This Week in Chicago Blackhawks History: Stanley Cup Playoff highs & lows, Jonathan Toews born

It’s time to look back on another eventful week in the storied history of the Chicago Blackhawks. This week we experienced the highs and lows of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and celebrated the birth of several popular players, including the greatest captain to ever wear the C in the Windy City. The CHGO time machine has a full gas tank, so let’s hop on the ride and enjoy decades’ worth of memories.  

April 27

1947 – Keith Magnuson was born in Saskatoon, SK. The rugged and popular defenseman spent his entire career with the Blackhawks. He had 14 goals, 139 points, and 1,440 penalty minutes in 589 games over 11 seasons. He led the NHL in penalty minutes in his first two seasons. Magnuson served as captain from 1976 until he retired in 1979. He went from the ice to the bench as an assistant coach when his playing days ended. He was promoted to head coach for the 1980-81 season and went 49-57-26 before he was relieved of his duties 52 games into the 1981-82 season. Magunson was killed in an auto accident on Dec. 15, 2003. His friend and longtime NHL defenseman Rob Ramage was behind the wheel and eventually served time in prison for driving impaired. The Blackhawks retired the No. 3 in honor of Magnuson and Pierre Pilote on Nov. 12, 2008.

25 IN 25: Remembering the day the No. 3 sweater was raised to the rafters in honor of both Pierre Pilote and the late Keith Magnuson.#Blackhawks https://t.co/b2guHobRXW

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 17, 2020

1957 – Murray Bannerman was born in Fort Frances, ON. The goaltender was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for Pit Martin on May 27, 1978. Over seven seasons with the Blackhawks, he went 116-125-33 with a 3.84 goals-against average (GAA), .880 save percentage (SV%), and eight shutouts. He will always be remembered for the famous “BANNERMAN!!” call play-by-play announcer Pat Foley made after a big save during the early 80s.

1962 – Bob McGill was born in Edmonton, AB. The defenseman was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs with Steve Thomas and Rick Vaive for Eddie Olczyk and Al Secord on Sept. 3, 1987. He played 281 games over four seasons and scored four goals and 29 points before the San Jose Sharks took him in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft.

1971 – Bobby Hull scored the only overtime playoff goal of his Hall of Fame career to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. 

1979 – Mike Brown was born in Surrey, BC. The left wing signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Norfolk Admirals on Dec. 6, 2004, eventually leading to a deal with the Blackhawks. He had an assist in two games during the 2005-06 season.

1999 – Jaxson Stauber was born in Wayzata, MN. He signed with the Blackhawks out of Providence College in 2022. A slew of injuries during the 2022-23 season led to the goaltender making his NHL debut much sooner than anticipated. He went 5-1-0 with a 2.81 GAA and .911 SV% in his six games with Chicago.

2009 – The Blackhawks dispatched the Calgary Flames with a 4-1 win in Game 6 in the Western Conference Quarterfinals for their first playoff series win since 1996. Patrick Kane and Adam Burish scored in the first period before Brian Campbell added a power-play goal in the middle frame. Dustin Byfuglien capped off his three-point night with a late empty-net goal.

2014 – Jonathan Toews scored the series-clinching goal early in the third period to help the Blackhawks win a 5-1 over the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of their First Round series. Bryan Bickell, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw, and Duncan Keith also scored as the Blackhawks advanced to the next round to take on the Minnesota Wild.

April 28

1920 – Hank Blade was born in Peterborough, ON. The left wing played 24 games over two seasons with the Blackhawks and scored two goals and five points.

1942 – Howie Menard was born in Timmins, ON. The Blackhawks claimed the center from the Los Angeles Kings in the 1969 NHL Intra-League Draft. He had two goals and five points in 19 games before being traded to the Oakland Seals for Gene Ubriaco on Dec. 15, 1969.

1968: The Blackhawks’ season ended when rookie Jacques Lemaire scored in overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a series-clinching 4-3 win in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. Bobby Schmautz, Stan Mikita, and Wayne Maki scored in regulation, but it wasn’t enough as the Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth straight season.

1992 – The Blackhawks ended another NHL season in St. Louis with a 2-1 win over the Blues in Game 6 of the Norris Division Semifinals. Jeremy Roenick was the hero with both goals, as Ed Belfour made 38 saves to advance to the next round.

1994 – The Maple Leafs beat the Blackhawks 1-0 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the last NHL game played at Chicago Stadium. Hall of Famer Mike Gartner had the only goal, the final one scored in the Madhouse on Madison.

1995 – Kevin Lankinen was born in Helsinki, Finland. The undrafted netminder signed with the Blackhawks on May 21, 2018. After two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs, in made his NHL debut in 2020. In two seasons, Lankinen went 25-29-11 with a 3.23 GAA, .901 SV%, and two shutouts before signing with the Nashville Predators in 2022.

April 29

1914 – Reg Hamilton was born in Toronto, ON. After a decade and two Stanley Cups with his hometown Maple Leafs, he was traded to the Blackhawks for cash on July 9, 1945. The defender played 58 games over the next two seasons and scored a goal and 11 points.

1915 – Wilf Field was born in Winnipeg, MB. The Canadiens loaned the blueliner to the Blackhawks on Dec. 7, 1944. He finished out the season in Chicago and scored three goals and seven points in 37 games.

1965 – Elmer “Moose” Vasko scored his second career playoff goal, and Doug Mohns had a goal and an assist in the third period to lead the Blackhawks to a 2-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. This forced a seventh and final game back in Montreal.

1971 – The Blackhawks beat the Rangers 4-2 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. Jim Pappin and Cliff Koroll scored power-play goals before Hull and Chico Maki put the game out of reach in the third period. Hull added two assists to finish with three points as the Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final against the Canadiens.  

1973 – Defenseman Pat Stapleton set a team record by assisting on all three of the Blackhawks’ first-period goals in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, they needed more than three assists as the Canadiens won 8-3.

1988 – Toews was born in Winnipeg, MB. He was drafted third overall out of the University of North Dakota in 2006. In 2008, he was named the youngest captain in team history and wore the “C” on his sweater until his final game with the team this past April, making him the longest-serving captain this storied franchise has ever had.

Toews finished his Blackhawks career with 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 games. He won the Selke Trophy for being the league’s best defensive forward in 2013. In the postseason, he had 45 goals and 119 points in 137 games and accepted the Stanley Cup from Gary Bettman three times. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player of the 2010 playoffs. When his playing career ends, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and have his No. 19 raised to the rafters at the United Center.

April 30

1945 – The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its first-ever induction class on April 30, 1945. The inaugural group of players and builders were Hobey Baker, Chuck Gardiner, Eddie Gerard, Frank McGee, Howie Morenz, Tommy Phillips, Harvey Pulford, Hod Stuart, Georges Vezina, and Lord Stanley of Preston. Gardiner spent his entire career between the pipes for the Blackhawks, going 112-151-52 with a 2.02 GAA and 42 shutouts. His final season in the NHL ended with the 1934 Stanley Cup championship. Morenz is best remembered for his time with the Canadiens, but he played parts of two seasons in Chicago at the tail of his career, scoring 12 goals and 48 points in 72 games.

1957 – Miles Zaharko was born in Mannville, AB. The blueliner was acquired from the Atlanta Flames in an eight-player trade that included Tom Lysiak on March 13, 1979. He played 58 games for the Blackhawks over three seasons, scoring four goals and 17 points.

1963 – Steve Smith was born in Glasgow, Scotland. After seven seasons, three Stanley Cups, and one infamous own goal with the Edmonton Oilers, he was traded to Chicago for Dave Manson and a third-round pick used to select Kirk Maltby. Smith became a staple on the Blackhawks’ blue line over six seasons. He scored 25 goals and 136 points, had a plus-52 rating, and racked up 920 penalty minutes in 317 games before signing with the Flames in 1998.

1974 – The Boston Bruins ended the Blackhawks season with a 4-2 win in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. Stan Mikita assisted on the goal from Cliff Koroll and Len Frig, but it wasn’t enough as the Bruins advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.

1983 – Aaron Johnson was born in Port Hawkesbury, NS. He signed with the Blackhawks on July 15, 2008. The defenseman played 38 games in Chicago and scored three goals and eight points before being traded to the Flames for Kyle Greentree on Oct. 7, 2009.

1985 – Darryl Sutter scored in overtime to eliminate the Minnesota North Stars in Game 6 of the Norris Division Finals. Sutter also had a goal in regulation of the 6-5 win. Steve Larmer, Tom Lysiak, and Curt Fraser also lit the lamp before Troy Murray tied the game with less than five minutes to play. Future Blackhawks head coach Craig Hartsburg scored for the North Stars.

1988 – Spencer Abbott was born in Hamilton, ON. The Maple Leafs traded the left wing for T.J. Brennan on Feb. 26, 2015. After spending a season in Sweden, he returned to the organization for the 2016-17 season. He spent nearly all his time with the IceHogs and played in one game with the Blackhawks before he was traded with Sam Carrick to the Anaheim Ducks for Kenton Helgesen and a seventh-round pick.

1990 – The Blackhawks turned Game 7 of the Norris Division Finals into a laugher by rolling over the Blues 8-2. Roenick scored twice in the first period before they built a 5-0 lead with second-period goals from Larmer, Denis Savard, and Dave Manson. Greg Gilbert, Adam Creighton, and Duane Sutter capped off the scoring with tallies in the final frame.

1995 – Playing in just his second game, Eric Daze scored his first NHL goal as the Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-0. Joe Murphy, Gary Suter, and Patrick Poulin all scored, while Ed Belfour made 27 saves to record his league-leading fifth shutout of the season and 28th of his career.

2013 – The Blackhawks began their run to the Stanley Cup by beating the Wild 2-1 in overtime in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Marian Hossa’s second-period power-play goal was the home team’s lone goal of regulation. Bryan Bickell kicked off his memorable postseason by scoring at 16:35 of overtime to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 series lead.

May 1

1929 – Sid Finney was born in Banbridge, Ireland. The centerman was acquired from the Calgary Stampeders of the PCHL for Ernie Dickens on Oct. 1, 1951. He had 10 goals and 17 points in 59 games over three seasons. On June 3, 1958, the Hershey Bears of the AHL claimed him off waivers.

1933 – Frank Martin was born in Cayuga, ON. The blueliner was traded to Chicago by the Bruins for Murray Costello on Oct. 4, 1954. He had eight goals and 35 points in 200 games over the next four seasons. He was traded with Wally Hergesheimer to the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL for Kenny Wharram on May 5, 1958. Wharram played 766 games for the Blackhawks and scored 252 goals and 533 points.

1965 – The Canadiens beat the Blackhawks 4-0 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The legendary Jean Beliveau set the tone by scoring just 14 seconds into the game, the fastest Cup-winning goal in playoff history. Gump Worsley made 20 saves to become just the second goaltender in NHL history to earn a shutout in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. After the game, Beliveau was given the first-ever Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player of the 1965 postseason. The Blackhawks won all three games at the Chicago Stadium but were dominated in Montreal. They lost all four games at the Forum, getting outscored 15-2 and shutout three straight times.

1969 – Bryan Marchment was born in Scarborough, ON. He was traded by the Winnipeg Jets with Chris Norton for Murray and Warren Rychel on July 22, 1991. The blueliner had 11 goals and 40 points in 149 games for the Blackhawks. On Nov. 2, 1993, he was traded with Larmer to the Hartford Whalers for Poulin and Eric Weinrich. The veteran of 17 NHL seasons died suddenly at the age of 53 on July 6, 2002, while working for the Sharks at the NHL Draft. His son Mason currently plays for the Dallas Stars.

May 2

1952 – Dave Hutchison was born in London, ON. The Blackhawks acquired the defenseman from the Maple Leafs for Pat Ribble on Jan. 10, 1980. During his three seasons in Chicago, he had seven goals and 29 points in 163 games. Hutchinson was traded with Ted Bulley to the Washington Capitals for a fifth and sixth-round pick on Aug. 24, 1982.

1971 – The Blackhawks beat the Rangers 4-2 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinal. Hull had two assists before scoring the game-winning goal as the Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1965.

1980 – Brad Richards was born in Murray Harbour, PEI. The veteran center signed with the Blackhawks on July 1, 2014. He had 12 goals and 37 points in his lone season in Chicago. During the playoffs, he scored another three goals and 14 points as he hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup for the second time in his career.

1992 – Brett Connolly was born in Campbell River, BC. He was initially drafted sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010. The Florida Panthers traded him to Chicago with Henrik Borgstrom, Riley Stillman, and a seventh-round pick for Lucas Carlsson and Lucas Wallmark. That draft pick eventually turned into Jalen Luypen. Connolly spent most of his time with the organization in the AHL. He did play 19 games with the Blackhawks, scoring a goal and three points. The final two years of his contract were bought out on July 11, 2022, as was the last year of Borgstrom’s contract.

1996 – Roenick scored a power-play goal in overtime to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-2 win at the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Enrico Ciccone and Murray Craven had the goals in regulation. This was the first of four overtime games during this memorable six-game series.

2009 – Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland scored two goals to beat the Canucks 6-3 and even their Western Conference Semifinals series at 1-1. In addition to the nine goals, this game saw 102 total penalty minutes dished out, with 62 coming in the third period. Nikolai Khabibulin made 18 saves to earn the win.

May 3

1914 – Reg Bentley was born in Delisle, SK. With NHL rosters decimated because of World War II, Doug, and Max Bentley convinced the Blackhawks to sign their brother Reg. On Jan 1, 1943, the Bentleys became the first set of three brothers to play on the same line. While Doug and Max were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Reg’s NHL career consisted of one goal and three points in 11 games during the 1942-43 season. He played in various minor leagues until 1952.

#OTD in 1943, #Blackhawks Doug & Max Bentley assisted their brother Reg for the only goal of his career. That's three points given to the same family on a goal, an NHL first. pic.twitter.com/lrXZlBbDh9

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 3, 2019

1925 – Jack Jackson was born in Windsor, ON. The defenseman played 48 games for the Blackhawks during the 1946-47 season, scoring two goals and seven points. This was his only stint in the NHL, but he played professionally until 1952.

1983 – Brad Mills was born in Terrance, BC. The centerman played three games for the Blackhawks during the 2013-14 season. His only career NHL goal was scored against Marty Turco and the Blackhawks on Nov. 3, 2010, while he was a member of the New Jersey Devils.

1983 – The Oilers beat the Blackhawks 6-3 to complete their four-game sweep of the Campbell Conference Finals. Darryl Sutter, Larmer, and Fraser scored for the Blackhawks, while Wayne Gretzky had a goal and two assists. Edmonton outscored the Blackhawks 22-12 in the four games. They were swept by the New York Islanders, who won their fourth straight Stanley Cup.

2001 – Brian Sutter was named the 34th head coach in team history. Before landing in Chicago, Sutter was behind the bench for the Blues, Bruins, and Flames. He went 91-103-37 in his three seasons for the Blackhawks.