Chicago Blackhawks legend Marian Hossa will be officially calling it quits on Thursday, as the fan favorite will sign a one-day contract with the Blackhawks to retire as a member of the team he won three Stanley Cups with during his Hockey Hall of Fame career.
OFFICIAL: Hossa will sign a one-day contract and officially retire as a Blackhawk this Thursday! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/SDLB6wQr8m
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 5, 2022
Blackhawks fans will have the opportunity to see Hossa sign his ceremonial contract at 6:15 p.m. CDT inside the United Center’s atrium prior to the team’s 7:30 p.m. CDT puck drop against the Seattle Kraken.
“The Blackhawks and city of Chicago hold a special place in my heart,” Hossa said in a press release. “Making the commitment to this organization in 2009 was the best decision I ever made. For all the memories my teammates and I made together, including three Stanley Cup wins, my family created just as many off the ice. The fans embraced us as one of their own, treating us so kindly wherever we went. Retiring as a Blackhawk is a dream come true and I couldn’t imagine officially ending my career in any other way. I would like to thank the Wirtz family for making this a reality and for all they have done for me since I signed with the team.”
Hossa’s esteemed career was highlighted by his time in Chicago, helping the Blackhawks to Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The Slovakian played 534 regular season games with the Hawks from 2009 to 2017, posting 186 goals and 229 assists for 415 points in those contests. Hossa also racked up 107 postseason games with Chicago, tallying 21 goals and 52 assists when it mattered most.
Among Hossa’s many individual accomplishments with the Blackhawks included his 1,000th game on March 12, 2013, his 1,000th point on Oct. 30, 2014 and his 500th goal on Oct. 18, 2016. Perhaps Hossa’s most iconic Blackhawks moment was his overtime game-winning goal against the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2010 playoffs, which helped fuel the Hawks to a six-game series win en route to winning the organization’s first championship in 49 years.
“To me, the greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history, Marian was the franchise’s missing piece,” said Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz in the press release. “Both on, and off the ice, he made an indelible mark on his teammates and our organization. My family is forever grateful for the contributions Marian made to the Blackhawks. His humble demeanor and vaunted work ethic was everything we could have asked for and more in a superstar when we signed him in 2009. We feel that it’s only fitting that Marian retire as a Blackhawk as he starts a new chapter in his life.”
Tickets for Thursday’s game against the Kraken, which will allow fans the opportunity to see Hossa’s signing ceremony, are still available through the Blackhawks’ website.