1926–27 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1926-27 Chicago Black Hawks was the first season for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks were founded by coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin.

Most of the players from the team came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Canada Hockey League (which folded the previous season).

Frederic McLaughlin was 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).

He evidently named the team in honor of the military unit and his wife, Irene Castle designed the team's logo.

Regular Season
The Black 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. They 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 which gave the Bruins the series win with a 10–5 total score, ending the Black Hawks' first season.