1939–40 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1939–40 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 14th season in the NHL. Paul Thompson, who finished the previous season as a player-coach with the Hawks, would retire from playing and become the full time head coach of the team, and Chicago responded, as they improved by 20 points, finishing above .500 for the first time since 1935–36, and having their highest point total since 1934–35, as they would have a 23–19–6 record for 52 points, good for 4th in the league. The Hawks lost in the Quarter-finals to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2 games to 0.
==Pre-season==
The Black Hawks held their training camp in Hibbing, Minnesota.
==Regular Season==
Rookie Doug Bentley would lead the team with 12 goals, while Cully Dahlstrom would have team highs in assists (19) and points (30). Joe Cooper led all defensemen with 11 points and had a team high 59 penalty minutes, while fellow blueliner Earl Siebert had another productive season, earning 10 points, despite missing some time due to injuries.
In goal, Mike Karakas would begin the season as the starter, however, after 17 games, he was loaned to the Montreal Canadiens for the remainder of the year after posting a 7–9–1 record and a 3.31 GAA. Paul Goodman would then be named the Hawks starting goalie, and he would respond with a 16–10–5 record, and a team high 1.94 GAA.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	November 2 	Detroit Red Wings 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–0–0 	2
2 	November 5 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–8 	Montreal Canadiens 	1–1–0 	2
3 	November 12	New York Americans 	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1–0 	4
4 	November 14	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	Boston Bruins 	2–2–0 	4
5 	November 16	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 	New York Rangers 	3–2–0 	6
6 	November 19	Boston Bruins 	2–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–3–0 	6
7 	November 26	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	4–3–0 	8
8 	November 30	New York Rangers 	7–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–4–0 	8
9 	December 2 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–3 	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–4–1 	9
10	December 3 	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–5–1 	9
11	December 7 	New York Americans 	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–5–1 	11
12	December 10	Montreal Canadiens 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–5–1 	13
13	December 12	Chicago Black Hawks	0–4 	New York Americans 	6–6–1 	13
14	December 17	Boston Bruins 	4–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–7–1 	13
15	December 21	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	7–7–1 	15
16	December 23	Chicago Black Hawks	1–7 	New York Rangers 	7–8–1 	15
17	December 25	Chicago Black Hawks	3–6 	Boston Bruins 	7–9–1 	15
18	December 27	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	New York Americans 	7–10–1 	15
19	December 30	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs	7–11–1 	15
20	January 1 	Detroit Red Wings 	0–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–11–1 	17
21	January 4 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–11–1 	19
22	January 7 	Montreal Canadiens 	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–12–1 	19
23	January 9 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–0 	Montreal Canadiens 	10–12–1	21
24	January 11 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–5 	New York Rangers 	10–13–1	21
25	January 14 	New York Rangers 	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	11–13–1	23
26	January 21 	New York Americans 	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	11–14–1	23
27	January 25 	Boston Bruins 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	11–14–2	24
28	January 26 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1 	Detroit Red Wings 	11–14–3	25
29	January 28 	Montreal Canadiens 	1–8 	Chicago Black Hawks	12–14–3	27
30	January 30 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–5 	Boston Bruins 	12–15–3	27
31	February 1 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–5 	New York Americans 	12–16–3	27
32	February 3 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs	13–16–3	29
33	February 4 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	13–16–4	30
34	February 8 	New York Americans 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–16–4	32
35	February 9 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–0 	Detroit Red Wings 	15–16–4	34
36	February 11	New York Rangers 	0–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–16–4	36
37	February 15	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1 	Montreal Canadiens 	16–16–5	37
38	February 18	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1 	New York Americans 	16–16–6	38
39	February 22	Montreal Canadiens 	1–10 	Chicago Black Hawks	17–16–6	40
40	February 25	Boston Bruins 	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	18–16–6	42
41	February 27	Chicago Black Hawks	0–6 	Boston Bruins 	18–17–6	42
42	February 29	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1 	New York Rangers 	19–17–6	44
43	March 3 	New York Rangers 	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	19–18–6	44
44	March 7 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–1 	Montreal Canadiens 	20–18–6	46
45	March 9 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–5 	Toronto Maple Leafs	20–19–6	46
46	March 10 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	21–19–6	48
47	March 15 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3 	Detroit Red Wings 	22–19–6	50
48	March 17 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	23–19–6	52
==Playoffs==
Chicago would return to the playoffs after a 1 year absence, as they would face the 3rd place team, the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best of 3 series in the 1st round. The Leafs would win the first game of the series by a score of 3–2 in OT at Maple Leaf Gardens on a goal by Syl Apps. Toronto would then eliminate Chicago by a 2–1 score in Game 2 at Chicago Stadium.
=== Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Chicago Black Hawks 0===
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Record
1	March 19	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3 (OT)	Toronto Maple Leafs	0–1
2	March 21	Toronto Maple Leafs	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–2
==Player Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Cully Dahlstrom 	45	11	19	30 	15
Bill Carse 	48	10	13	23 	10
Mush March 	47	9 	14	23 	49
Johnny Gottselig	39	8 	15	23 	7
George Allen 	47	10	12	22 	26
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T	GA	SO	GAA
Paul Goodman	31	1920	16	10	5	62	4 	1.94
Mike Karakas	17	1050	7 	9 	1	58	0 	3.31
==Playoff Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Mush March 	2 	1	0	1 	2
Bill Carse 	2 	1	0	1 	0
Art Wiebe 	2 	1	0	1 	2
Johnny Gottselig	2 	0	1	1 	0
Earl Siebert 	2 	0	1	1 	8
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	GAA
Paul Goodman	2 	127	0	2	5 	0 	2.36
==Awards and Records==
*Paul Thompson, Coach NHL First Team All-Star
*Earl Seibert, Defense, NHL Second Team All-Star
==Vancouver Tour==
The Black Hawks went to Vancouver to play a five game series against the Vancouver Lions of the Pacific Coast Hockey League.
Date 	Winner 	Loser 	Location
March 29	Vancouver 6	Chicago 0 	Vancouver
April 1 	Vancouver 4	Chicago 3 	Vancouver
April 5 	Chicago 4 	Vancouver 2	Vancouver
April 8 	Chicago 7 	Vancouver 6	Vancouver
April 10	Chicago 7 	Vacouver 3 	Vancouver
==Game Ads==
39-40NHLExhChiBHVancouver GameAd.jpg|Post-season @ Vancouver
==See Also==
*1939–40 NHL season
==References==
*SHRP Sports
*The Internet Hockey Database
*National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
Category:Chicago Blackhawks seasons
Category:1939 in hockey
Category:1940 in hockey