The Blackhawks officially raised Marian Hossa's No. 81 to the United Center rafters on Sunday, and it was a night that won't be forgotten by anyone that was in the building.
The 50-minute pregame ceremony started with a guest appearance by Eddie Olczyk, who emceed the event. It continued with former teammates Niklas Hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews joining the center circle, and also included a surprise appearance from the Stanley Cup.
The loudest ovation came when Hossa made his entrance from the Zamboni tunnel, as expected. After a five-minute video montage, Hossa stepped to the mic and his speech tugged on Chicago's heartstrings and included some witty jokes, which was a perfect encapsulation of Hossa's personality.
And then, it was finally time to lift No. 81 to the rafters. He became the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Glenn Hall (No. 1), Keith Magnuson (No. 3), Pierre Pilote (No. 3), Bobby Hull (No. 9), Denis Savard (No. 18), Stan Mikita (No. 21) and Tony Esposito (No. 35).
"It was great, it was special," Kane said following a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh. "I think a lot of us were looking at each other saying, ‘This is pretty cool.’ So happy for Marian and his family. It’s fun to be a part of it and well-deserved honor."
One of the most memorable photos of the evening came when Hossa took a picture with the Stanley Cup and his six other three-time champion teammates.
"It was amazing times with a lot of those guys and a lot of great memories," Kane said. "It’s just fun to see them. You’re used to seeing them every day for such a long time and then all of a sudden you don’t really see them as much anymore. It’s like when you finally see them it just brings pure excitement and lot of joy. It’s a special night and a lot of special people were a part of it."
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Hossa was the first one of the championship core to have his number retired, but he certainly won't be the last. It's only a matter of time before No. 2, 19 and 88 join him.
"Something tells me very soon I'll be flying back to Chicago to raise a few more of these jerseys," Hossa said with a smile. "I feel like, all week, I'm taking all the credit but because of these guys and the guys we won the Stanley Cup with, that's why I'm here. So thank you guys."
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