The first week of May usually means the Kentucky Derby and Stanley Cup Playoffs action. The Chicago Blackhawks made plenty of postseason memories this week, including beating some heated rivals and coming up short on the ultimate goal. The CHGO time machine is warmed up and stocked with snacks, so let’s hop on the ride and enjoy a trip through the decades.
May 4
1923 – Art Michaluk was born in Canmore, AB. The defenseman played five games for the Blackhawks during the 1947-48 season and did not register a point. These were the only five NHL games of his career. He played in the AHL and WHL until retiring in 1958.
1944 – Fred Stanfield was born in Toronto, ON. The Blackhawks signed him at age 16 and signed his brothers Jim and Jack. He had 10 goals and 22 points in 107 games over three seasons. He was part of the 1967 trade that sent Phil Esposito to the Boston Bruins, regarded as the worst trade in team history. Stanfield had 135 goals and 409 points in 448 games with the Bruins and won two Stanley Cups.
1968 – Kevin Todd was born in Winnipeg, MB. The centerman was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for Adam Bennett on Oct. 7, 1993. He had five goals and 11 points in 35 games before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round pick on March 21, 1994.
1971 – Jim Pappin scored early in the second overtime period to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 road win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bobby Hull sent the game into overtime with a power-play goal midway through the third period. Pappin had the primary assist on Hull’s goal.
1973 – John Madden was born in Barrie, ON. After winning two Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils, the 2001 Selke Trophy winner signed with the Blackhawks on July 2, 2009. He had 10 goals and 23 points during the regular season and another goal and assist during the run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship. He signed with the Minnesota Wild the following offseason.
1973 – Matthew Barnaby was born in Ottawa, ON. He signed with the Blackhawks on July 2, 2004. He played in all 82 games of the 2004-05 season and scored eight goals and 28 points. He signed with the Dallas Stars after the year-long owners’ lockout ended in 2006.
1992 – Kyle Baun was born in Toronto, ON. The grandson of Bob Baun, a veteran of nearly 1,000 NHL games, signed with the Blackhawks on March 26, 2015, after completing his college career at Colgate. He appeared in five NHL games over two seasons and did not find the scoresheet. On Oct. 4, 2017, Baun was traded to the Canadiens for Andreas Martinsen.
May 5
1921 – Jim Conacher was born in Motherwell, Scotland. He was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings with Bep Guidolin and Doug McCaig for George Gee and Bud Poile. Conacher scored 49 goals and 120 points in 178 games before being claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers on Oct. 26, 1951.
1960 – Florent Robidoux was born in Treheme, MB. The left wing signed with the Blackhawks on Oct. 20, 1979. He played 52 games over three seasons and scored seven goals and 11 points before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 8, 1985.
1966 – Mike Stapleton was born in Sarnia, ON. The son of long-time Blackhawk Pat Stapleton was drafted in the seventh round (132nd overall) of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He scored nine goals and 30 points in 125 games over five seasons before signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 30, 1992. His career lasted until 2004, with four seasons in Europe after 14 in the NHL. Stapleton has been a scout for the Anaheim Ducks since 2014.
1982 – Pavel Vorobiev was born in Karaganda, USSR. The Blackhawks selected the right wing with the 11th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2003 and played in 57 games over two seasons, scoring 10 goals and 25 points. He returned to Russia in 2006 and played in the KHL until 2009.
2010 – Dustin Byfuglien had a breakout performance with a hat trick to lead the Blackhawks to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. With one goal in each period, Byfuglien scored the first road playoff hat trick since Hull in 1972. Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa had the other two Blackhawks’ goals.
May 6
1917 – Jack Stewart was born in Pilot Mound, MB. After winning two Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, the Hall of Fame defenseman was acquired as part of a nine-player trade on July 13, 1950. He spent his final two seasons in the NHL with Chicago, scoring one goal and six points in 63 games.
1923 – Harry Watson was born in Saskatoon, SK. The Hall of Fame left wing won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings before winning four more with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was traded to the Blackhawks for cash on Dec. 10, 1954. Watson was productive in his three seasons with the team, scoring 36 goals and 85 points in 168 games.
1960 – Keith Brown was born in Corner Brook, NL. The Blackhawks drafted the blueliner seventh overall in 1979. He played 812 games over the next 14 seasons, scoring 64 goals and 330 points. On Sept. 30, 1993, he was traded to the Florida Panthers for Darin Kimble.
1965 – Bob Bassen was born in Calgary, AB. The centerman was acquired with Steve Konroyd from the Islanders for Marc Bergevin and Gary Nylund on Nov. 25, 1988. He had five goals and 18 points in 55 games before the St. Louis Blues claimed him in the NHL Waiver Draft on Oct. 1, 1990.
1971 – The Blackhawks took a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final by beating the Canadiens 5-3. Lou Angotti’s two third-period goals were the difference. He also assisted on earlier goals by Hull and Chico Maki to finish with four points. Pappin scored for the second straight game after netting the overtime winner in Game 1.
1973 – Ken Dryden stopped all 19 shots he faced as the Canadiens beat the Blackhawks 4-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. This was the first of Dryden’s 10 career playoff shutouts, two of which came at the expense of the Blackhawks.
1982 – The Canucks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history by beating the Blackhawks 6-2 in Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Finals. Tom Lysiak and Grant Mulvey scored for the Blackhawks.
1984 – Anton Babckuk was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Blackhawks selected the blueliner 21st overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He played 22 games over two seasons and scored two goals and seven points. On Jan. 20, 2006, he was traded with a fourth-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for Danny Richmond and a fourth-round pick. The pick from the Hurricanes was eventually traded to the Maple Leafs, you used it to take goaltender James Reimer.
1996 – Sergei Krivokrasov scored the biggest goal of his career 46 seconds into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Gary Suter had the lone goal of the opening frame before the Avalanche took a 3-1 lead in the second period. Joe Murphy started the comeback in the final minute of the middle stanza. Jeremy Roenick scored in the third period to tie the game, leading to Krivokrasov’s first career playoff goal in extra time. The victory gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 series lead, but it was their final win of the season.
May 7
1907 – Tom Cook was born in Fort William, ON. The Blackhawks claimed the center from the Tulsa Oilers of the AHA in the Intra-League Draft on May 13, 1929. He spent the next eight seasons in Chicago, scoring 74 goals and 168 points, while being a part of the 1934 Stanley Cup team. He was traded to the Cleveland Barons of the AHL on Jan. 15, 1937.
1947 – Ian McKegney was born in Sarnia, ON. The defenseman played three games for the Blackhawks during the 1876-77 season and had no points with a minus-8 rating.
1985 – The Oilers beat the Blackhawks 7-3 in Game 2 of the Campbell Conference Final, setting an NHL record with their 12th straight playoff win. They were 12-0 to start the 1985 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their record remained until the Penguins won 14 straight playoff games between 1992 and 1993.
1986 – Anton Khudobin was born in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Russia. The veteran goaltender was acquired with a second-round draft pick from the Stars for Max Domi and Dylan Wells for March 2, 2023. He made one start for the Blackhawks and allowed six goals to the Washington Capitals.
1995 – The 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs started with a 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Patrick Poulin, Tony Amonte, and Jeff Shantz scored in the losing effort.
2009 – Andrew Ladd was the hero with an overtime goal to beat the Canucks 2-1 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Martin Havlat with less than three minutes left in regulation before Ladd’s goal evened the series at 2-2.
2010 – Jonathan Toews tied an NHL postseason record by scoring three power-play goals in the Blackhawks’ 7-4 victory against the Canucks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He added two assists to become the first player in franchise history to have a five-point game in the playoffs.
2015 – The Blackhawks completed their sweep of the Wild with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Second Round. Brent Seabrook, Andrew Shaw, Patrick Kane, and Hossa found the back of the net, while Corey Crawford made 34 saves.
May 8
1891 – Herb Gardiner was born in Winnipeg, MB. The Hall of Fame defenseman was loaned to the Blackhawks by the Canadiens to be a player/coach on Aug. 27, 1928. He played four games before being returned on Feb. 12, 1929. He won the Hart Trophy with Montreal in 1927 after allegedly playing every minute of every game at age 35.
1916 – John Mariucci was born in Eveleth, MN. He spent his entire NHL career with the Blackhawks as the defender scored 11 goals and 45 points in 224 games. When his playing days ended, he became the head coach at the University of Minnesota. In 1967, Mariucci was named the assistant general manager of the expansion Minnesota North Stars. He is called the “Godfather of Minnesota Hockey” as he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1985 for all his work growing the game in his home state.
1918 – Cully Simon was born in Brockville, ON. On Jan. 2, 1945, the blueliner was acquired from the Red Wings with Don Grosso and Butch McDonald for Earl Seibert and Fido Purpur. He played 28 games during the 1944-45 season and did not pick up a point.
1932 – Jack Price was born in Goderich, ON. He played 57 games over three seasons, scoring four goals and 10 points. The defenseman was traded to the Maple Leafs for Ray Timgrem on Oct. 4, 1954. Price never played in the NHL again, but his professional career lasted until 1964.
1973 – The Blackhawks and Canadiens played in the highest-scoring Stanley Cup Final game in league history. Even with two Hall of Fame netminders in goal, Dryden and Tony Esposito, the Blackhawks won the wild affair 8-7. Stan Mikita had two goals and four points. Pappin scored twice before Angotti notched the game-winner in the third period. The 15 combined goals remain the most ever scored in a Stanley Cup Final game.
1976 – Casey Hankinson was born in Edina, MN. The Blackhawks drafted the left wing in the eighth round (201st overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He had one assist in 14 games over two seasons before signing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003.
1992 – Ed Belfour recorded his first playoff shutout in a 1-0 win in Game 4 of the Norris Division Finals. Brent Sutter scored at 18:26 of the third period to complete the sweep of Detroit and get the Blackhawks into the Campbell Conference Finals against the Oilers.
1996 – Belfour had another huge game during a losing effort in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He made 54 saves before Joe Sakic scored for the second time at 4:33 of the third overtime to give the Avalanche a 3-2 win. Suter and Shantz scored in regulation for the Blackhawks.
May 9
1969 – Brent Grieve was born in Oshawa, ON. The left wing signed with the Blackhawks on July 7, 1994. He had three goals and 12 points in 53 games before signing with the Kings in 1996.
1971 – The Stanley Cup Final shifted to the Montreal Forum for Game 3 and saw the Canadiens earn a 4-2 victory. The Blackhawks owned a 2-0 lead after the first period thanks to goals from Cliff Koroll and Hull. The Mahovlich brothers took over as they combined for three goals, two from Frank and one from Pete.
1985 – The Blackhawks snapped the Oilers’ league record of 12-straight playoff wins with a 5-2 victory in Game 3 of the Campbell Conference Final. Denis Savard had a goal and two assists as Wayne Gretzky was held off the scoresheet. This was Edmonton’s first postseason loss since the Islanders beat them in Game 2 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Final.
1991 – Calvin de Haan was born in in Carp, ON. He was acquired from the Hurricanes with Aleksi Saarela for Gustav Forsling and Anton Forsberg on June 24, 2019. The veteran defenseman ent three seasons with the Blackhawks, scoring six goals and 24 points. He returned to Carolina on Oct. 1, 2022.
2021 – Alex DeBrincat scored in a 4-2 win over the Stars to become the seventh US-born player in league history to score at least 30 goals in two of his first four seasons. Kane also hit a milestone with his 50th assist, surpassing Phil Housley and Brian Leetch for the most 50-assist seasons by an American at seven.
May 10
1916 – Ab DeMarco was born in North Bay, ON. The defenseman played 20 games over two seasons with the Blackhawks and scored a goal and five assists before being traded to the Providence Reds of the AHL for cash on May 14, 1940.
1925 – Pete Babando was born in Braeburn, PA. He was traded to the Blackhawks a few weeks after he scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Red Wings as part of a nine-player deal on July 13, 1950. The left wing scored 34 goals and 72 points in 148 before he was dealt to the Rangers for cash on Jan. 9, 1953.
1961 – Randy Cunneyworth was born in Etobicoke, ON. The veteran left wing was acquired from the Whalers with Gary Suter and a third-round pick for Frantisek Kucera and Jocelyn Lemieux on March 11, 1994. He had four goals and seven points in 16 games before signing with the Ottawa Senators the following offseason.
1973 – Pit Martin’s hat trick was not enough as the Canadiens won another championship by beating the Blackhawks 6-4 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Chicago held a two-lead after the opening frame, but Yvan Cournoyer scored the Cup-clinching goal for Montreal eight minutes into the final period.
1989 – The Blackhawks’ season ended with a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames in Game 5 of the Campbell Conference Finals. Mike Hudson’s second-period power-play goal was the lone tally for Chicago. Joe Nieuwendyk was the hero for the Flames with two goals. Calgary went on to win the Stanley Cup by beating the Canadiens in six games.
2021 – The Blackhawks wrapped up the strange 2020-21 season with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Stars. DeBrincat found the back of the net again to become the first player to score a goal in each of his team’s final seven regular-season games since John Anderson did it for Toronto at the end of the 1984-85 season.
