Because of the Blackhawks ' long history , they are considered one of the NHL 's `` Original Six '' teamsâ '' a term reserved for the six teams that made up the NHL from the 1942 â `` 43 season until the league expanded in 1967 . Owing to the Blackhawks ' long history , they are considered one of the NHL 's `` Original Six '' teamsâ '' a term reserved for the six teams that comprised the NHL from the 1942 â `` 43 season until the league expanded in 1967 .