The Top Ten Greatest Chicago Blackhawks of All-Time List Has Been Revealed

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Joshua Deeds
August 25, 2024 (4:47 PM)

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The Chicago Blackhawks have been an NHL fixture since 1926-1927. The recent decade for the team was it's best, winning 3 Stanley Cup championships. They defeated the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Philadelphia Flyers for each title.

It'd seem that Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith would be some of the top-ranked Blackhawks of their time. But in all-time rankings, the best player is arguably Bobby Hull.

Bobby Hull

The Blackhawks Bobby Hull took two years to find his game in the NHL but when he did became a goal-scoring machine. He scored an NHL-leading 39 goals in 1959-1960 and would reach the 50-goal territory two years later. He'd reach that level four more times in the WHA with the Winnipeg Jets. His move to the WHA hurt the Blackhawks, as they couldn't match the $1 Million dollar payday.

Hull was a fan favorite in Chicago, and fans were excited to see his end-to-end rushes. His huge slap shot was the hardest in the league from his tenure in 1958 to 1972. The Hall of Famer played 1,036 games by the Blackhawks and scored 1,153 points(604 G, 549 A) and scored 14 points(4 G, 10 A) in the 1961 playoff run, which won the team a Stanley Cup. He scored 129 points( 62 G, 67 A) in 119 playoff games.

Stan Mikita & Patrick Kane

Stan Mikita was partnered with Bobby Hull to lead a dynamic Blackhawks team for 22 years. Mikita was a face-off expert, dominant in defense, and an excellent offensive player, scoring 1,467 points. And at a 5'9", 169 stature he wasn't afraid to stick up for his teammates, accumulating 100 pims three times through 1964-1965 and would later win a Lady Byng ionically. He was also a four-time scoring champion.

Patrick Kane of course, is an iconic figure in the Blackhawks organization not only for delivering three Stanley Cups, but his patented celly and his ability to dominate games. As his puck-handling abilities are second to none as his dekes and feints broke ankles regularly, and would end up one-on-one with goalies, or lead to a pass to an open teammate for a goal-scoring opportunity. Kane's score 1,225 points in a Blackhawks uniform and his most famous moment was in Game 6, 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers, as his overtime goal secured a Stanley Cup win.

Kane is considered to be one of the greatest American-born players in NHL history.

Jonathan Toews & Denis Savard

You could compare the duos of Hull and Mikita, to Toews and Kane, as all four players proved to be dominant during their time in the NHL. Toews proved to be an all-around great player in the NHL, dominant in face-offs, a responsible defensive player, and a great playmaker.

Toews took the role of Captain seriously, taking the team to three Stanley Cups, and won the Conne Smyth Trophy in 2010. He also won a Selke Trophy in 2012-2013. His best season in the NHL came in 2018-2019, scoring 81 points( 35 G, 46 A) and scored 883 points in 1,067 games.

Few NHLers have the finesse of Hall-of-Famer, Denis Savard who perfected his spinorama move, which would leave defenseman stunned. He joined the NHL in 1980-1981 scoring 28 goals, following it up with four 30-goal seasons in the NHL. He would prove his consistent with three more 40-goal seasons.

He would play with the Blackhawks for 13 years, then with the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Savard was a great playmaker who scored 1,096 points( 377 G, 719 Assists) in 881 games with the Blackhawks.

Duncan Keith & Chris Chelios

Duncan Keith was a stalwart on the Blackhawks defense from 2005-2006 to 2020-2021. He would earn two Norris Trophies, amongst his three Stanley Cups. He'd also secure a Conne Smyth trophy in 2015, after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Keith played a two-way style, offering offensive skills, while playing a physical, defensive style. His 69 points in 209-2010, were a career-high for the defenseman, and he played with courage not seen in many, as he took a puck to the teeth in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks. The Hawks would sweep the series, despite Keith losing several teeth.

Chris Chelios was one of the most skilled defensemen in the Blackhawks organization, as the Chicago-born player started his career with the Montreal Canadiens. He was a vicious blueliner, who had a complete game by his arrival in 1990-1991 to the Hawks. Chelios was a three-time, first-team All-Star, and a two-time Norris Trophy winner with the Blackhawks. He spent nine years in Chicago scoring 487 points in 664 regular season games.

He was also a playoff performer, scoring 21 points in 18 games during the 1992 post-season. He'd also help the Blackhawks sweep the Canucks in four games, with two back-to-back overtime goals.

Tony, Doug, and JR

There have been few goalies who've been as impactful as Tony Esposito was during his time as a Blackhawk. During the 1969-1970 season he compiled a 38-17-8 record, 2.17 GAA, and a .932 save percentage with 15 shutouts.

He would secure the Vezina Trophy, and Calder Trophy, and be a first-team All-Star that season. He would spend 15 years with the Blackhawks winning four more Vezina Trophies and four more All-Star nods.

Doug Wilson was a great two-way defenseman during his time of play.

Wilson played for the Blackhawks for 14 years, from 1977 to 1991, and scored 779 points in 928 games. He'd win a Norris Trophy, Three All-Star nods, and a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, during the 1981-1982 season he'd score 85 points(39 G, 46 A).

Jeremy Roenick was known for his aggressive skating style, and ironically despite his skinny stature would be known for his fierce, hard-hitting style of play being relentless with body checks. He'd grow to 6'1", 205 pounds, and would then become a back-to-back 50-point goal scorer in 1991-1992 and the following season.

Roenick played eight seasons with the Blackhawks scoring 596 points, and would play for for more NHL franchises. He was nominated to the Hockey Hall of Famer in 2024.

Source: Clutch Points
Ranking 10 greatest Chicago Blackhawks of all time