Mike Karakas
Encyclopedia
Mike Karakas was an American
professional ice hockey
goaltender
in the National Hockey League
(NHL) who was the league's first American-born and trained goaltender. Karakas played six full seasons and parts of two others with Chicago Black Hawks. He appeared in two Stanley Cup
Finals, winning once. In 1938, Karakas led Chicago, who had .411 winning percentage in the regular season, to a second Stanley Cup, playing with a steel-toed boot in the last two games of the Finals after he had broken it in the last game of the Semi-finals. Karakas is one of the original members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
.
, Minnesota
, he grew up in nearby Eveleth
. Growing up, Karakas and Frank Brimsek
, who also became a goaltender in the NHL, were battery mates for their high school baseball
team, with Karakas catching
.
Karakas played six full seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks between 1936 and 1945. In his first season with the Black Hawks, Karakas was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
after posting a 1.85 goals-against-average with nine shutouts in 48 games. Karakas was only invited to play for the Black Hawks because their regular goaltender, Lorne Chabot
, was injured. After posting four wins in four games, with three shutouts, the Black Hawks made Karakas their starting goaltender; Chabot was later traded to the Montreal Maroons
.
Karakas won the Stanley Cup
in the 1937–38 season
, playing for the first out of two teams which won the Cup with a losing record. For the 1937-38 Chicago Black Hawks season, their owner, Major Frederic McLaughlin
, order his general manager to "ice [him] a team of all American players." After losing five of its six first games with an all-American roster, some Canadian players were added; however, the team finished the season with an 14–25–9 record for a .411 winning percentage.
In the playoffs, Karakas suffered a broken toe just before the start of the Stanley Cup final against the Toronto Maple Leafs
. The Black Hawks were forced to substitute Alfie Moore
for Karakas in the first game. After the first game, Moore was ruled ineligible, and the Black Hawks lost the next game. Karakas returned with a steel-toed boot and won the next two games, leading the Black Hawks to their second Stanley Cup win. Overall in that playoff run, Karakas had a 6–2 record, with two shutouts and a 1.71 goals-against-average. Karakas also surrendered an overtime goal clinching a Stanley Cup by Toe Blake
in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals
.
After helping Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 1938, Karakas asked the team's owners for a US$
500 raise. The owners refused the raise, and for the next five seasons Karakas played three full seasons in the American Hockey League
(AHL), and split two between the AHL and the NHL.
Karakas had 28 shutouts in the regular season, and another three in the playoffs in his six seasons in the NHL. In each of the six full seasons in which Karakas appeared, he played all 48 games. In 1973, Karakas was named as an original member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
, located in his hometown of Eveleth.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) who was the league's first American-born and trained goaltender. Karakas played six full seasons and parts of two others with Chicago Black Hawks. He appeared in two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals, winning once. In 1938, Karakas led Chicago, who had .411 winning percentage in the regular season, to a second Stanley Cup, playing with a steel-toed boot in the last two games of the Finals after he had broken it in the last game of the Semi-finals. Karakas is one of the original members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
.
Biography
Born in AuroraAurora, Minnesota
Aurora is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2010 census.State Highway 135, County Highway 100, and County Highway 110 are three of the main arterial routes in the community.-Geography:...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, he grew up in nearby Eveleth
Eveleth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,865 people, 1,717 households, and 971 families residing in the city. The population density was 611.0 people per square mile . There were 1,965 housing units at an average density of 310.6 per square mile...
. Growing up, Karakas and Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek
Francis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, who also became a goaltender in the NHL, were battery mates for their high school baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, with Karakas catching
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
.
Karakas played six full seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks between 1936 and 1945. In his first season with the Black Hawks, Karakas was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
after posting a 1.85 goals-against-average with nine shutouts in 48 games. Karakas was only invited to play for the Black Hawks because their regular goaltender, Lorne Chabot
Lorne Chabot
Lorne "Chabotsky" Chabot was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Lorne played in the National Hockey League from 1926 to 1937. During this time, he played for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks, Montreal Maroons, and New York Americans...
, was injured. After posting four wins in four games, with three shutouts, the Black Hawks made Karakas their starting goaltender; Chabot was later traded to the Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
.
Karakas won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in the 1937–38 season
1937–38 NHL season
-European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France...
, playing for the first out of two teams which won the Cup with a losing record. For the 1937-38 Chicago Black Hawks season, their owner, Major Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin was the first owner of the Chicago Black Hawks.Born in Chicago, Illinois, McLaughlin inherited a successful coffee business from his father, who died in 1905. McLaughlin was a graduate of Harvard University and served in the United States Army during World War I...
, order his general manager to "ice [him] a team of all American players." After losing five of its six first games with an all-American roster, some Canadian players were added; however, the team finished the season with an 14–25–9 record for a .411 winning percentage.
In the playoffs, Karakas suffered a broken toe just before the start of the Stanley Cup final against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Black Hawks were forced to substitute Alfie Moore
Alfie Moore
Alfred Ernest Moore was a professional ice hockey player who played 21 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans....
for Karakas in the first game. After the first game, Moore was ruled ineligible, and the Black Hawks lost the next game. Karakas returned with a steel-toed boot and won the next two games, leading the Black Hawks to their second Stanley Cup win. Overall in that playoff run, Karakas had a 6–2 record, with two shutouts and a 1.71 goals-against-average. Karakas also surrendered an overtime goal clinching a Stanley Cup by Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...
in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals
1944 Stanley Cup Finals
-See also:* 1943–44 NHL season* 1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks season* 1943–44 Montreal Canadiens season* List of Stanley Cup champions-References and notes:...
.
After helping Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 1938, Karakas asked the team's owners for a US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500 raise. The owners refused the raise, and for the next five seasons Karakas played three full seasons in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), and split two between the AHL and the NHL.
Karakas had 28 shutouts in the regular season, and another three in the playoffs in his six seasons in the NHL. In each of the six full seasons in which Karakas appeared, he played all 48 games. In 1973, Karakas was named as an original member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
, located in his hometown of Eveleth.
Awards and achivements
- Selected to the AHA First All-Star Team in 1935.
- Calder Memorial TrophyCalder Memorial TrophyThe Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
winner in 19361935-36 NHL season-NHL awards:Eddie Shore won his second consecutive Hart trophy. Frank Boucher's run of seven Lady Byng trophy awards came to an end as Doc Romnes won the award...
. - Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion in 19381938 Stanley Cup Finals-References & notes:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...
. - Calder CupCalder CupThe Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
champion in 1940. - Selected to the AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
First All-Star Team in 1941. - Selected to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 1943.
- Selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 19451944-45 NHL season-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
. - Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of FameThe United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 1973.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930–31 | Chicago Shamrocks Chicago Shamrocks The Chicago Shamrocks were an ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois that played 2 seasons in the old American Hockey Association league from 1930 to 1932. They were owned by Hockey Hall of Famer James E... |
AHA | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 435 | 16 | 0 | 2.21 |
| 1931–32 | Chicago Shamrocks | AHA | 45 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 2624 | 65 | 9 | 1.59 |
| 1932–33 | St. Louis Flyers St. Louis Flyers The St. Louis Flyers were a minor league ice hockey team, based in St. Louis, Missouri, playing home games at the St. Louis Arena in the city's Central West End, across from Forest Park.... |
AHA | 43 | 23 | 19 | 1 | 2702 | 85 | 5 | 1.89 |
| 1933–34 | Tulsa Oilers | AHA | 48 | 23 | 25 | 0 | 2918 | 110 | 7 | 2.26 |
| 1934–35 | Tulsa Oilers | AHA | 41 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 2640 | 77 | 4 | 1.52 |
| 1935–36 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
48 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 2990 | 92 | 9 | 1.85 |
| 1936–37 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 14 | 27 | 7 | 2978 | 131 | 5 | 2.64 |
| 1937–38 1937–38 NHL season -European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France... |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 14 | 25 | 9 | 2980 | 139 | 1 | 2.80 |
| 1938–39 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 12 | 28 | 8 | 2988 | 132 | 5 | 2.65 |
| 1939–40 | Providence Reds Providence Reds The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956... |
IAHL | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 860 | 43 | 1 | 3.00 |
| 1939–40 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 17 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1050 | 58 | 0 | 3.31 |
| 1939–40 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 310 | 18 | 0 | 3.48 |
| 1940–41 1940–41 AHL season The 1940–41 AHL season was the fifth season of the American Hockey League, which had operated the previous four seasons as the "International-American Hockey League." Nine teams played 56 games each in the schedule.The Cleveland Barons won their second F. G... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 56 | 31 | 21 | 4 | 3540 | 171 | 0 | 2.97 |
| 1941–42 1941–42 AHL season The 1941–42 AHL season was the sixth season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams played 56 games each in the schedule. The Indianapolis Capitals won the F. G... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 56 | 17 | 32 | 7 | 3470 | 237 | 1 | 4.10 |
| 1941–42 1941–42 AHL season The 1941–42 AHL season was the sixth season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams played 56 games each in the schedule. The Indianapolis Capitals won the F. G... |
New Haven Eagles New Haven Eagles The New Haven Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in New Haven, Connecticut. The Eagles were one of five inaugural franchises in the Canadian American Hockey League, and a founding member of the American Hockey League.-History:... |
AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 |
| 1942–43 1942–43 AHL season The 1942–43 AHL season was the seventh season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 56 games each in the schedule, while an eighth team, the New Haven Eagles ceased operations 32 games into the season, in January 1943. The Buffalo Bisons won the F. G... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 56 | 27 | 27 | 2 | 3430 | 216 | 2 | 3.78 |
| 1943–44 1943–44 AHL season The 1943–44 AHL season was the eighth season of the American Hockey League. Six teams played in a 54 game schedule. The Cleveland Barons won the F. G... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 24 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 1440 | 67 | 0 | 3.63 |
| 1943–44 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1560 | 79 | 3 | 3.04 |
| 1944–45 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 12 | 29 | 7 | 2880 | 187 | 4 | 3.90 |
| 1945–46 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 2880 | 166 | 1 | 3.46 |
| 1946–47 1946–47 AHL season The 1946–47 AHL season was the 11th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams played 64 games each in the schedule. The Cleveland Barons won their fifth F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy as West Division champions... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 62 | 21 | 31 | 10 | 3720 | 266 | 0 | 4.29 |
| 1947–48 1947–48 AHL season The 1947–48 AHL season was the 12th season of the American Hockey League. Eleven teams played 68 games each in the schedule. The Cleveland Barons won their sixth F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy as West Division champions, and won their fourth Calder Cup as league champions.It was the first season, the AHL... |
Providence Reds | AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
| NHL totals | 336 | 114 | 169 | 53 | 20,616 | 1002 | 28 | 2.92 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932-32 | Chicago Shamrocks | AHA | 4 | 3 | 1 | 242 | 10 | 0 | 2.48 |
| 1932-33 | St. Louis Flyers | AHA | 4 | 2 | 2 | 284 | 6 | 1 | 1.27 |
| 1933-34 | Tulsa Oilers | AHA | 4 | 2 | 2 | 260 | 7 | 1 | 1.62 |
| 1934-35 | Tulsa Oilers | AHA | 2 | 0 | 2 | 130 | 8 | 0 | 3.69 |
| 1935–36 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
| 1937–38 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 8 | 6 | 2 | 525 | 15 | 2 | 1.71 |
| 1939-40 | Providence Reds | AHL | 8 | 6 | 2 | 545 | 21 | 2 | 2.31 |
| 1940-41 | Providence Reds | AHL | 4 | 1 | 3 | 279 | 13 | 0 | 2.60 |
| 1941-42 | Springfield Indians Springfield Indians The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with... |
AHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 160 | 7 | 0 | 2.63 |
| 1942-43 | Providence Reds | AHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 130 | 7 | 0 | 3.23 |
| 1943–44 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 9 | 4 | 5 | 549 | 24 | 1 | 2.62 |
| 1945–46 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 240 | 26 | 0 | 6.50 |
| NHL totals | 23 | 11 | 12 | 1434 | 72 | 3 | 3.01 | ||