Why Marian Hossa Is An Odd Choice For Jersey Retirement

Seeing a player’s jersey retired seemed like the rarest of rare accomplishments growing up. My New Jersey Devils only had two retired numbers for most of my life in Scott Stevens and Ken Danyeko (that number has since grown to five).

Granted the Devils are “new” by NHL standard, but it was always an interesting sightseeing Stanley Cup banners outnumber retired number banners (well, at least until Martin Brodeur was the fourth number retired during the 2015-2016 season).

Jersey retirements seem to have gotten much more common. That’s not just in the NHL but in all professional sports. Maybe it’s because some teams see it as a glorious marketing opportunity. Maybe some teams are trying to recognize as many players as possible.

Both those reasons might be what encouraged the Chicago Blackhawks to retire Marian Hossa’s number on November 20th. Hossa was a great enough player that his Hall of Fame credentials shouldn’t be called into question. Then again, a jersey retirement was supposed to be an even rarer honor, the kind saved for the game’s best and franchise icons. Does Hossa fit those?

The Blackhawks will retire Marian Hossa’s jersey this season. Does he deserve the honor, or is their front office just being opportunistic?

Yes, Hossa was a part of all three cups of Chicago’s mini-dynasty from 2010-2015. Then again he stopped in Chicago at the end of his cup hopping tour that saw him on the losing end of the Stanley Cup final with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in the two years before joining the Blackhawks in 2010. He did not spend the majority of his career in Chicago, only playing eight of his 19 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks.

Chicago has only retired seven numbers in their entire history. This will be the first jersey to head to the rafters since Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson had their numbers retired in a joint ceremony in November 2008.

The Blackhawks mini-dynasty was sure to feature a few jersey retirements, most notably still active Chicago players Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Hossa is an interesting choice to “break the ice” (pun intended) for the next group of Blackhawks players with their jerseys retired. Then again Hossa’s career did end before Kane and Toews.

Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz called Hossa “the greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history” and the “missing piece” to the mini-dynasty. Hossa was one of the few players on both the 2010 and 2013 cup teams as Chicago dealt with cap-motivated roster turnover in three short years. Being a part of that exclusive holdover group might have helped Hossa’s case.

Comparing Hossa to the former Blackhawks with retired numbers is a rather hard task. Dennis Savard was the player who most recently played with Chicago in 1988. The most recent player before him was Tony Esposito, whose playing days in Chicago ended in 1984. Hossa’s time in Chicago was entirely in the post-lockout NHL, so we’re talking about two entirely different eras.

The Blackhawks’ front office must love the marketing opportunities coming with this. This is sure to be a rebuilding year, as seen with the offseason departures of Kirby Dach and Alex Debrincat via trade. A jersey retirement gives the team something to celebrate, which translates into something fans can spend money on. That doesn’t include game tickets for November 20th, but also all those commemorative t-shirts and pucks that are sure to be sold at a hefty price in team gift shops.

Hossa had his most memorable years as a member of the Blackhawks. Ask most hockey purists who their “Mount Rushmore” of Chicago players includes, and they’re likely to leave Hossa off the list. That’s what makes his jersey retirement one of much debate.