1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 12th season in the NHL. In the off-season, the team replaced coach Clem Loughlin with Bill Stewart. The Black Hawks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1938 Stanley Cup Finals 3 games to 1 to win their second Stanley Cup.
==Regular Season==
After adding colour to the primary logo for the 1935-36 season, the background in the center of the roundel was changed from black to white. This logo was used for the next three seasons.
The Black Hawks would struggle again in 1937–38, finishing with 37 points with a 14–25–9 record, but managed to earn a playoff spot by finishing 2 points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings and clinch 3rd place in the American Division. They would score an NHL low 97 goals, while giving up the 2nd most goals in the league at 139. The Hawks were a .500 team at home with a 10–10–4 record, but would only have a record of 4–15–5 on the road.
Paul Thompson led the Hawks offensively, setting a club record with 44 points, along with a club high 22 goals, and tying Doc Romnes for the team lead with 22 assists. Johnny Gottselig had another solid season, earning 32 points, tying Romnes for 2nd on the team scoring list. Earl Siebert would lead the defense with 21 points, and had a club high 38 penalty minutes.
In goal, Mike Karakas won 14 games, earn a shutout and post a 2.80 GAA.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	November 4 	New York Americans 	3–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–1–0 	0
2 	November 9 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Montreal Canadiens 	0–1–1 	1
3 	November 11	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1 	New York Rangers 	1–1–1 	3
4 	November 13	Chicago Black Hawks	3–7 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–2–1 	3
5 	November 14	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–2–2 	4
6 	November 18	Detroit Red Wings 	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2–2 	6
7 	November 21	Boston Bruins 	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3–2 	6
8 	November 25	Chicago Black Hawks	1–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	2–4–2 	6
9 	November 27	Chicago Black Hawks	0–4 	New York Americans 	2–5–2 	6
10	November 30	Chicago Black Hawks	0–1 	Montreal Maroons 	2–6–2 	6
11	December 2 	New York Rangers 	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–6–2 	8
12	December 5 	Montreal Canadiens 	3–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–7–2 	8
13	December 12	Montreal Maroons 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–7–2 	10
14	December 16	Detroit Red Wings 	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–7–2 	12
15	December 19	New York Americans 	1–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–8–2 	12
16	December 21	Chicago Black Hawks	1–2 	Boston Bruins 	5–9–2 	12
17	December 26	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1 	New York Rangers 	6–9–2 	14
18	December 30	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	6–9–3 	15
19	January 2 	Montreal Canadiens 	4–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–10–3 	15
20	January 6 	New York Rangers 	4–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–11–3 	15
21	January 9 	Montreal Maroons 	0–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	7–11–3 	17
22	January 11 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1 	New York Americans 	7–11–4 	18
23	January 13 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Montreal Canadiens 	7–11–5 	19
24	January 15 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs	7–11–6 	20
25	January 16 	Toronto Maple Leafs	7–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	7–12–6 	20
26	January 18 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Boston Bruins 	7–13–6 	20
27	January 20 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	7–14–6 	20
28	January 23 	Boston Bruins 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–14–6 	22
29	January 27 	Detroit Red Wings 	3–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–14–6 	24
30	January 30 	New York Rangers 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–14–7 	25
31	February 1 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–6 	New York Rangers 	9–15–7 	25
32	February 3 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	Montreal Maroons 	9–16–7 	25
33	February 6 	Boston Bruins 	7–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–17–7 	25
34	February 8 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	Boston Bruins 	9–18–7 	25
35	February 10	Chicago Black Hawks	1–2 	Montreal Maroons 	9–19–7 	25
36	February 12	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1 	Toronto Maple Leafs	10–19–7	27
37	February 13	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–19–8	28
38	February 17	New York Americans 	3–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–19–9	29
39	February 20	Detroit Red Wings 	1–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–20–9	29
40	February 22	Chicago Black Hawks	6–5 	Montreal Maroons 	11–20–9	31
41	February 24	Chicago Black Hawks	3–6 	New York Rangers 	11–21–9	31
42	February 27	New York Rangers 	4–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	11–22–9	31
43	March 3 	Boston Bruins 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	12–22–9	33
44	March 6 	Montreal Maroons 	1–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	13–22–9	35
45	March 10 	Montreal Canadiens 	1–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–22–9	37
46	March 13 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Detroit Red Wings 	14–23–9	37
47	March 15 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–2 	New York Americans 	14–24–9	37
48	March 20 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–6 	Boston Bruins 	14–25–9	37
==Playoffs==
In the playoffs, the Black Hawks would face the Montreal Canadiens in the 1st round in a best of 3 series, and the underdog Hawks would surprise Montreal, winning the series in 3 games, clinching the series with a 3–2 OT victory at the Montreal Forum on a goal by Paul Thompson. Next up would be the New York Americans, who finished 2nd in the Canadian Division, and had 12 more points than the Hawks in the regular season, in a best of 3 series. After dropping the opening game, the Black Hawks won Game 2 by 1-0 in double overtime on a goal by Cully Dahlstrom and took the series by winning Game 3 by 3-1 to advance to the 1938 Stanley Cup Finals.
=== Chicago Black Hawks 2, Montreal Canadiens 1 ===
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Record
1	March 22	Chicago Black Hawks	4–6 	Montreal Canadiens 	0–1
2	March 24	Montreal Canadiens 	0–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1
3	March 26	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 (OT)	Montreal Canadiens 	2–1
=== Chicago Black Hawks 2, New York Americans 1 ===
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Record
1	March 29	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	New York Americans 	0–1
2	March 31	New York Americans 	0–1 (2OT)	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1
3	April 3 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1 	New York Americans 	2–1
=== Chicago Black Hawks 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 ===
The Black Hawks opponent would be the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had just swept the best team in the regular season, the Boston Bruins, in a best of 5 series.
Due to a broken toe suffered by goaltender Mike Karakas in the Semi-finals, the Black Hawks got permission from the Maple Leafs to use goaltender Alfie Moore in Game 1. Moore spent the season with the Maple Leafs farm team the Pittsburgh Hornets of the IAHL. He responded by helping the Black Hawks win the game 3–1. 
Moore was declared ineligible by NHL President Frank Calder for Game 2 and as Karakas was still unavailable, Chicago called up Paul Goodman from the Wichita Skyhawks of the AHA. The Maple Leafs would even up the series with a 5–1 victory. The Black Hawks would get Karakas back into the lineup for Game 3 (wearing a steel-toed skate to protect his broken toe), and he helped the Hawks to a 2–1 victory. 
Chicago wrapped up the series in Game 4, winning by a score of 4–1 to earn its 2nd Stanley Cup in team history, shocking the hockey world. So improbable was the Black Hawks' victory that NHL President Frank Calder didn't arrange for the Stanley Cup to be sent to Chicago for Game 4, having it remain in Toronto, resulting in no presentation ceremony after Chicago's win.
The Black Hawks set a record with eight Americans on their roster and also set a record for attendance with 18,497 in Game 4. It was the last time that a Chicago team would win a championship at Chicago Stadium until the Chicago Bulls won their second straight NBA championship in 1992.
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record
1	April 5 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–0
2	April 7 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–1
3	April 10	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1
4	April 12	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1
==Player Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Paul Thompson 	48	22	22	44 	14
Johnny Gottselig	48	13	19	32 	22
Doc Romnes 	44	10	22	32 	4
Mush March 	42	11	17	28 	16
Louis Trudel 	42	6 	16	22 	15
=== Goaltending ===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T	GA 	SO	GAA
Mike Karakas	48	2980	14	25	9	139	1 	2.80
==Playoff Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Johnny Gottselig	10	5	3	8 	4
Earl Siebert 	10	5	2	7 	12
Paul Thompson 	10	4	3	7 	6
Mush March 	9 	2	4	6 	0
Doc Romnes 	10	2	4	6 	2
=== Goaltending ===
Player 	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	GAA
Alfie Moore 	1 	60 	1	0	1 	0 	1.00
Mike Karakas	8 	525	6	2	15	2 	1.71
Paul Goodman	1 	60 	0	1	5 	0 	5.00
==Awards and Records==
*Calder Memorial Trophy: Cully Dahlstrom
*Paul Thompson, Left Wing, NHL First Team All-Star
*Earl Seibert, Defense, NHL Second Team All-Star
==Gallery==
1937-Dec21-Bruins-Hawks.jpg|Bruins-Black Hawks action, December 21, 1937.
3Apr1938-NYA_Hawks.jpg|A scrum from the deciding game of the 1938 Semi-finals won by the Black Hawks over the Americans 3-2, April 3, 1938. #6 is Nels Stewart.
1938-Apr12-Hawks celebrate.jpg|Coach Bill Stewart and the Hawks celebrate their Cup win, April 12, 1938.
==See Also==
*1937–38 NHL season
==References==
*SHRP Sports
*The Internet Hockey Database
*National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
Category:Stanley Cup championship seasons
Category:Chicago Blackhawks seasons
Category:1937 in hockey
Category:1938 in hockey