advertisement

'He just put our team over the top': Former Blackhawk Marian Hossa inducted into Hall of Fame

When Marian Hossa played for the Blackhawks from 2009-17 the team won three Stanley Cups, advanced to the Western Conference finals four times and never missed the playoffs.

Since then?

Well, the Hawks have finished in sixth or seventh place in their division and reached the postseason once — and only because the NHL expanded the field to 24 teams in 2020.

To be sure, there have been many reasons for the Hawks' demise — but No. 1 on the list might just be the absence of Marian Hossa, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.

During his induction speech Hossa said that when he and brother Marcel were kids, they would wake up in the middle of the night in Czechoslovakia to watch the Stanley Cup Final.

“In Mario (Lemieux), I found another role model, and in Jaromir (Jagr), I realized a Czechoslovak kid like me could excel in the greatest league in the world and I became determined to do the same,” Hossa said.

Hossa was joined by former Hawks defenseman Doug Wilson, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Ken Holland and Kim St.-Pierre in Toronto. The class of 2020 had to wait 18 months to be enshrined because of COVID.

“He was amazing for this franchise,” Patrick Kane said of Hossa. “I don't think it's any coincidence that when he ... stopped playing hockey that our team started to go down. He was such a good two-way player — a player I looked up to when I was a younger kid.

“Then you get a chance to play with him and he just put our team over the top and helped us bring it all together.”

Did he ever.

The 2008-09 Hawks were an up-and-coming bunch and loaded with fresh-faced talent in Kane, Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer and Brent Seabrook. All were 23 or younger.

Those Hawks advanced to the Western Conference finals, losing to Hossa's Red Wings.

GM Dale Tallon then made what is considered the best free agent signing in Chicago sports history by inking Hossa to a 12-year, $62.8 million on July 1, 2009.

Coming off a 40-goal campaign in Detroit, the 30-year-old Hossa was still in his prime and — more importantly — extremely motivated. For you see, Hossa had come tantalizingly close to winning a Stanley Cup in 2008 and 2009, only to be on the losing side in Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Now, he was coming to Chicago hoping to realize a lifelong dream.

Hossa was injured when the 2009-10 season began, but when he jumped on the ice for his first practice, it left an indelible mark on Kane and Versteeg.

“He didn't play until November and — I swear — it was like watching a Ferrari skate down the ice,” Versteeg told me a few months ago. “I still remember me and Kane looked at each other and we're like, ‘That's a professional player right there. Look at him.'”

Hossa truly had it all. Not only was he a tremendous skater, but his 207 pounds seemed to be all muscle. Not only was it literally impossible to knock him off the puck, but we all can remember instances where an opponent tried delivering a hit on Hossa, only to end up on his backside.

In 2009-10, Hossa scored 24 goals and had 27 assists, then added 3 scores and 12 assists in the playoffs. The goal everyone remembers came in the opening round against Nashville — a Game 5 tally that gave the Hawks a 5-4 OT victory just seconds after Hossa served a five-minute boarding penalty.

It gave the Hawks a 3-2 series lead and they would then eliminate the Preds in Game 6.

“Going through the failures make you stronger,” Hossa said when he found he'd be a Hall of Famer. “I learned from my previous mistakes maybe. I just tried to take the Games 6 or Games 7s a little bit easier; prepare for the game like it was a regular game.”

Hossa stopped playing after the 2016-17 campaign because of a skin condition. He racked up eight 30-goal seasons and had 40 or more three times.

“He was a great teammate,” Kane said. “I got to sit next to him in the locker room for a bunch of years and always had fun with him. Just watching him too. He carried himself so well as a professional.”

Hossa was the 12th overall pick of Ottawa in 1997. He scored 29 or more goals for nine straight seasons (1999-2008) and finished with 525 goals and 609 assists in 1,309-regular season games.

He added 52 goals and 97 assists in 205 playoff games. During the three Hawks' title runs Hossa had 14 goals and 34 assists in 67 games.

Hossa was asked in March 2016 if he's proud of what he has accomplished in the NHL.

“To tell you the truth, when I first started as ... an 18-year-old in the league, I never thought about these numbers,” Hossa said. “My goal was kind of (be able) to play in the NHL for a (while) and hopefully be good in it. I never thought in my head that I would play this long. ...

“Obviously my dream was to win the Stanley Cup at least once.”

It was a dream that was realized three times over.

The cherry on top had to be Monday when Hossa joined the sport's best in the Hall of Fame.

“It's 1 a.m. (now) and I'm having the first bottle of wine already done,” Hossa said the night he found out he was voted in.

Cheers, Marian. You definitely deserve it.

By the numbers

By the numbers

<b>A look back at Marian Hossa's Hall of Fame career:</b>Born: Jan. 12, 1979 in Stara Lubovna, Czechoslovakia

Drafted: 12th overall by Ottawa in 1997

Stats with Ottawa Senators: 188 goals, 202 assists in 467 games

Stats with Atlanta Thrashers: 108 goals, 140 assists in 222 games

Stats with Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 goals, 7 assists in 12 games

Stats with Detroit Red Wings: 40 goals, 31 assists in 74 games

Stats with Blackhawks: 186 goals, 229 assists in 534 games

TOTALS: 525 goals, 609 assists in 1,309 games

• Posted three 40-goal seasons (high of 45 in 2002-03 with Ottawa)

• Had 15 seasons of 20 or more goals

• Posted five 40-assists seasons (high of 57 in 2006-07 with Atlanta)

• Had 11 seasons of 60 or more points (high of 100 in 2006-07 with Atlanta)

• Led the league twice in short-handed goals (7 with Atlanta in 2005-06; 5 with Hawks in 2009-10)

• Finished with 34 short-handed goals

• Had 52 goals, 97 assists (149 points) in 205 postseason games

• Three-time Stanley Cup winner with Blackhawks in 2010, '13, '15

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.