'It was great, it was special,' Kane said following a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh. He became the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Glenn Hall (No. 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.Īnd then, it was finally time to lift No. The loudest ovation came when Hossa made his entrance from the Zamboni tunnel, as expected. 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.

All Rights Reserved.The 50-minute pregame ceremony started with a guest appearance by Eddie Olczyk, who emceed the event. If he retires now, the Blackhawks would be hit with a 'cap recapture' penalty of $3.675 million until 2020-'21, Friedman reported. Hossa is owed $1 million in each of the next four years, but his cap hit is $5.275 million, the average annual value of the deal. Hossa has four seasons left on what was originally a 12-year, $63-million deal, most of which has been paid, as it was front-loaded. The catch is that if this situation is strung out and he doesn't retire, the Blackhawks could receive some cap relief by placing him on the long-term injured reserve that they wouldn't receive if he retired, Friedman reported. If Hossa's playing days are indeed done, retirement would seem logical. How exactly this situation plays out remains murky.

He had 26 goals and 19 assists in 73 games last season, after which he indicated he had no plans to retire. While details of this medical situation remain rather unclear, the 38-year-old Hossa suffers from an allergic reaction to the equipment he wears, Friedman reported, to the extent that he's had to have his blood tested every few weeks because the medication to combat it is so potent.Ī 19-year NHL veteran, Hossa has spent the past eight seasons with the Blackhawks, serving as a key part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams.

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