Who belongs in the Blackhawks Hall of Fame?
Blackhawks officials announced last week they’ll be creating a franchise Hall of Fame.
The nine players whose jersey numbers are retired — Chris Chelios, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall, Marian Hossa, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote and Denis Savard — will be enshrined.
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, when they officially retire, are two no-brainers.
Beyond that impressive list, though, which other players belong in the Hall of Fame? This week’s High Five looks at the top candidates.
5. Corey Crawford
A tough call, but the nod goes to “Crow” over fellow goalie Ed Belfour (don’t worry, I’m sure Belfour will get in).
Crawford played all 13 of his NHL seasons in Chicago including during the 2010, 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup title runs, although he played only one game in 2010.
He finished his career with a 2.45 goals against average and 26 shutouts.
4. Doug Wilson
A legend on the blue line, Wilson still leads the franchise in numerous categories including career points, goals and assists for a defenseman. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
Wilson was named to eight NHL all-star teams while playing 14 seasons for the Hawks starting in 1977-78. He won the Norris Trophy in 1982 as the league’s top defenseman, scoring a career-high 39 goals with 85 points.
3. Jeremy Roenick
Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024, Roenick unfortunately left the Blackhawks after only eight seasons at the age of 27.
Still, he enjoyed his glory years as the Hawks’ top center despite playing 12 seasons with four other teams. Three straight seasons he scored at least 100 points, twice hitting the 50-goal mark.
2. Steve Larmer
Perhaps the most underrated Blackhawks player, Larmer’s impact was felt everywhere — including with a remarkable streak of 884 consecutive games played between 1982 and 1993.
The right-winger scored 406 goals (the fourth most in franchise history) and had 517 assists while playing 891 games with the Blackhawks.
1. Duncan Keith
Named in 2017 as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in league history, Keith was a cornerstone member of the Stanley Cup title teams in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Twice he won the Norris Trophy and added the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2015 playoffs.
While his expertise was helping defend the goal, Keith also tallied 105 goals with 520 assists in 16 seasons with the Blackhawks.