Mike Karakas

Michael George Karakas (December 12, 1911 – May 2, 1992) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. He was the NHL's first American-born and trained goaltender.

He won the Stanley Cup with the Black Hawks in the 1937–38 NHL season. During the playoffs, he broke his toe before the start of the Stanley Cup final against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Black Hawks substituted Alfie Moore in the first game. After the first game, Moore was ruled ineligible, and the Black Hawks lost the next game. Karakas returned with a steel-toed boot, and he won the next two games. That led to the Black Hawks winning their second Stanley Cup win.

In 1973, he was named as an original member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, which is located in his hometown of Eveleth, Minnesota.

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Category:1910 births
Category:1992 deaths
Category:Calder Trophy winners
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Sportspeople from Minnesota
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:American ice hockey goaltenders