Chicago Blackhawks Trophy Case

No member of the Blackhawks ever won the Conn Smythe Trophy, emblematic of the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, during its first 45 years of existence. The award was introduced in 1965, four years after the Hawks' last Stanley Cup championship prior to 2010. Now there are three recent Stanley Cups in the Hawks' trophy case, and (not coincidentally) three Conn Smythes as well.

    

Below is a recap of the honors the Blackhawks have won over the years. Stay tuned for a future post in which we review those enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

 

Blackhawks retired numbers:

  1 - Glenn Hall

  3 - Keith Magnuson

  3 - Pierre Pilote

  9 - Bobby Hull

18 - Denis Savard

21 - Stan Mikita

35 - Tony Esposito

 

Stanley Cup champion head coaches:

1934 - Tommy Gorman

1938 - Bill Stewart

1961 - Rudy Pilous

2010 - Joel Quenneville

2013 - Joel Quenneville

2015 - Joel Quenneville

 

Stanley Cup champion captains:

1934 - Chuck Gardiner

1938 - Johnny Gottselig

1961 - Ed Litzenberger

2010 - Jonathan Toews

2013 - Jonathan Toews

2015 - Jonathan Toews

 

Conn Smythe Trophy (most valuable player of Stanley Cup playoffs):                                         

2010 - Jonathan Toews

2013 - Patrick Kane

2015 - Duncan Keith

 

Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL most valuable player):

1946 - Max Bentley

1954 - Al Rollins

1965 - Bobby Hull

1966 - Bobby Hull

1967 - Stan Mikita

1968 - Stan Mikita       

2016 - Patrick Kane

 

Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer):

1943 - Doug Bentley

1946 - Max Bentley

1947 - Max Bentley   

1949 - Roy Conacher

1960 - Bobby Hull

1962 - Bobby Hull

1964 - Stan Mikita

1965 - Stan Mikita

1966 - Bobby Hull

1967 - Stan Mikita

1968 - Stan Mikita

2016 - Patrick Kane

 

James Norris Memorial Trophy (outstanding defenseman):

1963 - Pierre Pilote

1964 - Pierre Pilote

1965 - Pierre Pilote

1982 - Doug Wilson

1993 - Chris Chelios

1996 - Chris Chelios

2010 - Duncan Keith

2014 - Duncan Keith

 

Vezina Trophy (outstanding goaltender):

1932 - Chuck Gardiner

1934 - Chuck Gardiner

1935 - Lorne Chabot

1963 - Glenn Hall

1967 - Glenn Hall, Dennis DeJordy

1970 - Tony Esposito

1972 - Tony Esposito, Gary Smith

1974 - Tony Esposito

1991 - Ed Belfour

1993 - Ed Belfour

 

Frank J. Selke Trophy (outstanding defensive forward):

1986 - Troy Murray

1991 - Dirk Graham

2013 - Jonathan Toews

 

Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year):

1936 - Mike Karakas

1938 - Carl Dahlstrom

1955 - Ed Litzenberger

1960 - Bill Hay

1970 - Tony Esposito

1983 - Steve Larmer

1991 - Ed Belfour

2008 - Patrick Kane

2016 - Artemi Panarin

 

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (most gentlemanly player):

1936 - Elwyn "Doc" Romnes

1943 - Max Bentley

1944 - Clint Smith

1945 - Bill Mosienko

1964 - Ken Wharram

1965 - Bobby Hull

1967 - Stan Mikita

1968 - Stan Mikita

 

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perseverance and sportsmanship):

1970 - Pit Martin

2004 - Bryan Berard

 

Jack Adams Award (coach of the year):

1983 - Orval Tessier

Eagle Lands in Hall of Fame

    

ED BELFOUR

     Between August 7, 1992, and March 23, 1999, the Blackhawks traded four future Hall of Famers, getting practically nothing in return. That is pretty bad, even by the abysmally low standards set by Bill Wirtz and Bob Pulford, who mismanaged the franchise for decades.
     When the Hawks traded backup goalie Dominik Hasek in the summer of 1992, they could be forgiven because starter Ed Belfour was already established as a stalwart, having won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year and the Vezina Trophy as outstanding goalie in 1991, and having led the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992.
     When they dealt center Jeremy Roenick in 1996, Belfour himself in 1997, and defenseman Chris Chelios in 1999, there was no excuse. And they paid the price. After making the playoffs 38 times in 39 seasons from 1959 through 1997, the Hawks missed the playoffs in nine of the next ten years.
     Fortunately, the Blackhawks are under new management now, they captured the Stanley Cup last year, and they are likely to be perennial contenders for the foreseeable future.
     The four future Hall of Famers who were traded in the Hawks’ darker days are all retired now, and each will be entering the Hall in the next few years. Belfour, the first one eligible, was elected two weeks ago. “I didn’t expect it in any way,” Belfour said. “I was just flabbergasted.”
     In addition to winning the Calder Trophy and the Vezina twice, Belfour won the Jennings Trophy for lowest goals-against average four times—three times for the Hawks and once for the Dallas Stars (in 1999, when the Stars won the Stanley Cup). His 953 games between the pipes ranks fourth in league history, and his 484 wins ranks third.
     When his election to the Hall of Fame was announced, “Eddie the Eagle” said something that any Hall of Famer in any sport can well understand: “It is hard to put into words what this means to me.”
     Hasek, Roenick, and Chelios will have the same feeling some day.

The Greatest Blackhawks of All Time

GLENN HALL

     The Hockey News recently revealed its updated lists of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time and the ten greatest players of each franchise. The four greatest Blackhawks, according to The Hockey News list, were Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, and Glenn Hall.
     All of the above were teammates on the 1960-61 team that won the Stanley Cup and was honored at the United Center last week in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the championship. In conjunction with the ceremony, the Hawks' management announced that Hull and Mikita would each be honored with his own statue outside the arena. "I absolutely don't know how to explain the euphoria," Mikita said. "Now I know how Michael [Jordan] feels out there. It will take 100 years just to get the smile off my face."
     "This is likely the greatest tribute I'll ever have paid to me," said Hull.
     Maybe so, but his former teammate Glenn Hall—"Mr. Goalie" to players and fans of those days—came close when he recalled Hull's legendary slap shot. "Please don't tell me how lucky I was I didn't have to look at [Hull] in games," Hall remarked, "because I faced him ten times a week in practice. It wasn't much fun with Bobby."
     In naming Hull as the greatest Blackhawk of them all, The Hockey News ranked him as the greatest left wing in league history to boot. The publication also noted, very aptly, that Mikita should probably be listed as number 1A rather than number 2 among those who have worn the Indian-head sweater.

The Hockey News Ten Greatest Blackhawks:

  1. Bobby Hull, left wing, 1957-1972

  2. Stan Mikita, center, 1959-1980

  3. Pierre Pilote, defenseman, 1955-1968

  4. Glenn Hall, goalie, 1957-1967

  5. Denis Savard, center, 1980-1990, 1995-1997

  6. Tony Esposito, goalie, 1969-1984

  7. Earl Seibert, defenseman, 1936-1945

  8. Chris Chelios, defenseman, 1990-1999

  9. Ed Belfour, goalie, 1988-1997

10. Max Bentley, center, 1940-1947