Seven-player trade completed between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings today in history

With the Centennial season coming up in Detroit and Chicago, it makes sense to revisit one of the biggest deals that went down between the two teams, which happened on this day, 74 years ago.

On August 20, 1951, the Blackhawks acquired George "Hully" Gee, Clare Martin, Jim McFadden, Max McNab, Jimmy "Shakey" Peters Sr., and Clare "Rags" Raglan from the Red Wings for Hugh Coflin and $75,000 cash.

At the time, it was the largest player-and-cash transaction ever completed in the NHL.

Hugh Coflin's journey stood out among the details of this deal. He played 31 games in the NHL with the Hawks during the 1950-51 season before being shipped to Detroit. He was considered a top prospect in Detroit but never played a single regular-season game for the Red Wings.

Indeed, his career took a difficult turn at the 1952 training camp when he suffered a severed Achilles tendon. From there, he was assigned to the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League, where he played eight seasons, served as captain, and was twice named a WHL First Team All-Star.

He did get his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1952 when the Red Wings won.

As for the Blackhawks, they got seven players in return, although not all of them went on to play for the team after the deal.

The most notable players include Jim Peters, who returned to Detroit to win a Cup in 1953-54, and George Gee, who played in three full seasons with the Hawks following the trade.

Stay tuned for further stories on the Red Wings' history as we get closer to the start of the 2025-26 NHL season.