Bob Verdi

Robert Verdi is the Chicago Blackhawks team historian. Verdi has worked for the Chicago Tribune, Golf Digest, and Golf World during his career and he was named Illinois Sportswriter of the Year 19 times. Verdi was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.

Career Verdi grew up in Port Washington, New York, and attended Paul D. Schreiber High School before attending Lake Forest College in 1963. At Lake Forest College, Verdi worked for the student newspaper, The Stentor, while majoring in English. After graduation, he earned a job at the Chicago Tribune. before joining Golf Digest and Golf World in 1997. As such, Verdi then transitioned to a weekly columnist for the Tribune until 2009. As the Blackhawks beat reporter, he almost always called the team "King Arthur's Knights" when it was owned by Arthur Wirtz and addressed the Toronto Toros as the "Toronto Lawn Mowers" in reference to The Toro Company. In 2004, Verdi received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism and in 2005 was inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. While with the Blackhawks organization, Verdi was awarded the Memorial Golf Journalism Award in 2012. Later, in 2016, he was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame. During his career, Verdi was also selected as Illinois Sportswriter of the Year 19 times. McMahon! (1987) Holy Cow! (1989) Once a Bum, Always a Dodger (1991) Chicago Blackhawks : Seventy-five Years (2000) The Golden Jet (2010) One Goal Achieved: The Inside Story of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks (2010) One goal II: The Inside Story of the 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks (2013) One goal. III: The Inside Story of the 2015 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks (2015)