POLL: MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN CHICAGO BLACKHAWK HISTORY

[yave1964]

  Post expansion here is my list of most memorable moments in Hawks history

 

09-10 HAWKS WIN THE CUP!!

 

The last time the Hawks won the cup was 60-61 with Hull and Mikita and Glen Hall leading the way, this new wave of Hawks, led by Kane (30-58-88) Toews (25-43-68) and Norris winning Duncan Keith (14-55-69) leading a balanced attack for the Joel Quenneville led club, with supporting cast members such as Bolland, Andrew Ladd, Brian Campbell, Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Big Buff and Seabrook and the stellar goaltending of Antti Niemi, the Hawks knocked off division rival Nashville before defeating the rival Canucks and from there sweeping the Sharks, setting up a matchup against the Flyers which the Hawks won in six games on an overtime winner by Kane. The team was forced to blow itself up before the month was over, Buff, Ladd, Campbell, and Niemi all gone, but with Kane and Toews it would not take long before they were right back in the thick of it again.

 

 1971 AND 1973: THE HAWKS MAKE THE CUP FINALS 2 TIMES IN 3 YEARS.

 

Largely forgotten now, the Hawks in the early seventies had a heck of a club, led by Bobby Hull, Stank Mikita, little brother Dennis, another Bryan Campbell, (this one a center) Pat Stapletona nd the rugged Keith Magnuson and the incomparable Tony Esposito in net, two times in three years the Hawks advanced to the cup finals losing to the Canadiens in a rugged 7 game series in 71 and to the Habs again in 1973, this time in six games. A heck of a team led by coach Billy Reay who really should have won a cup in that time period but kept running into the legendary Habs led by Beliveau and the Pocket Rocket in their swan song years.

 

2012-13 THE HAWKS WIN SECOND CUP IN 4 YEARS!

 

From wire to wire, this team started the strike shortened season like a ball of fire and never looked back, winning the Presidents trophy with the leagues best record and again led by Kane and Toews along with Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and Sharp, the supporting cast changed from the last time but Corey Crawford was stellar in net, youngsters Saad, Bickel and Leddy established themselves as outstanding supporting members, they defeated the Wild in 5, survived a huge scare from the Wings to win in a thrilling 7 game series, stomped out the Kings in 5 and then bested the Bruins in 6 for their 2nd cup in four years.

 

 1991-92 HAWKS MAKE IT TO STANLEY CUP FINALS

 

Mike Keenan teams dot a lot of these lists, because he coached about everywhere and won in the process. The previous year Eddie Belfour hit the league like a storm, winning the Calder and Vezina, this year Iron Mike rode his hot young goalie along with young superstar Jeremy Roenick (53-50-103) and vets who knew what it took to win such as Steve Larmer, Chris Chelios, Michel Goulet and Brent Sutter, the team finished second in the Norris division and bested the Blues in 6 before stunning both the Red Wings and the Oilers by sweeping them both. They faced the Penguins in the Finals, being swept, Keenan benching Roenick at one point and taking the focus off the series and placing it on himself as he is wont to do, but this rugged working class club led by two great talented kids and a bunch of nasty vets had a whale of  a season.

 

 BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE: LOTS OF IT

 

Some teams have very little if any individual hardware int he trophy case, the Hawks are loaded, Kane won the Calder in 07-08, Belfour the Calder and Vezina in 90-91 plus another Vezina a few years later,, the Hawks won the Presidents Trophy in 2012-13, Duncan Keith has two Norris trophies (2010 and 2014) and counting, Chris Chelios (93 and 96) has two as well. Stan Mikita won a few Lady Bing awards, Orval Tessier (!) won a Jack Adams award as coach of the year in 1983, Mikita a couple of Hart trophies, Tony Esposito nailed 3 Vezina's. Espo and Steve Larmer aslo won Calder trophies as the leagues top rookies. Doug Wilson won an Norris, Kane and Toews have won the Conn Smythe awards having led the club to cup victories. This team is trophy central, very few clubs can rival what this team has won individually.

 

 That is my list. I thought about the 28 consecutive playoff appearances,second most of all time, i thought of some other individual efforts but for better or worse. This is what i went with. Thoughts?

[jammer2]

Thoughts?

 

 F*** you Michael Leighton.

[yave1964]

F*** you Michael Leighton.

LOL! Yeah, I tried to skip past that a bit for the sake of the Flyers fans.

My vote did go to the 2010 championship team, first time in 50 years hoisting the cup, but the truth is, retooling on the fly and within a few years winning it all again after losing so much quality talent, the 2013 team that led from the opening faceoff all season long was probably a better club. But still 50 years is a long time to wait between championships.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  Yeah, 50 years had to take it for me. A half a century is a LOOOONNNNGGG time.

[hf101]

Besides the Leighton's brain lapse, the player that stands out in my memory was Tony Esposito.  His first 3 seasons in the NHL were simply amazing.  Hard to believe he never won a Stanley Cup.

[cajunblackhawk]

I say the 50 years since last cup. I was just 12 years old when that happened.

[jammer2]

@hf101   One of the things that I remember about Tony O was his outstanding side to side movement and wickedly quick reflexes. I'm pretty sure he was the the first goalie to perfect the butterfly style, he was quite the innovator!

[Chicago Hawkie]

For me, I can't decide between the 2010 Cup win, ending a half-century long drought, or the 2013 Cup win with a dominant team that led wire to wire.

[Vanflyer]

For me, I can't decide between the 2010 Cup win, ending a half-century long drought, or the 2013 Cup win with a dominant team that led wire to wire.

 

What, no patrick kane tipping a taxi driver 34 cents??

[Chicago Hawkie]

What, no patrick kane tipping a taxi driver 34 cents??

That actually was not one of my favorite Hawks moments.     There was quite a bit of outrage here when that happened.

[Vanflyer]

There was quite a bit of outrage here when that happened.

 

Kanes a douche, but I have to respect his talent. Toews is 10x the player / person that kane is and thus why he is captain.

[Chicago Hawkie]

@Vanflyer

 

I agree ... Kane is a good player, but Toews is a true captain of the game (which is why Toews, and not Kane, is my favorite player).

 

Toews, IMO, is a lot like Steve Yzerman, that long-time and well-reknowned captain of the Detroit Red Wings.  hHey're both known as good all-around two-way players and show good character both on and off the ice.

[notfondajane]

Didn't the Hawks go 200 games or something like that,with out being shut out in the early 1970's?

[yave1964]

Didn't the Hawks go 200 games or something like that,with out being shut out in the early 1970's?

Yep, forgot about that one, the great team led by Hull and Mikita (not quite the same ring as Hull and Oates, lol). and the little brother Hull and Maki and the rest. Great team, should have won a cup during the early seventies with Tony Esposito in net and the rest but always came up just short.....

[J0e Th0rnton]

Ill go with Hawks fans booing during moment of silence for Wirtz.

[JagerMeister]

[notfondajane]

jagr fan? Yes!