This Month Marks a Historic Chicago Blackhawks Trade
Two old «Original 6» rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs, pulled off a blockbuster trade on Sept. 3, 1987. The Maple Leafs sent captain Rick Vaive, the first 50-goal scorer in franchise history, along with forward Steve Thomas and defenseman Bob McGill to the Blackhawks for forwards Ed Olczyk and Al Secord.
The Blackhawks got the better end of this deal when it was all said and done. Vaive scored 43 goals and 69 points during the 1987-88 season. He scored another 12 goals before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Adam Creighton during the following season
Thomas scored 104 goals over four and a half seasons with the Blackhawks, including 40 in 1989-90. He and Creighton were traded to the New York Islanders in 1991 for Brent Sutter and Brad Lauer. McGill dressed in 281 games for the Blackhawks before being selected by the San Jose Sharks in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft.
Olczyk scored 116 goals over the next four seasons in Toronto before he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets, along with Mark Osborne, in 1991, for Dave Ellett and Paul Fenton. Secord, who had three seasons of at least 40 goals for the Blackhawks, scored his 15 in his lone full season with the Maple Leafs. He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers midway through the 1988-89 season for a draft pick.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Chicago Blackhawks won this trade in 1987? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 57.1 % |
| No | 15 | 42.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
