Take a look back the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980’s, the NHL’s last great dynasty in the pre-salary cap era. Look deeper and you’ll see a great list of Hall of Famers from that roster. Players who now can go to Oilers games and see their numbers hanging from the rafters, or see their statues outside or see their jerseys in games. Forwards Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, and Glenn Anderson are among those players. As is defenseman Paul Coffey and goaltender Grant Fuhr. It’s an amazing thing to look back at the careers of those players, who will not only be remembered as great Oilers but some of the greatest to ever play the game of hockey. The same is true of all dynasties, such as the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens. It was thought that the era of dynasties was over following the emplacement of the salary cap, but those who thought it was have been proven wrong by perhaps the greatest team in hockey right now. A team that has dominated everything from all-star appearances to Stanley Cup wins. A team that since the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs has played in 20 playoff series, a total of 117 postseason games. Even if you loosely follow hockey you’ve probably guessed that the team being referred to is the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks went to the Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings where they lost in five games. That was the start of the NHL’s first salary-cap era dynasty. The following year in 2010, Chicago bested their neighboring rival in Nashville, got past Vancouver in six, then swept San Jose for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. There, they met the Philadelphia Flyers who also fell to the Blackhawks. It took Chicago six games to win that series, a trend that has stuck. The following year Chicago found themselves down 3-0 in their first round series against the Canucks. They battled back and forced their rivals to the brink; a Game 7 in Vancouver. In overtime, Alexandre Burrows won it for Vancouver. Jim Hughson, who served as the play-by-play analyst for the series for CBC said “Finally, after three seasons, and 19 playoff games against Chicago, for Vancouver, it’s a wonderful day for an exorcism.” It truly was. While the Canucks would lose in the Cup Finals that year to the Boston Bruins, many former Canucks look back on that as being one of their fondest memories of the game. It stung Chicago, and things got worse the following season when The Blackhawks again suffered a first round exit, this time at the hands of the Phoenix Coyotes. Not only did they suffer from a first round exit but they also lost forward Marian Hossa to a cheap and dirty hit by Raffi Torres. Due to a lockout in the fall however, the team had more time to train and stay focused, something that benefited all the Blackhawks but Hossa especially. They were the hottest team in the league and went 21-0-3 in their first 24 games. An incredible streak and a great season that saw them capture the President's Trophy for having the best regular season record out of anyone in the NHL. After defeating Minnesota in five games in the first round, the Hawks went down 3-1 to their longtime rivals the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. They rallied and beat Detroit in Game 7 and then won the Western Conference by defeating the reigning Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles Kings in five games. In 2014 they looked to be the first repeat champions since the Red Wings did it in the late 1990’s. They knocked off their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues then faced the Minnesota Wild again and beat them four games to two. It was repeat also, in the Western Conference Finals when they met the Kings. LA had a 3-1 lead before Chicago tied the series and forced a Game 7 in Chicago. However, a shot by Alec Martinez in overtime won it for the Kings and halted the Hawks repeat hopes. In 2015, they met the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs. They beat the Predators 4-2 in the series then swept the Minnesota Wild in the second round and faced the Anaheim Ducks in the conference finals. The Ducks provided one of the biggest tests the Hawks have faced in recent years, hitting them harder than any opponent had before and went up 3-2 in the series. Unfortunately for Anaheim, Chicago had faced tough challenges before and beat the Ducks in seven games. They moved on to the Stanley Cup Finals and met the Tampa Bay Lightning. After Tampa Bay went up 2-1 in the series, Chicago won three straight against Tampa Bay (the first time the whole season Tampa had lost more than two games in a row and also the first time they had been shutout, which they were in Game 6). It was Chicago’s first win at home in their recent dynasty years.
How does Chicago continue to do this? How do the Blackhawks continue to do so well year after year while continually facing new challenges? The answer is simple: their players. The Chicago Blackhawks have had so many great rosters which have helped them to win. Now we’ll examine the four Blackhawks who are seem to be well on their way to the Hall of Fame.
Jonathan Toews- The captain of this team from before their first Stanley Cup win, Toews is a lock for the Hall of Fame. He is a fantastic captain, one of the best the game has ever seen. He is the only captain in the league to have three Stanley Cup rings, and one of still a small number of players who have three Cups on their resume. He’s won gold at the World Championship as well as two gold medals from the World Juniors and the Olympics (he was named the best forward of the 2010 Men’s Olympics Ice Hockey Tournament). He’s also the youngest person ever to join the Triple Gold Club (with a gold medal from both the Olympics and World Championships as well as Stanley Cup win). He has a Conn Smythe from his first Stanley Cup win in 2010, becoming the second youngest player in league history to do so. He was nominated for the Calder Trophy in his rookie year, losing out to a teammate listed below. He is a four time all star and a one time Frank J. Selke Trophy (awarded to the league’s best defensive forward). He also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the Espy for the Best NHL player (both won in 2015). Statistics wise, Toews has played in 565 regular season games and posted 223 goals and 506 points in that time. In the playoffs, he’s played in all 117 playoff games that Chicago has played since 2009 and scored 39 goals and 102 points in that span. Toews, a son of Winnipeg, has become a symbol of hockey not just for kids in Manitoba but around the hockey world.
Patrick Kane- The second key member of the Blackhawks success, Kane may be the best player in hockey right now. With his recent 26 game point streak, the longest in more than two decades, Kane is leading the league going into the Christmas break with 50 points, the only player in the league with that many. His streak is both the longest by any US born NHLer and the longest in Blackhawks franchise history. He’s projected to score 120 points or more, an incredible mark in today’s NHL where goal scoring seems to be decreasing every year. Kane also has three Stanley Cup rings as well as his name on the Conn Smythe from the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kane won Bronze in the World Juniors and silver in the Olympics. He beat out Toews and Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom for the Calder Trophy in 2008. He’s come to be known as a clutch player (examples are in the work, such as his hat trick against the Kings to send the Hawks to the Cup Finals in 2013 and his insurance goal against Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last summer to extend Chicago’s lead in the game to 2-0 and of course, most notably,his overtime Cup winner against Philadelphia in 2010). He tied for the league lead in postseason scoring last year as well with Tyler Johnson of the Lightning, both had 23 points. Patrick Kane 205 goals and 557 points in 576 career regular season games. He’s almost a point per game producer in the playoffs with 114 points in 116 games. Kane is by far the best American playing hockey right now, and perhaps one of the best in USA hockey history. And one day he will be able to see his name in the Hall of Fame.
Duncan Keith- The stud of a defenseman who many insist never gets tired, Keith is the star of the Blackhawks blueline. Keith has his name on the Stanley Cup three times as well as two gold medals. He won a silver medal as well from the World Championships. Perhaps if he ever gets a short offseason, he’ll be able to join Canada’s squad and attempt to get a gold medal there as well. He’s been named the NHL’s best defenseman twice since 2010 and his prowess showed in Chicago’s most recent Cup win when he was named Conn Smythe Trophy Winner. It was voted to him unanimously. The Blackhawks certainly have faith in him since he is in the midst of a 13 year, $72 million contract. His deal will last him until the 2023-24 season when he’ll be 40 years of age. The contract also has a NTC. He, along with teammate Brent Seabrook have formed one of the best shutdown defensive pairings in the NHL in the last few years. Keith is an alternate captain and a five time all-star. In 766 regular season games, Keith has accumulated 75 goals and 415 points. In the playoffs, he’s got 15 goals and 75 points in 116 games.
Marian Hossa- Five Stanley Cup Finals appearances have gotten Hossa three rings but his career is much more than that. After ten seasons spent between the Ottawa Senators and the Atlanta Thrashers, Hossa got dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins to help them with their coming Stanley Cup playoff appearance which saw them make it to the Stanley Cup Finals where they were beaten by the Detroit Red Wings. Despite receiving a long term offer from Pittsburgh (he was also rumored to have gotten an offer from the Oilers as well), Hossa signed with the Red Wings who went to a second straight Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, Hossa lost again to the team he had just left a year earlier. He then signed with Chicago, winning his first Stanley Cup in 2010. Jonathan Toews handed the Cup to him first after receiving it from the commissioner. Hossa, as mentioned above, suffered a terrible hit from Torres in 2012 but was a great player for Chicago at the start of the 2013 lockout season. He captured his second Cup then and his third this past summer. Hossa, while having great offensive capabilities (including a century mark year in points in 2006-07), is also very known for his two-way game. He’s never placed higher than fourth in an international tournament but his NHL years well accommodate for that. In 1,172 regular season games, Hossa has tallied 486 goals and 1,056 points. His playoff years have earned him 49 goals and 144 points in 194 playoff games. He will become a UFA after the 2020-21 season when he will be 40 years of age.
These four have solidified their place as some of the greatest players in the league in the last decade or so. They seem to be locks for the Hall of Fame, but fear not Chicago fans, you may have more Hall of Famers coming besides these four. Perhaps Corey Crawford who has backstopped two Cup wins, or Brent Seabrook who has been Chicago’s other star defenseman. There may be some as well who have moved on from the team, such as Patrick Sharp or Brad Richards. Maybe some lie in wait such as Artemi Panarin or Teuvo Teravainen who have yet to establish themselves but appear to be budding stars. Either way, this current dynasty is well on it’s way to leaving its mark in the Hall of Fame.