Blackhawks end 49-year Stanley Cup drought

The Chicago Blackhawks finally ended a 49-year Stanley Cup drought with a 4-3 overtime victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center on Wednesday night.

The Blackhawks clinched the best-of-seven series 4-2, handing the longest dry-spell dishonours to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who last won Lord Stanley’s cherished mug in 1967.

Bill Hay, a prominent member of the Blackhawks’ 1961 champion squad and current Hockey Hall of Fame chairman, has been keeping a close eye on proceedings and he sees some obvious similarities between the two teams.

The 1961 squad – which dumped the Detroit Red Wings in six games in the final – had young forwards like 25-year-old Hay, 22-year-old Bobby Hull, 20-year-old Stan Mikita and 24-year-old Murray Balfour leading the offence. The 2010 Blackhawks’ potent offence is led by Patrick Kane, 21, and 22-year-old captain Jonathan Toews, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP .

And both championship teams provided welcome relief to long-suffering Chicagoans.

“It was really exciting because Chicago hadn’t played very well,’’ Hay said of the 1961 Blackhawks in a telephone interview. “Chicago hadn’t made the playoffs and then us young guys came along and got some excitement going in Chicago because we were winning. It was very interesting and a lot of fun.’’

Blackhawk fans endured similarly miserable times through much of the 1990s and 2000s. In some games, as few as 6,000 fans would congregate in the cavernous United Center and Blackhawk players had a difficult time giving away tickets. Just as in 1961, that all changed and hockey is hip in Chicago once again.

“(Today’s Blackhawks) just want to play and they want to play every day and they’re not worried about the money,’’ Hay said. “We weren’t worried about money. We just wanted to play and wanted to win and we were very close in the early days and I think these guys are, too.

“We had exciting hockey and playing in Chicago was exciting. They were great fans and I think you’re seeing the same today.’’

Hay never dreamed there would be a 49-year gap between Stanley Cups.

“I thought we’d win the next two, three years,” Hay said with a laugh. “I thought our team in ’61 was solid enough to win two or three years in a row . . .’’

Forty-nine years ago, Ab McDonald scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal. Wednesday night, that honour went to Patrick Kane, who scored the momentous goal early in overtime.

Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Sharp also scored for the Blackhawks, while Scott Hartnell scored twice and Daniel Briere once for the Flyers.