The Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee announced that retired former Blackhawks wing Marian Hossa has been named as a first-ballot selection for the class of 2020.
Hossa joined the Blackhawks in the summer of 2009 by signing a 12-year contract worth $62.8 million and won his first Stanley Cup championship with the organization just 11 months later. He was in the middle of a bidding war during the summer of 2009 because he was widely considered the best free agent available at the time. During the two previous seasons, he made it to the Stanley Cup Final with both Pittsburgh and Detroit, but lost both series.
It’s official!
Three-time #Blackhawks Stanley Cup Champion Marian Hossa has been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame! #HossaHOF pic.twitter.com/Pl02en6NOw
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 24, 2020
In the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Hossa was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 12th overall. After spending his first seven NHL seasons with the Senators, he then played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings before joining Chicago.
After winning championships with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015, the Blackhawks announced that Hossa was suffering from a progressive skin disorder and would miss the entire 2017–18 season. In May 2018, he announced he would no longer play hockey and intended to retire after his contract expires in 2021. Hossa’s contract was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in July 2018 as a way to give the Blackhawks some much-needed salary cap relief.
The big, quiet wing finished his career with 525 goals and 609 assists for 1,134 points in 1,309 regular season games over his 19-year NHL career. He was the 44th player in NHL history to score 500 goals and the 80th player to amass 1,000 points.
The Rink would like to pass on a hearty thank you and congratulations to Marian Hossa for his service to the Chicago Blackhawks and many years of unbelievable professionalism with the organization.