1955–56 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1955–56 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 30th season in the NHL. The Hawks finished last in the league and did not qualify for the playoffs.
==Regular Season==
After having no logo changes since the 1941-42 season, the roundel was removed, leaving the Black Hawk head, which was enlarged. One of the feathers was changed from red to orange. This logo was used for the next 2 seasons.
The Black Hawks would not bring back head coach Frank Eddolls, as they hired Dick Irvin, who had previously coached the Black Hawks in 1928–29 and 1930–31. After leaving Chicago in 1931, Irvin would coach the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1931–40, winning the 1932 Stanley Cup, then he went on to coach the Montreal Canadiens from 1940–55, winning three Stanley Cups with the team in 1944, 1946 and 1953. Also, in the off-season, the Hawks acquired Johnny Wilson and Glen Skov from the Detroit Red Wings.
With poor attendance at home and having played three home games in Indianapolis during the 1953–54 season, and six home games in St. Louis in the 1954–55 season, the Blackhawks played another five home games in St. Louis in 1955-56 but for the last time. The Rangers won 6-4 in the last Chicago home game played in St. Louis on March 8, 1956.
The team would get off to their best start in a few seasons, as they played .500 hockey in their opening 10 games, as Chicago had a record of 4–4–2. The team would hover around the .500 mark through the first 23 games before falling into a slump, in which they would go 11–30–6 in their remaining 47 games to finish the season in last place for the eighth time in ten seasons. Despite the last place finish, Chicago improved their win total to 19 games and their point total to 50, which represented their highest totals since the 1952–53 season.
Offensively, Chicago was led by Red Sullivan, who had a team high 40 points, as he scored 14 goals and added 26 assists. Newly acquired Johnny Wilson scored a team high 24 goals, becoming the first Black Hawk since 1953 to score over 20 goals, while Ed Litzenberger had a club best 29 assists, en route to a 39 point season. Allan Stanley led the defense with 14 assists and 18 points, while fellow blueliner Jack McIntyre scored a defense leading 10 goals, while adding 5 assists for 15 points. Team captain Gus Mortson also had 15 points from the blueline, along with 87 penalty minutes. Lee Fogolin led the team in that category though, accumulating 88 penalty minutes.
In goal, Al Rollins played the majority of games, leading the team in wins at 17, and GAA at 2.95. He also earned 3 shutouts.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	October 6 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–0–0 	2
2 	October 7 	New York Rangers 	7–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1–0 	2
3 	October 9 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1–0 	4
4 	October 15 	Detroit Red Wings 	4–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2–0 	4
5 	October 16 	Montreal Canadiens 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2–1 	5
6 	October 20 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	2–2–2 	6
7 	October 22 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–6 	Montreal Canadiens 	2–3–2 	6
8 	October 23 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–5 	New York Rangers 	2–4–2 	6
9 	October 25 	Boston Bruins 	0–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–4–2 	8
10	October 27 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–1 	Montreal Canadiens 	4–4–2 	10
11	October 29 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–5–2 	10
12	November 3 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–3 	Boston Bruins 	4–5–3 	11
13	November 5 	Detroit Red Wings 	3–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–5–4 	12
14	November 6 	New York Rangers 	4–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–6–4 	12
15	November 10	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	4–6–5 	13
16	November 11	Toronto Maple Leafs	0–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–6–5 	15
17	November 13	Montreal Canadiens 	2–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–7–5 	15
18	November 18	Boston Bruins 	1–6 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–7–5 	17
19	November 19	Chicago Black Hawks	1–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	6–8–5 	17
20	November 20	Detroit Red Wings 	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–8–6 	18
21	November 24	Toronto Maple Leafs	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	7–8–6 	20
22	November 26	Chicago Black Hawks	4–7 	Toronto Maple Leafs	7–9–6 	20
23	November 27	Chicago Black Hawks	6–0 	Boston Bruins 	8–9–6 	22
24	November 30	Chicago Black Hawks	1–6 	New York Rangers 	8–10–6 	22
25	December 2 	New York Rangers 	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–11–6 	22
26	December 4 	Montreal Canadiens 	5–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–12–6 	22
27	December 9 	Boston Bruins 	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–12–7 	23
28	December 11	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–12–8 	24
29	December 14	Chicago Black Hawks	4–1 	New York Rangers 	9–12–8 	26
30	December 15	Chicago Black Hawks	1–4 	Boston Bruins 	9–13–8 	26
31	December 17	Chicago Black Hawks	0–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	9–14–8 	26
32	December 18	Boston Bruins 	1–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–14–8 	28
33	December 20	Montreal Canadiens 	7–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–15–8 	28
34	December 24	Chicago Black Hawks	2–5 	Toronto Maple Leafs	10–16–8 	28
35	December 25	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2 	Boston Bruins 	11–16–8 	30
36	December 29	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2 	New York Rangers 	12–16–8 	32
37	December 31	Chicago Black Hawks	3–7 	Montreal Canadiens 	12–17–8 	32
38	January 1 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Detroit Red Wings 	12–18–8 	32
39	January 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs	12–19–8 	32
40	January 7 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	Montreal Canadiens 	12–20–8 	32
41	January 8 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–3 	New York Rangers 	13–20–8 	34
42	January 12 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–0 	Boston Bruins 	14–20–8 	36
43	January 14 	Detroit Red Wings 	3–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–21–8 	36
44	January 15 	New York Rangers 	2–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–22–8 	36
45	January 17 	New York Rangers 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–22–9 	37
46	January 20 	Boston Bruins 	3–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–23–9 	37
47	January 22 	Montreal Canadiens 	6–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–24–9 	37
48	January 25 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	Toronto Maple Leafs	14–25–9 	37
49	January 27 	Detroit Red Wings 	7–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–26–9 	37
50	January 29 	New York Rangers 	6–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	14–27–9 	37
51	February 2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–2 	Boston Bruins 	14–27–10	38
52	February 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs	15–27–10	40
53	February 5 	Toronto Maple Leafs	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–27–10	42
54	February 7 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3 	Detroit Red Wings 	16–28–10	42
55	February 10	Montreal Canadiens 	3–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–29–10	42
56	February 12	Toronto Maple Leafs	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–29–11	43
57	February 15	Chicago Black Hawks	1–6 	New York Rangers 	16–30–11	43
58	February 17	Boston Bruins 	4–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–31–11	43
59	February 19	Detroit Red Wings 	3–5 	Chicago Black Hawks	17–31–11	45
60	February 24	Toronto Maple Leafs	2–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	17–32–11	45
61	February 26	Boston Bruins 	1–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	18–32–11	47
62	March 2 	Montreal Canadiens 	3–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	18–33–11	47
63	March 3 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–3 	Montreal Canadiens 	18–34–11	47
64	March 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3 	New York Rangers 	18–35–11	47
65	March 8 	New York Rangers 	6–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	18–36–11	47
66	March 10 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	18–37–11	47
67	March 11 	Detroit Red Wings 	3–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	18–38–11	47
68	March 15 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	18–39–11	47
69	March 17 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–1 	Toronto Maple Leafs	18–39–12	48
70	March 18 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 	Boston Bruins 	19–39–12	50
==Playoffs==
*The Black Hawks did not qualify for the post season.
==Player Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Red Sullivan 	63	14	26	40 	58
Nick Mickoski 	70	19	20	39 	52
Ed Litzenberger	70	10	29	39 	36
Johnny Wilson 	70	24	9 	33 	12
Hank Ciesla 	70	8 	23	31 	22
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T 	GA 	SO	GAA
Al Rollins 	58	3480	17	30	11	171	3 	2.95
Hank Bassen	12	720 	2 	9 	1 	40 	1 	3.33
==Awards and Records==
*The Black Hawks did not win any awards this season.
==Gallery==
1956-Feb2-Woit-Stanley-Stewart-Sloan.jpg|Benny Woit, Allan Stanley, Ron Stewart, Tod Sloan, February 2, 1956.
==See Also==
*1955–56 NHL season
==Sources==
*Hockey-Reference
*National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
Category:Chicago Blackhawks seasons
Chicago Black Hawks season, 1955–56
Chicago Black Hawks season, 1955–56