Marián Hossa Reveals His Rough Last 2 Years in the League & Injuries he had to hide

PUBLICATION

Stef
November 11, 2022 (12:02)

SHARE THIS STORY

Any fan of hockey is going want to read this book. Marián Hossa is an absolute legend and has all the inside stories you'd ever want to hear.

Originally from Slovakia, Hossa was drafted 12th overall by Ottawa in 1997. After winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, he scored his first NHL goal on December 9, 1998 against the Florida Panthers, and just kept getting better from there. The Senators held onto to him for 7 years before trading him to Atlanta, where he reached 100 points in the 2006-07 season. He remained there for one more year, then spent a year in Pittsburgh, where he helped the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Detroit. Coincidentally, Hossa joined the Red Wings the following year, only to meet up with his former team, again, in the Stanley Cup Final, and lose, again.

On July 1, 2009, the 30 year old signed a 12 year contract with the Blackhawks, though he missed the first 22 games due to an injury. But in 2010, he became the first player in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs 3 years in a row, with 3 different teams.

Three turned out to be Hossa's magic number, as he and the Hawks finally won the Cup on his 3rd trip - though he needed a little reassurance before celebrating with the rest of his team.

Hossa and the Hawks would go on to win the Stanley Cup two more times, but those wins weren't without sacrifice, as a back/leg injury plagued him during the 2013 Final.

Obviously, it all worked out in the end, but it just goes to show you that we never really know what the players are dealing with on any given day.
After scoring 26 goals in the 2016-17 season, the 38 year old superstar had to stop playing hockey because of a skin condition. He finished with 1,134 points (525 goals, 609 assists) in 1,309 NHL games during 19 seasons, and made the postseason in 17 of them, scoring 149 points (52 goals, 92 assists) in 205 playoff games. Hossa was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2020, his first year of eligibility.