THE VERDICT: Why Hossa Should Be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer

If it were up to Chicago fans, Marian Hossa would have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday.

A regal presence on the ice and on the bus, Hossa was part of a Blackhawks cadre that earned three Stanley Cups within six seasons, the most productive stretch in franchise history, a reign that defines a dynasty.

"I played 19 years in the National Hockey League," said Hossa. "The longest part of my career was with the Blackhawks, and for my family and me, also the best part."

However, now is not about yesterday, but tomorrow. Wednesday, June 24, when the Class of 2020 Hall of Fame inductees shall be unveiled. In these uncertain times -- how often have you heard that lately? -- the shibboleth lives. All individuals who make it are worthy, as are several who don't quite qualify.

Jarome Iginla seems a lock to secure the required 14 votes from a panel of 18 that features former players, executives, even writers (!). But Hossa, also in his first year of eligibility, is right there, just as he always was, whether as a highly drafted prodigy with the Ottawa Senators or a respected rock of stability in Chicago.

"For sure, he belongs," said Scotty Bowman, the Blackhawks' Hall of Fame Senior Advisor/Hockey Operations and former member of the selection committee on which he served 15 years. "And I think he'll get in. His numbers speak for themselves, obviously.

"But he was also a tremendous two-way player with all the intangibles, like character and leadership. He checks all the boxes, including winning three Stanley Cups with Chicago. That counts for something, although there are guys who are in but didn't win Cups because maybe they were in the wrong place and the wrong time."

Indeed, Hossa understands. He joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008, but they lost the Final to the Detroit Red Wings. That summer, still craving a championship, he spurned better offers to sign with the mighty Red Wings. They went to the 2009 Final and lost to Pittsburgh.

"Regret?" said Hossa. "I don't. If I signed in Pittsburgh, maybe they don't sign some of the players they signed and would be a different team."

As Bowman noted, check the resume. Hossa scored 525 goals and 1,134 points in 1,309 games. Playoffs, 149 points in 205 games. He figured in multiple Selke Trophy races, but, as a winger instead of a usual center, never won it. If you coached a team, however, you wanted to deploy Hossa when it mattered. He was a 200-foot soldier who could shoot and feed. But, as though it were his first born or last dollar, Hossa protected the puck, or better yet, stripped it from an opponent. Revered throughout the NHL, Hossa was a humble, dedicated professional.

Thinking big, the ambitious new Blackhawks ownership snared Brian Campbell on July 1, 2008. Campbell, now also Hall eligible for the first time, was the best defenseman available. He chose Chicago. It was a statement. Exactly a year later, the main event. Hossa sensed that the industrious Blackhawks were going places, and he wanted to help take them there. The rest really is history.

In our opinion, Hossa is the best free agent acquisition in Chicago sports annals. The Bulls' Ron Harper was also part of three championship teams. Steve McMichael and Gary Fencik were vital to the Super Bowl XX Bears. Andre Dawson excelled with the Cubs en route to the Hall of Fame, as did Carlton Fisk with the White Sox. Jon Lester's arrival to the Cubs got baseball's attention, and a World Series followed. However, Hossa's impact on the Blackhawks surpassed all, despite a career curtailed by a skin disorder. He proved allergic to the very equipment he wore so proudly.

"Don't forget, the Hall of Fame doesn't induct a lot of people each year," Bowman continued. "Last year, three NHL players -- Guy Carbonneau, Vaclav Nedomansky, Sergei Zubov -- along with a woman, Hayley Wickenheiser, and two builders, like a general manager, coach, owner or referee.

"There are players on the ballot who haven't quite made it. Daniel Alfredsson, for one. A lot of credentials, but this is his second time around. Then there are those up for the first time, like Iginla. And Hossa. With certain names, it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when.' As I said before, Marian belongs."

If you watched Hossa perform, before perpetual United Center sellouts or on the road, the case is closed. Bronze.