Pete Muldoon Pete Muldoon ( 1881 – March 6 , 1929 ) , born Linton Muldoon Tracy , was a Canadian player in the western United States , particularly known for bringing a Stanley Cup championship to Seattle , Washington . He is known best for reportedly putting a curse on the Chicago Black Hawks , as well as team owner Major Frederic McLaughlin , after Muldoon was fired at the end of the 1927 season ; however , it has been alleged that a Toronto sportswriter had come up with the " curse " due to a bout of writer ' s block in 1943 . Muldoon was the Black Hawks ' first head coach . Early life . Muldoon was born in St . Marys , Ontario , as Linton Muldoon Tracy . He played hockey in the OHA in the 1900s before moving to the Pacific coast in order to pursue a career as a boxer . He changed his name to Pete Muldoon during his boxing career . Muldoon won regional titles in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions while boxing . Ice hockey career . Muldoon was accomplished at other sports , including lacrosse . He played professionally for a Vancouver club in 1911 . He was also an ice dancer who was able to skate , as well as play hockey , while on stilts . In 1914 , he took over as the coach and manager of the Portland Rosebuds . Muldoon led them to the PCHA championship , making Portland the first team from the United States to compete for the Stanley Cup . For the 1915 season , Muldoon changed teams , and went to Seattle to manage a new team in the PCHA , the Metropolitans . Muldoon spent eight seasons coaching in Seattle , and amassed a record of 115 wins , 105 losses , and four ties . The Metropolitans competed for the Stanley Cup . The Mets played for the Stanley Cup three times under his leadership , and winning it once in 1917 during their first trip . In 1919 , the Metropolitans made for the second time , but the series against the Montreal Canadiens was cancelled after 4 games due to a flu epidemic . Seattle lost in the Stanley Cup finals in the next year . The Seattle Metropolitans ceased operations in the spring of 1924 . Muldoon returned to Portland , and moved on to the Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL in 1926 . In Chicago , Muldoon was appointed the first head coach of the new team . He was fired at the end of the season , in the spring of 1927 , as the team owner was not satisfied with the team ' s third - place finish , as they finished with a 19 – 22 – 3 record , for a . 466 winning percentage over 44 games . After spending a year in Chicago , Muldoon returned to Seattle . He became involved in efforts to bring a professional team back to Seattle , as a new arena was constructed in 1928 . Muldoon , with the help of a group of investors , established the Seattle Ice Skating and Hockey Association , while aiding to establish the PCHL . This new league had its first season in 1928 , and the Seattle team was dubbed the Eskimos . Curse of Muldoon . Muldoon was highly upset about being fired after only one season by owner Frederic McLaughlin . Muldoon was fired because Chicago had finished third in its division during the 1926 – 27 season , but McLaughlin felt the team should have finished first . Muldoon was then reported to have placed an Irish curse on the Hawks that would keep them out of 1st place forever . It is unknown if this actually happened , as it has been alleged that it was a hoax by a Toronto sportwriter . Death . In the spring of 1929 , Muldoon went to Tacoma with co - owner and local boxing promoter Nate Druxman to search for a location to build a new rink in order to establish a team . While in Tacoma , on March 6 , 1929 , Muldoon died due to a heart attack . Without their coach , the Seattle Eskimos were able to win a playoff series against Portland , before losing to Vancouver in the league finals . The following season the Eskimos established the Pete Muldoon Trophy , presented to the player " deemed most inspirational by his teammates " . It was awarded for a few seasons , and disappeared from records during the Great Depression years .