This wasn’t the most eventful week in Chicago Blackhawks team history, but there are still plenty of all-time greats who made their mark. We have the CHGO time machine fired up and ready to go, so let’s strap in for our weekly trip through the years.
Feb. 9
1973 – Dennis Hull scored twice to give him 200 NHL goals as the Blackhawks beat the Atlanta Flames 4-3. Overshadowed by his older brother Bobby, Hull scored 303 and 654 points during his 13-season career. All but 55 of “The Silver Jet’s” 904 games were played with the Blackhawks before spending one final season with the Detroit Red Wings.
1995 – Goaltender Ed Belfour, appearing in his 300th NHL game, recorded his 26th career shutout and third shutout in four starts as the Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 5-0.
Feb. 10
1924 – Bud Poile was born in Fort William, ON. The right wing was part of the return from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Max Bentley on Nov. 2, 1947. He had 23 goals and 52 points in 58 games before he was traded with George Gee to the Red Wings for Jim Conacher, Bep Guidolin, and Doug McCaig. Poile was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder for being the architect of the “Broad Street Bullies” version of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s. His son David is the long-time general manager of the Nashville Predators.
1958 – Rick Paterson was born in Kingston, ON. The Blackhawks drafted him in the third round (46th overall) of the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. He played 430 games, scoring 50 goals and 93 points before retiring in 1987.
1961 – Steve Konroyd was born in Scarborough, ON. The defenseman was acquired with Bob Bassen from the New York Islanders for Marc Bergevin and Gary Nylund on Nov. 25, 1988. He had 10 goals and 57 points in 251 games before being traded to the Hartford Whalers for Rob Brown on Jan. 24, 1992.
Feb. 11
1967 – The Blackhawks extended their undefeated streak to 13 straight games (10-0-3) in a 4-4 tie with the Maple Leafs. Bobby Hull was the offensive hero with his 19th career hat-trick.
1974 – Jaroslav Spacek was born in Rokycany, Czechoslovakia. The Blackhawks acquired him for Anders Eriksson in a swap of defensemen with the Florida Panthers on Nov. 6, 2000. He had eight goals and 36 points in 110 games during his first stint with the team. On March 19, 2002, he was traded with a second-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Lyle Odelein. He returned to Chicago as a free agent in 2005. Spacek had seven goals and 24 points in 45 games before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Tony Salmelainen on Jan. 26, 2006. He was a pivotal contributor to the Oilers’ Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final as an eighth seed that spring.
Feb. 12
1943 – Wayne Smith was born in Kamsack, SK. The defenseman appeared in two games during the 1966-67 season and had a goal and an assist. These were the only two NHL games he played in. He retired in 1968 to pursue a career in business that eventually led to an executive role with the Walt Disney Company.
1964 – Bill Hay scored twice, and Eric Nesterenko added his 150th career goal in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers.
1969 – Brad Werenka was born in Two Hills, AB. The blueliner signed with the Blackhawks on July 20, 1995. He spent much of his two seasons with the organization in the IHL with the Indianapolis Ice but did have nine games for the Blackhawks before signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1997.
1975 – Tony Esposito became the 17th goaltender to record 200 NHL victories when Blackhawks rolled over the visiting Boston Bruins 8-3. Jim Pappin scored his sixth career hat-trick, while Ivan Boldirev had a goal and three assists.
1976 – Curtis Brown was born in Unity, SK. The veteran forward signed with the Blackhawks on July 2, 2004. Due to the lockout, he did not play for the team until the start of the 2005-06 season. He had five goals and 15 points in 71 games. Even though he signed a four-year deal in Chicago, his contract was bought out after one season. He was the first NHL player to have his contract bought out under the new CBA rules. Brown signed with the San Jose Sharks in July of 2006 and currently serves as a pregame and postgame analyst on their broadcast team.
1977 – Dick Redmond became the first defenseman in Blackhawks history to score a hat-trick in a 4-2 road win at the Colorado Rockies.
1978 – Rémi Royer was born in Donnacona, QC. The Blackhawks selected him in the second round (31st overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. The defenseman had no points in 18 games during the 1998-99 season. On July 20, 2000, he was traded to the Washington Capitals for Nolan Baumgartner but never played in the NHL again.
1988 – Denis Savard scored a goal and tacked on three assists to give him 100 points on the season in a 4-3 win against the Blues. This was the fifth and final 100-point season of his Hall of Fame career.
Feb. 13
1896 – Cecil Browne was born in St. James, MB. He was acquired from the Winnipeg Maroons of the American Hockey Association (AHA). He had two goals in 13 games for the Blackhawks during the 1927-28 season.
1968 – Everett Sanipass was born in Big Cove, NB. The Blackhawks drafted the left win with the 14th overall pick of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He was the first indigenous player from New Brunswick to be drafted into the NHL. He had 17 goals and 43 points in 126 games over four seasons. On March 5, 1990, Sanipass was traded with Mario Doyon and Dan Vincelette to the Quebec Nordiques for Michel Goulet, Greg Millen, and a sixth-round pick.
1974 – Sylvain Cloutier was born in Mount-Laurier, QC. The center signed with the Blackhawks on Aug. 7, 1998. He played seven scoreless games for the Blackhawks before the Atlanta Thrashers selected him at the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft. Sylvain’s brother Dan, a goaltender, played 351 games over 10 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings.
1992 – Steve Larmer appeared in his 777th straight game with the Blackhawks, a 2-2 tie with the Kings. He broke the league record for consecutive games with the same team set by Craig Ramsay that ended nine years and one day earlier.
1999 – The Blackhawks spoiled the final game at Maple Leaf Gardens by beating Toronto 6-2. Former Maple Leaf great Doug Gilmour scored the game-winning goal. Bob Probert scored the final goal in the historic arena. Current Blackhawks assistant coach Derek King had the final Maple Leaf goal.
Ironically, the Blackhawks opened Maple Leaf Garden on Nov. 12, 1931, with a win.
Feb. 14
1906 – Gerry Lowery was born in Ottawa, ON. The Blackhawks selected the left wing in a dispersal draft following the Philadelphia Quakers’ announcement that they would not field a team for the 1931-32 season. He had eight goals and 11 points in 48 games before he was traded to the St. Paul Greyhounds of the AHA for Lou Holmes.
1935 – Howie Glover was born in Toronto, ON. The right wing had one assist in 13 games during the 1958-59 season. On June 5, 1960, he was traded to the Red Wings for Jim Morrison (not THAT Jim Morrison).
1989 – Jeremy Roenick scored the first goal of his NHL career in a 4-2 Blackhawks’ win at the Minnesota North Stars. This was the first of 513 career goals, the first 267 of which were scored in Chicago.
1992 – Petr Mrazek was born in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. The Blackhawks acquired the netminder and a first-round pick, used on Sam Rinzel, for a second-round pick on July 7, 2022. He is 5-13-2 with a 3.99 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%) in his first season in Chicago.
1995 – John Hayden was born in Chicago, IL. His hometown team drafted him in the third round (74th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 113 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks and scored eight goals and 22 points. On June 22, 2019, Hayden was traded to the New Jersey Devils for John Quenneville.
Feb. 15
1945 – The opening faceoff between the Blackhawks and Rangers at Chicago Stadium was delayed until 10:50 pm because New York’s train from Detroit was over two hours late. The Rangers scored a 6-2 win in a penalty-free contest.
1953 – Gordie Howe lit the lamp twice to become the youngest player in NHL history to score 200 career goals in a 4-2 Red Wings win in Chicago.
1955 – Terry Sawchuk became the first goaltender in NHL history to win at least 30 games in five straight seasons by leading the Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks at the Olympia.
1958 – Tony McKegney was born in Montreal, QC. He was acquired from the Nordiques for Jacques Cloutier on Jan. 29, 1991. He played the final nine games of his 13-season NHL career with the Blackhawks and had one assist.
1974 – Martin Gendron was born in Valleyfield, QC. The right wing landed in Chicago via the Capitals for a fifth-round pick on Oct. 10, 1997. He had no points in two games before he was traded to the Canadiens for David Ling on March 14, 1998.
