Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook presented him with a silver stick. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane unveiled a painting of Keith in action. His mother, Jean, joined red carpet dignitaries at the United Center, where Chairman Rocky Wirtz and President & CEO John McDonough gifted Keith with a trip to her native England.
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The plan would be for Duncan to take his best pal, son Colton, who took the pressure off Dad by speaking on a video tribute. Duncan would talk after the Blackhawks engaged the St. Louis Blues, longtime rivals who respectfully witnessed the ceremony from the visitors' bench.
"Emotional," admitted Keith later. "To have family, friends and teammates there, a lot of people who make sacrifices along the way and supported me. I'm proud, but 1,000 is just a number."
It is a number, however, exceeded by a legendary few in franchise history. Stan Mikita with 1,396 tops the list, followed by Bobby Hull and Eric Nesterenko. On the very evening Keith was cited, Seabrook passed Bob Murray for fourth with 1,009. On Keith's night, he partnered with Seabrook for the opening faceoff, a stellar pairing throughout the Blackhawks' dominant decade.