Frederic McLaughlin
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Frederic McLaughlin (June 27, 1877 – December 17, 1944) was the first owner of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, McLaughlin inherited a successful coffee business from his father, who died in 1905. McLaughlin was a graduate of Harvard University and served in the United States Army during World War I. He achieved the rank of major and was often referred to as Major McLaughlin for the rest of his life.
In 1926, he was granted an expansion franchise by the National Hockey League. He named the team the Blackhawks after the nickname of his army unit, the 86th Infantry "Blackhawk" Division, where he had served in the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion. Before he was even granted the franchise, McLaughlin made a deal with Frank Patrick to acquire 14 players from the Western Hockey League for $100,000, with most from the Portland Rosebuds.
At the time he acquired the Blackhawks, he was married to Irene Castle, a famous dancer and film actress. She is credited with creating the original design of the first Blackhawks sweater.[1]
McLaughlin was fiercely patriotic, and at various times during his ownership would try to fill his roster with as many Americans as possible, during a time when very few American-born players played in the NHL. He would lead the franchise to its first two Stanley Cup in 1934 and 1938.
He died of heart disease at age 67. In 1963, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.
[edit] Sources
- Hockey Hall of Fame profile
- John Chi-Kit Wong, Lords of the Rinks: The Emergence of the National Hockey League, 1875–1936, University of Toronto Press, 2005.
- Chicago Blackhawks History [2]
