SOUTH BEND, IN – The current NHL season has been a challenging one for the six-time Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. After capturing half of their Final trophies in the last eight seasons, the proud franchise is on unsure footing as the retool and set sail on a new chapter to write.
The Blackhawks fired future Hall of Fame coach Joel Quenneville on December 6th when the team was 6-6-3, replacing him with their AHL coach in Rockford, Jeremy Colliton. Since then, the team has gone 5-13-3. Chicago currently sits last in the Central division, 30th overall through 36 games, with a record of 11-19-6.
So despite the emergence of promising young stars like left wing Alex DeBrincat (14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points) and defenseman Erik Gusstaffson (7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points), this season seems like a transitional campaign. Still, there is one bright spot coming up and the club is looking back on their long storied history as the mid-season classic approaches.
The special uniform the Blackhawks will wear to compete in the Winter Classic is modeled after their 1934 Stanley Cup-winning team, the first of six in the franchise’s 92 years. Looking back at that special season looks nothing like the NHL of today, but it remains special in the hearts of Chicago Blackhawks and it will be on stage January 1st at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
In addition to the two-tone, simple design of the logo and uniform, the jersey has the six Stanley Cup years in the collar along with the diagonal lines reflective of the Notre Dame end zone markings separating the six championships campaigns. It’s a clever twist to honor the time mired in a rough season.
The 1933-34 season was just the NHL’s 17th season and just the 8th for the Windy City franchise. The league included nine clubs placed in two divisions. Chicago was part of the American division, competing with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins while the Canadian division included the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, New York Americans (yes Manhattan-based and nowhere near Canada) and the original Ottawa Senators.
Chicago finished the 48-game schedule with a 20-17-11 record, amassing 88 points. They ended the regular season campaign 25 points behind division-leading Detroit. The season was nearly derailed as Chicago ended the campaign on a 3-7-1 skid, finishing just one point ahead of the New York Rangers to finish second. British
Scottish-born Goaltender Charlie Gardiner played every minute of all 48 games registering ten shutouts and 1.63 goals against average in leading the squad.
The first round match-up was set as a “total goals”, two-game series against the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago won the first one game 3-2 on the strength of two goals from Johnny Gottselig, including the game winner early in the third period at The Forum. Chicago settled for a 1-1 tie in the second game back in Chicago Stadium’s fifth NHL campaign to advance to the next round.
The Blackhawks then faced the Montreal Maroons in another “total goals” series, winning two games (3-0 at The Forum and 3-2 at Chicago Stadium) on total goals (6-2). Gardiner was stellar in holding the Maroons at bay by allowing just two goals.
In the other semi-final, the Red Wings got past the high-scoring Toronto Maple Leafs, who had scored a league-leading 174 goals in the regular season, 54 more than Detroit.
Chicago picked up right where they left off in round three against Detroit, opening with two wins, 2-1 in double overtime and 4-1, both at The Olympia. After dropping game three at home 5-2, Chicago finished off the Red Wings 1-0 in double overtime on a goal by Mush March to capture their first chalice.
The only bad news coming out of the season that after regulation in the final game, Gardiner left the content because he was not feeling well. He had played his last game, dying two months later of a brain hemorrhage.
So while the Blackhawks struggles continue in 2018, they hope the promise of brighter days ahead takes shape when the calendar year turns. January 1st means a New Year, and perhaps new life for the popular franchise. But at least for one day, if not more, the Winter Classic allows fans to set aside the challenges of a trying campaign to focus on the special nature of the League’s most popular event.
Dennis Morrell is a long-time hockey writer, photographer, coach, player and USA Hockey referee who loves the game and those connected to it. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com.
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