1926–27 Chicago Black Hawks season



The 1926–27 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 1st season. Chicago was awarded an NHL franchise. The Hawks were founded by coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin, and most of the teams players came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Canada Hockey League, which had folded the previous season.

McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. This division was nicknamed the "Black Hawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois. McLaughlin evidently named the team in honor of the military unit, and his wife, Irene Castle, designed the teams logo.

Regular Season
The Hawks would play their first ever game on November 17, 1926 at the Chicago Coliseum, defeating the Toronto St. Pats by a 4–1 score. The Black Hawks would lead the league in goals scored with 115, however they would also allow a league high 116 goals, en route to a 19–22–3 record, good for 3rd place in the American Division.

Babe Dye would lead the team with 25 goals, while Dick Irvin would have a club best 36 points, and finish 2nd in the NHL scoring race by a single point to Bill Cook of the New York Rangers. Percy Traub would lead the Black Hawks with 93 penalty minutes.

Playoffs
Chicago would earn a spot in the playoffs and face the Boston Bruins in a 2 game total goal series. The Bruins would win the opening game by a 6–1 score, while the teams would play to a 4–4 draw in the 2nd game, giving the Bruins the series win with a 10–5 total score, and ending the Black Hawks first season.

Regular Season

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Playoffs

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals

MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; SO = Shutouts

Awards and Records

 * The Black Hawks did not win any awards this season.