A History Of The Chicago Blackhawks Logo

The Chicago Blackhawks storied hockey tradition dates back to 1926, when the first Chicago Blackhawks game was played. The team logo has evolved over the years, but it hasn't changed so much that fans wouldn't be able to recognize the original. It is a classic design that may just be the best in the NHL.

The Chicago Blackhawks got their name from a World War I machine gun battalion, which had in turn gotten its name from an Indian chief. The battalion was so honoured because the commander, Major Fredrick McLaughlin, also happened to be the hockey team's first owner. McLaughlin purchased the Portland Rose Buds hockey team from the old PCHA/WCHL and moved the team to Chicago to join the National Hockey League in 1926.

Chicago's famous logo has always been a head of a Native American man with feathers in his hair. But the logo, originally designed by McLaughlin's wife Irene Castle, has changed drastically over the years.

Let's take a look at the history of the Chicago Blackhawks logo:

1926-1935

1935-1937

1937-1955

1956-1964

1956-1964 (Alternate Logo)

1965-Present

Now of course the use of Native American names and logos have become serious cultural issues in current times. The Washington Red Skins, the Cleveland Indians, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux . . . but the Blackhawks have largely been unaffected by that debate so far.

I suspect there will come a time when Chicago hockey fans will have to deal with a possible drastic logo change.