Hall Of Famer Marian Hossa To Officially Retire With Blackhawks

CHICAGO — Marian Hossa considers coming to Chicago the best decision he ever made in his NHL career.

So it seems only fitting that the first-ballot Hall of Famer, who retired following the 2016-17 season, officially finishes his career where he made his biggest mark. The Blackhawks announced on Tuesday that Hossa will sign a one-day contract with the franchise on Thursday and will retire as a Blackhawk.

Hossa won three Stanley Cup titles with the Hawks after signing with the team in 2009. The Slovakian star finished his career with 415 points (186 goals, 219 assists) and scored 21 goals and registered 52 assists in 107 playoff games with the Hawks during his tenure in Chicago.

In his final season, he completed his run by scoring 26 goals, which represents one of 15 20-goal seasons he completed during his 19-year playing career. The five-time All-Star also tallied at least 60 points 10 times during his Hall of Fame career.

"The Blackhawks and the City of Chicago hold a special place in my heart," Hossa said in a statement released by the team on Tuesday.

"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 everywhere we went. Retiring as a Blackhawk is a dream come true, and I couldn't imagine officially ending my career in any other way."

Hossa will sign the one-day contract just before the Hawks take the ice at the United Center on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken.

Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz called Hossa the "greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history."

"Marian was the franchise's missing piece," Wirtz said. "Both on and off the ice, he made an indelible mark on his teammates and on our organization. ... 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 life."