Marion Hossa - Hall of Fame

Tweet

Hello all, I didn’t get to write about this till now because I kept forgetting to. I wanted to share with you all since I have been a big fan for years. On Monday the 15th Marion Hossa was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. He was a first ballot inductee, meaning he was inducted on his first available year. In my opinion Marion was a very underrated player his whole career. Marion was first drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round in 1997, he was the 12th player selected in the draft. He was a right winger from Czechoslovakia. He played his first 7 years for the Senators. In his rookie year even though he missed 2 months due to injury he managed to be voted 2nd in rookie of the year voting. Marion would go on to play for the Atlanta Thrasher, Pittsburg Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. While playing for the Pittsburg Penguins they would lose to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Championship, he would then be traded to the Red Wings the following year. Who would get to the Stanley Cup Championship that year? Yes, his former team the Pittsburg Penguins and his new team the Red Wings would both get there again, and Marion would be on the losing side again. Two years in a row he lost in the finals. The end of the 2009 season would see Marion be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. I remember hearing that and being so happy what we got him. Many people were worried due to right after drafting him it was announced that he had to have surgery and would miss the first eight weeks of the season. Of course, people wondered if he would be the same and I have to admit I was worried too. His first game back he scored twice in the game, and all was well. Marion would go on to help the team win 3 Stanley Cup Championships (2010, 2013, and 2015), He would gather 5 All-Star appearances in his career also. He also played in 4 Winter Olympics although his home team never medaled in those games. He would be the 44th player in NHL history to score 500 goals and the 80th player to score 1,000 points. Marion would be arguably one of the greatest 2-way players. He also is known as one of the cleanest players to play the game earning him respect around the league not only by his teammates but also his opposing players. What they can’t put in the stats is the leadership and gamesmanship he brought to the game. Besides all that he was a great person off the ice too. I had the honor of meeting him twice. Once at an autograph signing event held by the Chicago Blackhawks and the second was at a charity event. The autograph signing, I really didn’t get much chance to say much to him but at the charity event I had the chance to talk with him for about 30 minutes or so and he was very nice and a down to earth and funny guy. Congrats Marion on the Hall of Fame, you deserve it.