. Tallon is also a distinguished golfer, having won the 1969 Canadian Junior Golf Championship and participated in the Canadian PGA Tour.
Linton Muldoon Treacy, better known as Pete Muldoon, was a Canadian ice hockey coach. He was the coach of the Seattle Metropolitans from 1915 to 1924 and led the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 1917. Muldoon later became the first coach of the Chicago Black Hawks. He was known for reportedly putting a curse on the Black Hawks after he was fired at the end of the 1926–27 season.
Robert Frederick Murray is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He most recently served as the general manager of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Murray played in the NHL from 1975 to 1990 as a defenceman with the Chicago Black Hawks. He player for the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 1971 to 1974, where he won a Memorial Cup, before the Black Hawks drafted him 52nd overall in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft.
The 1926–27 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's first season. Chicago was awarded an NHL franchise. Most of the team's players came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Canada Hockey League, which had folded the previous season. The team would qualify for the playoffs in their first season, but lost in a 2-game total goal series.
The 1938–39 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 13th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a very surprising Stanley Cup victory in 1937–38. The club was hoping to build on that success in a bid for a 2nd straight Stanley Cup.
The 1942–43 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 17th season in the National Hockey League, and they were coming off a 4th-place finish in 1941–42, and lost to the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. The NHL would lose another team, as the Brooklyn Americans would fold, leaving the league with only 6 clubs. The league also increased its schedule from 48 games to 50. With World War II going on, every team in the league would lose some players who left to fight in the war.
Michael A. Smith is an American former college hockey player, professional coach and front office executive who has worked with the original Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Since 2003, Smith has worked as a scout and with two companies specializing in hockey analytics.
William John Tobin was a Canadian ice hockey player, executive and head coach. He was a senior executive with the Chicago Black Hawks for the team's first 36 years of existence, also serving as coach for parts of two seasons. From 1946 to 1950, he was also the team's principal owner.
The 1977–78 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' 52nd season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a 26–43–11 record, earning 63 points, which was their lowest total since the 1957–58 season. The Hawks managed to qualify for the playoffs, as they finished in third place in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, the Black Hawks were quickly swept out in two games by the Boston Bruins in the NHL Preliminary Round.
The 1987–88 Chicago Blackhawks season was the 62nd season of operation of the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League.
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