How the Chicago Blackhawks went from losers to a dynasty last decade

In the early 2000s, the Chicago Blackhawks were one of the worst teams and a forgotten hockey franchise. The losses pilled up and attendance was low at the games.

By 2015, they had became one of the greatest dynasties of the modern era.

The Downfall

In 2004, ESPN called the Blackhawks "the worst franchise in professional sports," because of their poor performance, attendance, and owner Bill Wirtz refusing to televise home games.

Wirtz also loathed to pay superstars the going rate to keep elite players such as Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, and Eddie Belfour. Instead, they were traded the previous decade for cheaper, less-talented players. The on-ice product suffered as a result.

Laying the Groundwork

Despite Wirtz running the franchise into the ground, the franchise did have Dale Tallon in the front office. He would help the Blackhawks lay the foundation for a championship run that would net the franchise three Stanley Cups by acquiring an impressive group of talent through the draft.

The club drafted Duncan Keith in 2002 (54th overall), Brent Seabrook (14th overall) and Corey Crawford (52nd overall) in 2003, Niklas Hjalmarsson (108th overall) in 2005.

Then the club selected their franchise cornerstone players Jonathan Toews (3rd overall in 2006) and Patrick Kane (1st overall in 2007).

Tallon also pulled off a shrewd trade in 2005 with the Philadelphia Flyers to land Patrick Sharp.

The Turning Point

The turning point came upon Wirtz's death in September 2007. His son Rocky Wirtz, immediately began reshaping the organization.

He lifted the TV ban and struck deals for Blackhawks fans to watch their games on WGN and Comcast Sportsnet. He also hired marketing expert John McDonough, who rebranded and changed up the team. McDonough also played a huge role in introducing "Chelsea Dagger" as the team's goal celebration song.

Signing Marian Hossa during the 2009 offseason also was move that eventually put the Hawks over the top.

The Road to Greatness Starts

In the 2008-09 season, the Blackhawks finished with a record of 46-24-12 and 104 points in the standings. It was the Hawks' first 100-point season since 1993.

They also returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The young Hawks went on an impressive run, getting all the way to Western Conference Finals, where they lost to Red Wings in five games.

Redemption and Glory

Their 2009 Western Conference Finals defeat to the Red Wings set the stage for the golden age of Blackhawks hockey.

In June 2010, the Blackhawks ended a 49-year championship drought. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, with captain Jonathan Toews earning the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP, and Patrick Kane scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal, considered the greatest and iconic goal in Blackhawks history.

But that wasn't all the Hawks would do. They would go on to win two more Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015, cementing their status as one of the NHL's great modern dynasties.