On June 24, 2020, Marian Hossa was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 Induction class.
A 19-year veteran, three-time Stanley Cup champion and five-time NHL All-Star, Hossa had 10 seasons with at least 60 points to his name over his career. He will be just the third Slovakian player to be inducted in the Hall, joining fellow-Blackhawk Stan Mikita and Peter Stastny.
He will become the 38th Blackhawks player to be enshrined in Toronto.
If it were up to Chicago fans, Marian Hossa would have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday.
A regal presence on the ice and on the bus, Hossa was part of a Blackhawks cadre that earned three Stanley Cups within six seasons, the most productive stretch in franchise history, a reign that defines a dynasty.
"I played 19 years in the National Hockey League," said Hossa. "The longest part of my career was with the Blackhawks, and for my family and me, also the best part."
Receiving a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame is perhaps the ultimate achievement for a hockey player. It takes a lot to win a Stanley Cup, but it takes even more to be cemented among the game's all-time best. A distinct few don't wait long, just three years after their playing careers are over. Others wait, year after year, perhaps wondering if a call will ever come from the Toronto area as Spring turns to Summer.
A pair of former Blackhawks were on each end of the spectrum as the Hall elected its 2020 Inductees.
Marian Hossa, having achieved demigod status in Chicago, seemed to many a shoo-in for selection in just his first year of eligibility after a 19-year NHL career across five teams and a trio of Cups in his final stop. Now living back in his native Slovakia, he was grateful to even be in the conversation and was ready for a call, should it come: "My wife was making dinner and I said 'Either there's going to be a call from Canada or not, so we'll see.'"
19
NHL seasons
1,309
NHL games
5
NHL All-Star selections
525
Regular-season goals
609
Regular-season assists
10
Seasons with 60+ points
3
Stanley Cups
149
Playoff points
205
Playoff games