NEWS: Blackhawks to Retire Marian Hossa's No. 81

Only one player in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks has worn the No. 81. And on Thursday night, it was made official that no other player ever will.
Next season, Marian Hossa's number will officially be retired to the rafters of the United Center, becoming just the seventh number ever retired by the Original Six team and the eighth player to receive the distinction.

"This is a special thing," Hossa said during the latest
Blackhawks Insider podcast
. "My goal was to retire as a Blackhawk and sign a one-day contract so I can happily retire as a Blackhawk, but when Rocky Wirtz announced it to me that he'd like to retire my jersey, I was blown away. I was speechless. It means so much to me. It's something when you play, you don't even think about those things, they don't cross your mind… I was humbled, thankful and it means a lot to me."

Hossa signed his one-day contract in a pregame ceremony and the announcement of his jersey officially being retired was made during the first period of Chicago's meeting with Seattle.
A first ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2020, Hossa signed with Chicago on July 1, 2009 and helped transform the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups (2010, 2013 and 2015) as one of the elite two-way players in the National Hockey League. The Stara Lubovna, Slovakia native posted 415 points (186G, 229A) in 534 career regular-season games with Chicago and added 73 points (21G, 52A) in 107 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blackhawks.
"To me, the greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history, Marian was the franchise's missing piece," Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said earlier in the week. "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 his team debut on Nov. 25, 2009 in San Jose, Hossa scored twice, including a shorthanded marker. He shared the NHL lead with five shorthanded markers that season. He appeared in the 2012 All-Star Game as a member of the Blackhawks and reached several other career milestones while wearing a Blackhawks sweater: appearing in his 1000th career NHL game on March 12, 2013, scoring his 1000th NHL point against Ottawa on Oct. 30, 2014 and registering his 500th goal on Oct. 18, 2016.
Hossa's goal in overtime to defeat the Nashville Predators in Game Five of the Stanley Cup First Round of the 2010 postseason remains one of the most significant markers in franchise history. The tally propelled the Blackhawks to a series-clinching victory in Game Six en route to the first Stanley Cup in 49 years for the club.
His 26 goals during the 2016-17 campaign with the Blackhawks, his last season in the NHL, was one of 15 20-goal seasons during his 19-year Hall of Fame Career. Hossa also earned five-career NHL All-Star Game selections and posted 10 seasons with 60+ points.

RETIRED BLACKHAWKS SWEATERS

| NO. | PLAYER | DATE RETIRED | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Glenn Hall | Nov. 20, 1988 | | 3 | Pierre Pilote
Keith Magnuson | Nov. 12, 2008 | | 9 | Bobby Hull | Dec. 18, 1983 | | 18 | Denis Savard | March 19, 1998 | | 21 | Stan Mikita | Oct. 19, 1980 | | 35 | Tony Esposito | Nov. 20, 1988 |