Chicago Blackhawks Quarter-Century Teams

With 2025 one day away, the NHL is celebrating the best of the past 25 years by revealing Quarter-Century Teams for each of the League's 32 franchises and the Arizona Coyotes.

Each club will be represented by a first team and second team of six players -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- who played for the franchise after Jan. 1, 2000. The first and second teams were selected by broadcasters, national, local and NHL.com writers who have covered the respective teams, in addition to select former players.

The six players voted to each First Team will be on the ballot for the NHL All Quarter-Century Team that will be chosen via a fan vote that will start in February.

We begin today by revealing the First and Second Quarter-Century Teams for the Chicago Blackhawks, who are playing the St. Louis Blues in the Discover Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. NHL.com is also revealing the Blues’ Quarter-Century Teams today.

Players are listed in alphabetical order:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS QUARTER-CENTURY TEAM

First Team

Forwards

Patrick Kane

Patrick Sharp

Jonathan Toews

Defensemen

Duncan Keith

Brent Seabrook

Goalie

Corey Crawford

Forwards: Kane and Toews were the faces of the Blackhawks through their glory years, with each making his NHL debut for Chicago in 2007-08. Kane has the most points by far of any Blackhawks player since the turn of the century with 1,225 (446 goals, 779 assists) in 1,161 games. Toews is next with 883 points (372 goals, 511 assists) in 1,067 games. Kane won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2013 and Toews won the award for the 2010 playoffs. Sharp, who began his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, had two stints with the Blackhawks and is third among Chicago forwards in the time frame with 532 points (249 goals, 283 assists) in 749 games. All three were key in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Defensemen: If Kane and Toews were the faces of the Blackhawks, Keith and Seabrook were the backbone of their defense. Longtime partners as part of the top defense pair, each played more than 1,000 games for Chicago. Keith had 625 points (105 goals, 520 assists) in 1,192 career games and Seabrook had 464 points (103 goals, 361 assists) in 1,114 games. Keith won the Norris Trophy, awarded to the top defenseman in the NHL, in 2009-10 and 2013-14 and was the unanimous pick for the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2015 playoffs. The two were also with the team for the three times the Blackhawks won the Cup in the 2010s.

Goalie: Crawford almost made the roster in 2009-10 but the Blackhawks went with Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet. Crawford broke through the following year, becoming their No. 1 goalie midway through the 2010-11 season. A Stanley Cup winner in 2013 and 2015, Crawford was 260-162-53 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts in 488 games with the Blackhawks. It took time for Crawford to reach the NHL (he spent five seasons in the American Hockey League) but once he did, he made his mark.

Second team

Forwards

Alex DeBrincat

Marian Hossa

Brandon Saad

Defensemen

Brian Campbell

Niklas Hjalmarsson

Goalie

Jocelyn Thibault

Forwards: When a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (Marian Hossa was elected in his first year of eligibility in 2020) is part of your second group, it speaks volumes for the forward talent the Blackhawks had the past quarter century. Hossa started his career with the Senators and played for the Blackhawks from 2009-17, getting 415 points (186 goals, 229 assists) in 534 games with them. A three-time Cup winner with the Blackhawks, Hossa had to quit hockey in 2017 due to a skin condition. Saad, who was part of the 2013 and 2015 Cup teams, is seventh among Blackhawks forwards since Jan. 1, 2000, with 241 points (114 goals, 127 assists) in 428 games. DeBrincat formed a great forward partnership with Kane in most of his time with the Blackhawks and had 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 games.

Defensemen: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2008, Campbell was already a veteran of nine NHL seasons when he joined the Blackhawks. In two stints with them, including 2009-10 when they won the Stanley Cup, Campbell had 134 points (24 goals, 110 assists) in 295 games. Hjalmarsson had 143 points (23 goals, 120 assists) in 623 games for Chicago. He wasn't known for his offense as much as his defense, blocking 1,186 shots in his time with Chicago.

Goalie: Thibault spent parts of six seasons with the Blackhawks from 1998-2004, going 110-104 with 28 ties, with a 2.59 GAA, .905 save percentage and 23 shutouts in 245 games.

Coming Wednesday: Arizona Coyotes Quarter-Century Team