1938 to 2015 - IT HAS BEEN A LONG WAIT CHICAGO

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on becoming the 2015 Stanley Cup champions after defeating Tampa Bay 2-0 in game 6!

Chicago last celebrated a Cup title on home ice back in April of 1938, when the Hawks and Maple Leafs met to decide the Cup winner.

The first two games were played in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Hawks prevailed in the opener by defeating Toronto 3-1. The Leafs rebounded in game 2 with a convincing 5-1 victory.

After splitting the first two contests in Toronto, the best-of-five Final resumed in Chicago for games 3 and 4.

At Chicago Stadium, Toronto got out to an early lead when Syl Apps opened the scoring early in the first period on the power play. The Hawks knotted the score at 1-1, when Carl Voss found the back of the net at the 16:02 mark of the middle frame.

The eventual game winning goal was scored by Chicago's Elwyn 'Doc' Romnes, but it came with controversy as the following passage from a game report reveals:

 The Toronto team argued hotly that Romnes' shot hit a goalpost and never entered the net, but they lost the argument when referees Campbell and Dye accepted the word of goal judge John McLean, who hails from Detroit.

Down a game, the Leafs needed a huge effort in game 4 on April 12 to stay in contention for the Stanley Cup. By one account, the "Leafs had an edge in speed and territorial drive." But like in game 3, they weren't able to get their scoring in gear. Toronto's lone goal in game 4 came in the first period and was scored by Gordie Drillon. Prior to Drillon's goal, Chicago's Cully Dahlstrom put the Hawks on the board.

In the middle frame, Carl Voss and Jack Shill scored to open up a 3-1 advantage for Chicago.

Mush March concluded the scoring in the final twenty-minutes of play when he beat Turk Broda late in the period.

Chicago's 4-1 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs was their second Cup win at Chicago Stadium. Their very first Stanley Cup in 1934 was also won on home ice.

LEFT: Referee Mickey Ion makes an effort to separate Leaf forward George Parsons from Chicago defenceman Roger Jenkins.

MIDDLE: Jack Shill of the Black Hawks is stopped by Turk Broda at point-blank-range as Reg Hamilton looks on.

RIGHT: A group of players push and shove during a stoppage in play.

In an interesting twist, the Stanley Cup wasn't in the building for Chicago's crowning moment in 1938.

Lloyd Davis, a member of The Society for International Hockey Research, unearthed an article from the April 15, 1938, edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune, which confirms this fact. A portion of the text written by Charles Bartlett notes:

 Manager  Bill Stewart, miracle man of modern hocky {sic}, and two of his players, Doc Romnes and Jack Shill, were seated in the Chicago Blackhawk {sic}headquarters yesterday morning when a drayman delivered a long crate from Detroit. They pried it apart and promptly swooned in unison, for it contained the Stanley cup {sic}, emblematic of the world title which they won last Tuesday night.

The article also stated that "one of publicity director Joe Farrell's agents dug up the fact Detroit custodians of the cup {sic} were so certain that the Hawks could not win that they withheld it for delivery to Toronto."

It appears no official explanation came from the National Hockey League.

Tonight, despite the Cup being fashionably late in arriving, fans in the Windy City got their long awaited chance to swoon at the sight of Lord Stanley's gift to hockey.