From an invitee to a starter in the NHL to a Stanley Cup winner, Mike Karakas’ beginnings in the league weren’t exactly considered normal for how he came to be a Chicago Black Hawk. In fact, along with being the first in some categories as it pertains to NHL players, Karakas’ NHL start came on the heels of an injured start who would later be moved to the Montreal Maroons.
Invited to play for the Black Hawks due to an injury to then starter Lorne Chabot, Karakas quickly made a name for himself and took over the team’s net. The gig made him the first American born and trained goaltender in the NHL and the first player of Greek descent to crack an NHL roster.
It took just four games and four wins to lock down the starting role for the Black Hawks and that’s when Karakas kicked off his rookie campaign in 1935-36 en route to the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
Mike Karakas Dazzled in Rookie Season
At the age of 24, Karakas was invited to join the Black Hawks while they awaited the recovery of Chabot. But Karakas quickly took hold of the starting role winning four out of his first five games and posting top-end numbers for the Black Hawks.
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He kicked off his rookie campaign with a 3-1 win over the New York Americans on Nov. 7, 1935, before posting his first career shutout the following game in a 0-0 tie.
Karakas would go on to play all 48 games for the Black Hawks in his rookie season with a 21-19-8 record to go along with a 1.85 goals against average (GAA) and nine shutouts. He has the eighth best GAA by a goalie in their rookie season in NHL history and it was these numbers that led him, and rightfully so, to a Calder Trophy win.
He imploded come playoff time, however, and had a 3.50 GAA in two games finishing with a 1-1 record in a disappointing run.
Karakas’ Run to the Cup
The following season, Karakas’ numbers dipped a bit, but he was still impressive for a 25-year-old. He finished 14-27-7 with the most losses in the league with a 2.64 GAA and five shoutouts while playing in all 48 games again.
But it was in 1937-38 that Karakas put the icing on his career with the Black Hawks. After a questionable regular season in which he finished with a 14-25-9 record and a 2.80 GAA, Karakas played eight games for the Hawks in the postseason posting a 6-2 record with a 1.71 GAA and two shutouts.
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The catch was that Karakas suffered a broken toe just ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, and while the Black Hawks substituted him for Alfie Moore, Karakas would eventually return to the lineup wearing a steel-toed boot en route to winning the Cup with the Black Hawks. It was a memorable run for Karakas and the Black Hawks.
Karakas’ Career Nearly Ended With a Request
After all that he did for the organization, Karakas asked the Black Hawks for a $500 raise that the team refused to give him. The request landed Karakas in the AHL for three of the next five seasons while splitting time in the other two between the NHL and AHL.
Aside from a five-game stint in 1939-40 with Montreal, Karakas played out the remainder of his career with the Black Hawks and retired in 1945-46 as a 34-year-old.
His 1.85 GAA in his rookie season remains the fourth best single season goals against average by a Blackhawks’ goalie in franchise history — behind Charlie Gardiner in 1930-31, Tony Esposito in 1971-72 and Lorne Chabot in 1934-35.
As for his franchise ranks, he sits fifth on the franchise’s all-time list for games played (331) amongst goaltenders, seventh all-time in wins (114) and tied for fifth on the franchise list in shutouts with Jocelyn Thibault (28).
He was an inaugural member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 and it all started as a simple invite that led to a Stanley Cup and — as you know — recognition as the rookie of the year in 1935-36.
Other Calder Seasons: