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Hossa to sign one-day contract, retire with Hawks

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Marian Hossa will sign a one-day contract with the Blackhawks and officially retire as a member of the organization, the team announced Tuesday morning.

The signing will happen at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday in the United Center atrium, before Chicago's matchup against the Seattle Kraken. Fans attending the game will be able to witness the event.

"The Blackhawks and city of Chicago hold a special place in my heart," Hossa said in a statement. "Making the commitment to this organization in 2009 was the best decision I ever made. For all the memories my teammates and I made together, including three Stanley Cup wins, my family created just as many off the ice. The fans embraced us as one of their own, treating us so kindly wherever we went.

"Retiring as a Blackhawk is a dream come true and I couldn’t imagine officially ending my career in any other way. I would like to thank the Wirtz family for making this a reality and for all they have done for me since I signed with the team."

Hossa hasn't played in an NHL game since 2017, but he stepped away from the game with four years left on his contract due to a progressive skin disorder. His contract, which was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes, officially ended last season.

Hossa, who signed a 12-year contract with the Blackhawks on July 1, 2009, will go down as arguably the greatest free-agent signing in Chicago sports history after helping the franchise win three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He accumulated 415 points (186 goals, 229 assists) in 534 regular-season games with the Blackhawks and added 73 points (21 goals, 52 assists) in 107 postseason contests.

Hossa was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2021. 

"To me, the greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history, Marian was the franchise’s missing piece," Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. "Both on, and off the ice, he made an indelible mark on his teammates and our organization. My family is forever grateful for the contributions Marian made to the Blackhawks.

"His humble demeanor and vaunted work ethic was everything we could have asked for and more in a superstar when we signed him in 2009. We feel that it’s only fitting that Marian retire as a Blackhawk as he starts a new chapter in his life."

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