Blackhawks retire number 81 of Marian Hossa

The Chicago Blackhawks have retired the number 81 of Marian Hossa. The native of Stara Lubovna, Slovakia was honoured prior to the Blackhawks’ 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at the United Center in Chicago.

Hossa regular season career in Chicago in 2022

Hossa played 534 games in Chicago from 2009 to 2017. He had 186 goals and 229 assists for 415 points. He was a +133 with 170 penalty minutes, 102 power-play points, 24 shorthanded points, 29 game-winning goals, 1614 shots on goal, 17 faceoff wins, 211 blocked shots, 348 hits, 473 takeaways and 209 giveaways.

Three-time Stanley Cup champion

Hossa was part of the three Blackhawks teams in the 2010s, that won the Stanley Cup. He was part of the Chicago squad that beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in 2010, the Chicago team that beat the Boston Bruins in six games in 2013, and the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in 2015.

In 107 postseason games with the Blackhawks, Hossa had 21 goals and 52 assists for 73 points. He was a  +21 with 49 penalty minutes, six power-play goals, two shorthanded goals, six game-winning goals, 361 shots on goal, seven faceoff wins, 48 blocked shots, 137 hits, 99 takeaways, and 29 giveaways. In the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hossa led all players with 69 shots on goal.

Playoff Overtime Winner with Chicago

Hossa had his biggest goal with Chicago on April 24, 2010. It came in game five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, a 5-4 Chicago win over the Nashville Predators, as Hossa scored the overtime winner at the 4:07 mark of the extra period from defenseman Brent Sopel of Calgary, Alberta and center Dave Bolland of Mimico, Ontario.

All-Star and Hall of Famer

Five times Hossa was an All-Star. The fifth time came with the Blackhawks in 2012. That year he had 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points in 81 games. In 2020, Hossa was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Other Blackhawks to have their number retired

Hossa becomes the eighth Blackhawks player to have his number retired. He follows Glenn Hall of Humboldt, Saskatchewan (number one), Keith Magnuson of Wadena, Saskatchewan (number three), Pierre Pilote of Kenogami, Quebec (number three), Bobby Hull of Pointe Anne, Ontario (number nine), Denis Savard of Gatineau, Quebec (number 18), Stan Mikita (number 21), and Tony Esposito of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (number 35).