The Chicago Blackhawks officially have their Inaugural Hall of Fame class in the books. There is something special about each one of them.
On Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks held a ceremony to honor those who were named to the inaugural Blackhawks Hall of Fame.
The class of 2026 includes the 9 players who had their numbers retired before the 2025-26 season, two players who were voted in, and Troy Murray, who passed away in March.
The two players voted in came from two categories. The first was the “modern alumnus ballot” and the second was the “heritage alumnus ballot”.
Every player selected was a special part of the franchise’s first 100 years. Each player had something incredible about them that earned them this prestigious honor. Here is one thought per player that details why they are in the position that they’re in:
Troy Murray
Troy Murray embodied what it meant to be a Chicago Blackhawks player, alumnus, broadcaster, and ambassador. He was not born in Chicago, but he ingratiated himself as well as any athlete the town has ever seen.
Murray lost his long, hard-fought battle with cancer in March. Since then, the tributes, prayers, and love have been pouring in from the entire hockey community and beyond. There has been no shortage of proof of how special he was.
He is going in as a builder, which makes him the first builder to enter the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. Pat Foley said it best: he was never the best player on his team, but he was always one of the most important. Wearing a letter at every stop proves that.
With that said, Murray was also a very good player in all three zones. When he retired, very good would be an understatement when describing his impact on the franchise.
Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall is one of the greatest goaltenders in Blackhawks history. He didn't earn the nickname "Mr. Goalie" by accident. Hall passed away earlier this season at the age of 94, and the Blackhawks community has felt the outpouring of love and support.
Hall won the Calder Trophy as a rookie, the Vezina Trophy three times, the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks once, and had 502 consecutive goalie starts, an NHL record that holds to this day.
Pierre Pilote
Pierre Pilot was a defenseman for the ages during his time. Before a guy named Bobby Orr came around, Pilot was one of the standards for offensive defensemen. He won the Norris Trophy in three straight seasons from 1963 to 1965. He followed that up with two straight second-place finishes in 1966 and 1967.
In the final stretch of the original six days, Pilot helped the Blackhawks achieve a lot, including winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1961.
Keith Magnuson
Keith Magnuson didn't have the longest career of all time, but he played a key role on the team as a shutdown guy during the entire 1970s decade. Sometimes, it isn't about racking up all of the points, even back then. Magnuson was a winning hockey player who helped the Blackhawks transition into the post-Original Six era.
Chris Chelios
You know a guy was great for a franchise when he played with them for seven years, but wasn't his first team, and then moved on to play with their biggest rival for ten years after that. That was the case for Chris Chelios, who was one of the greatest defenseman in not only Blackhawks history, but NHL history.
With the Blackhawks, Chelios won two of his three Norris Trophies. Although his three Stanley Cups came away from Chicago, He was a big part of some incredible Western Conference powerhouses during his time with the Blackhawks.
In recent years, Chelios has returned to the Blackhawks to be around a lot more. His number was retired, and the fanbase fell back in love with this all-time great player, despite how his playing career with the Hawks ended. Being a Chicago kid certainly helps his case.
Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull is the greatest goal scorer in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. A handful of players have come through and given him a run for his money in terms of pure offense, but his 604 career goals stand alone by a long shot.
Hull passed away in 2023, but the man known as "The Golden Jet" will always be remembered as an all-time great player.
Denis Savard
Denis Savard won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1990s, but his career was mostly spent with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Over 1000 of his 1338 points were in a Blackhawks sweater, making him one of the most prolific forwards in franchise history. The man known as "Savvy" was never a winner of an individual award, but he was one of the most entertaining players of his era.
In terms of pure "must-see-TV", Savard is near the top in the history of the franchise. When the puck was on his stick, you knew something amazing was going to happen.
Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita stands alone as the all-time leading scorer in Chicago Blackhawks history with 1467 points. His career was as decorated as any in the earlier days of the franchise. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1961, as did many of the players on this list, but his accolades don't end there.
Mikita won the Art Ross as the league's leading scorer four times, the Lady Byng twice, and the Hart Trophy once. For over two decades, with Chicago, Mikita was a consistent player. Despite having over 1400 points, he never had over 100 in a season, but you knew he would be one of the best players in the league every single year.
Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito played 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1968-69, but he carried his rookie status into the following season, where he won the Calder Trophy as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
From there, "Tony-O" never played a game for another team. His career went for another 15 years, all with Chicago. That included three Vezina Trophies and five all-star appearances. He was truly one of the greatest that the game has ever seen, especially for his time.
Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa was the greatest free agent signing in the history of Chicago sports. They already had a good team that was in the Western Conference Finals when he arrived, and he pushed them over the edge.
After losing in the final twice with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, Hossa came to Chicago and won three Stanley Cups, solidifying him as one of the greatest two-way wingers that the game has ever seen.
Marian Hossa's game was like if you took Patrick Kane's offensive skills and combined them with the two-way prowess of Jonathan Toews. He sacrificed a little bit of offense to be a responsible player in all three zones, which made him a winning player.
Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith was elected with the "Modern" ballot, and rightfully so. He is the greatest defenseman to ever suit up with the Blackhawks. He played all but one of his NHL seasons with Chicago before riding off into the sunset with the Edmonton Oilers.
Not only did Keith win the Stanley Cup three times as Chicago's number one defenseman, but he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 2015. Those awards complement his two Norris Trophies very well.
When the Blackhawks were down a goal late, up a goal late, on the power play, or on the penalty kill, Keith was on the ice. He could play for half the game without breaking a sweat, and had a bit of nastiness to his game when he needed it.
The Blackhawks had a lot of firepower up front during their dynasty, but they would have won nothing without making Keith their second-round pick (54th overall) in 2022.
Steve Larmer
A wise man once said, "Retire 28." Although Steve Larmer's number is not being retired, at least not yet, he was the elected player from the "Heritage Ballot". It's fair to call him one of the most underrated players in franchise history.
Larmer was an outstanding Blackhawks player for a long time. He spent the first 13 years of his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks before a quick two seasons with the New York Rangers, where he would win the Stanley Cup in 1994.
Steve Larmer played in 1006 NHL games and had 1012 points, including 441 goals. In his first full season, he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, and that was the first of 10 straight seasons in which he played all 80 games.
Sometimes, being a consistently great player who can play with other great players is the most valuable key to being a top NHL producer. Larmer was a great player who deserves all of the praise he is getting for the career that he had.
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