(670 The Score) Hall of Fame winger Marian Hossa will sign a one-day contract Thursday and officially retire with the Blackhawks, the organization announced.
Hossa, who played eight of his 19 seasons with the Blackhawks, left hockey after the 2016-'17 season due to a progressive skin disorder. He'll sign the one-day contract in a pregame ceremony Thursday at the United Center prior to the Blackhawks' game against the Kraken.
“The Blackhawks and city of Chicago hold a special place in my heart," Hossa said in a statement. "Making the commitment to this organization in 2009 was the best decision I ever made. For all the memories my teammates and I made together, including three Stanley Cup wins, my family created just as many off the ice. The fans embraced us as one of their own, treating us so kindly wherever we went. Retiring as a Blackhawk is a dream come true and I couldn’t imagine officially ending my career in any other way. I would like to thank the Wirtz family for making this a reality and for all they have done for me since I signed with the team.”
Hossa, now 43, signed with the Blackhawks in 2009. He proved to be a key part of three Stanley Cup championships in Chicago, recording 186 goals and 229 assists with the team.
Hossa played seven seasons with the Senators (1997-2004), three with the Thrashers (2004-'08), part of one with the Penguins (2008) and one with the Red Wings (2008-'09) before joining the Blackhawks on a 12-year contract.
“To me, the greatest free-agent signing in Chicago sports history, Marian was the franchise’s missing piece," Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. "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 2009. We feel that it’s only fitting that Marian retire as a Blackhawk as he starts a new chapter in his life.”
Hossa was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a first-ballot member in 2020.