Mikita's sweater (#21) was the first to be retired in team history on October 19, 1980, at Chicago Stadium after playing his entire 22-year career with the Blackhawks (1958-80). He is the team's all-time leader in games played (1,396), assists (926) and points (1,467) and second to Bobby Hull in goals (541). Mikita was a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup Championship team and paced the team in scoring throughout the playoffs.
As a six-time First Team All-Star (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1968) and two-time Second Team All-Star (1965, 1970), Mikita was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. In addition to being the first Czechoslovakian-born player in the NHL, he won numerous league awards including the Art Ross Trophy four times (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), Hart Trophy two times (1967, 1968), Lady Byng Memorial Trophy two times (1967, 1968) and Lester Patrick Trophy once (1976). He is also the only player in NHL history to win the Art Ross, Hart and Lady Byng Trophies in the same season, and did so consecutively in the 1966-67 and 1967-68 seasons.
Mikita was also named a Blackhawks Ambassador, a role that connects the Blackhawks' past and present through a variety of fan engagement activities, in a ceremony at the United Center on March 7, 2008. His legacy is also celebrated in the form of a bronze life-sized statue located on the northeast plaza outside of the United Center near Madison Street.
Throughout this season, the Blackhawks once again honored past alumni with "One More Shift", an ode to former players that allows fans to recognize them one more time as they skate on the ice. Former forwards Bryan Bickell, Al Secord, Eric Daze and Troy Murray were previous honorees, marking the continuation of the campaign launched in 2016-17, which honored Blackhawks Ambassador Denis Savard, former forwards Steve Larmer and Jeremy Roenick, and former goaltender Ed Belfour.
Friday's game against St. Louis will be broadcast locally on NBC Sports Chicago, streamed on NBCSportsChicago.com and on the NBC Sports app as well as heard on WGN Radio and in Spanish on Univision Deportes Radio - WRTO 1200AM.
