Five hundred and thirty four of those games, 186 of those goals, 229 of those assists, and 415 of those points came with the team in Chicago. 3), Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito, respectively.Īcross the entirety of his career, Hossa played 1,309 games, scored 525 goals and 609 assists for a total of 1,134 points. The numbers 1, 3, 9, 18, 21, 33 are the only Blackhawks numbers that look down from their perches in the United Center, belonging to Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, Keith Magnuson (who also wore No. It was about honoring the first and last player to don the number 81 for one of the oldest franchises in the NHL, Marian Hossa. It was about bringing the family together again, with former members of those teams in attendance. The Hawks were set to face the Penguins after the ceremony, but Sunday night was about honoring the first of what will likely be several more core players from the Blackhawks teams that won three Stanley Cups in six years. "Hossa! Hossa! Hossa!" the crowd chanted as the legendary Slovak right winger cruised up the black matting. One of the most memorable photos of the evening came when Hossa took a picture with the Stanley Cup and his six other three-time champion teammates.A giant white 81 structure was lit up with a buzzing neon red outline, and opaque white banners that produced images of the player who wore that number for nine years with the Blackhawks fell from the rafters. It’s fun to be a part of it and well-deserved honor." "I think a lot of us were looking at each other saying, ‘This is pretty cool.’ So happy for Marian and his family. "It was great, it was special," Kane said following a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
He became the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Glenn Hall (No. After a five-minute video montage, Hossa stepped to the mic and his speech tugged on Chicago's heartstrings and included some witty jokes, which was a perfect encapsulation of Hossa's personality.Īnd then, it was finally time to lift No. The loudest ovation came when Hossa made his entrance from the Zamboni tunnel, as expected. It continued with former teammates Niklas Hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews joining the center circle, and also included a surprise appearance from the Stanley Cup. The 50-minute pregame ceremony started with a guest appearance by Eddie Olczyk, who emceed the event. 81 to the United Center rafters on Sunday, and it was a night that won't be forgotten by anyone that was in the building. The Blackhawks officially raised Marian Hossa's No.
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