It was incredibly sad but unfortunately not surprising when news broke recently that former NHL winger Marian Hossa said he is not going to play hockey anymore. The quote from Hossa came from a Slovakian news outlet called Novy Cas. His exact quote, "I will not play hockey anymore." Last year, he missed the entire season due to severe skin allergies he developed from his hockey uniform, a condition that was actually not that uncommon for other former NHL players who played years ago.
With the allergies being so bad to the point where he could not play, it seemed like his retirement was inevitable.
The condition is known around hockey as "the gunk," and it causes rashes so bad they ooze and itch terribly. Marian Hossa (39) had played 20 years in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks. While he is retiring by not playing, he will still be put on long-term injured reserve as he is still under contract with the Blackhawks.
A generational talent
Marian Hossa has been one of the most respected players in hockey for two decades. He made his debut on October 1, 1997, and played his final game on April 20, 2017. A skilled two-way player who had an incredible hockey IQ, the Slovakian winger scored 525 career goals with 609 assists totaling 1,134 points in 1,309 games.
15 different seasons he scored 20 goals or more, with eight of those scoring 30 or more. He recorded 149 points in 205 career playoff games.
Hossa's 525 career goals are 35th on the all-time list right behind Frank Mahovlich and Patrick Marleau. He is 54th in terms of total points right behind Nicklas Lidstrom. Overall with these career number, he is very likely to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day.
He will likely be most remembered as a Chicago Blackhawk and Ottawa Senator as he spent a combined 15 seasons with those teams. All of his Stanley Cup rings came in Chicago (2010, 2013, 2015) where he spent his final eight seasons of his career.
Career highlights include his 500th career goal on October 18, 2016, against the Flyers, his game-winning goal against Nashville in Game 5 of the first round of the 2010 playoffs and raising the Stanley Cup for the first time on June 9, 2010.
Moving forward
As previously mentioned, Hossa is still under contract with Chicago. Before the 2009-10 season, he signed a 12-year, $63.3 million deal with the Blackhawks. He still has three years left on his deal, but he will be on LTIR until his contract is up and he will officially be retired. Being on LTIR prevents a cap hit on the Blackhawks.
No matter what, Hossa was one of the best free agent signings in Chicago sports history and every bit of the contract was worth it. He was still riding pretty well in his final season, 26 goals and 45 points in 73 games at age 38. Even if he cannot complete the last four years of his deal, he still helped the Blackhawks to three Cups and tallied 186 goals in Chicago. Every team that he played for was blessed to have his talents regardless if he won a title with them or not. Best wishes to Marian Hossa going forward.
