1952–53 Chicago Black Hawks season
| 1952–53 Chicago Black Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th NHL |
| 1952–53 record | 27–28–15 |
| Home record | 14–11–10 |
| Road record | 13–17–5 |
| Goals for | 169 |
| Goals against | 175 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Bill Tobin |
| Coach | Sid Abel |
| Captain | Bill Gadsby |
| Arena | Chicago Stadium |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Jim McFadden (23) |
| Assists | Cal Gardner (24) |
| Points | Jim McFadden (44) |
| Penalties in minutes | George Gee (99) |
| Wins | Al Rollins (27) |
| Goals against average | Al Rollins (2.50) |
The 1952–53 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 27th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of two consecutive seasons of finishing in last place in the six team NHL. The Black Hawks had a record of 17–44–9 in 1951–52, missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season. In 1952–53, the Black Hawks qualified for the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Montreal Canadiens.
In the off-season, the Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs completed a trade which sent Harry Lumley to Toronto for Al Rollins, Cal Gardner and Gus Mortson. Chicago also fired head coach Ebbie Goodfellow, and replaced him with Sid Abel, who would be a player-coach. Abel would name defenceman Bill Gadsby as the new team captain.
Chicago also saw a change in ownership, as Arthur Wirtz and James D. Norris took over the struggling and near bankrupt franchise.
The Black Hawks started the season off strong, sitting with a 10–5–3 record in their first 18 games, however, the club would fall into a slump, and went 2–7–5 in their next 14 games to fall to .500. Chicago would continue to hover around the .500 for the rest of the season, battling with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot. Going into the final weekend of the season, Chicago would earn big wins against the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot, and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1946. The Hawks finished with club records in wins with 27, and points with 69.
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