Back in 1955, the Chicago Black Hawks (not the Blackhawks yet) were going through one of their worst periods in franchise history. From 1946-47 to 1957-58, the Black Hawks only made the playoffs one time, in 1952-53. Even then, they lost in the semi-final to the Montreal Canadiens. The heyday of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita were still a few years away.
While it was a difficult time for the team, that didn’t mean that members of the team were not popular.
At the time, the general manager of the team was Tommy Ivan. He had coached the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cups from 1947 to 1954. He then left the team after leading them to six straight season championships to help rebuild the Black Hawks.
On March 16, 1955, Ivan made a trip to Vermilion for a big banquet. The Black Hawks were out of the playoffs at the time, so he had a lot of time on his hands.
Over 100 people paid five dollars each to attend a dinner that Ivan and Bud Poile attended in the community. Poile had played in the NHL from 1942 to 1954. At the banquet, Neil MacLean, president of the Vermilion Hockey Club, served as the master-of-ceremonies.
Ivan told the crowd, “I’d like to compliment you on the work of your hockey team so far this season and point out that it is nice to be a winner. I had a wonderful opportunity when I coached at Detroit and I was provided with some of the best material in the business. Now that I am at Chicago, I confess the shoe is on the other foot.”
Art Wiebe, who grew up in Vermilion and played for the Black Hawks from 1932 to 1944, was also in attendance at the banquet. Wiebe also won the Stanley Cup with the Black Hawks in 1938, the last time the team had won the Cup to that point.
Ivan said, “I wish I had a few more players of the calibre of Art Wiebe with the Black Hawks now.”
Wiebe pointed out that the community always had a strong connection to hockey, often picking up provincial awards and producing players who succeeded in various hockey leagues.
Overall, the banquet was a huge success and everyone enjoyed the night.
As for Ivan, he led the Black Hawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup as general manager. He helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1973. In 1974, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Today, he is considered one of the best coaches and general managers in NHL history.
Bud Poile went on to coach the Edmonton Flyers and San Francisco Seals in the WHL. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.
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