Duncan Keith

Duncan Keith, who was traded to the Edmonton Oilers this week, is ranked by Hockey-Reference.com as the sixth greatest Blackhawk of all time, after Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Patrick Kane, and Glenn Hall. Keith is first among defensemen, ahead of Hall of Famers Doug Wilson and Pierre Pilote and his perennial backline partner Brent Seabrook.

DUNCAN KEITH

Keith played 16 years in a Blackhawk sweater and ranks second, after Mikita, in games played for the franchise (Seabrook is third).

     In addition to winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015, Keith won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 2010 and 2014 and the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2015. He was an Olympic gold medalist for Canada in 2010 and 2014, and he was named among the 100 greatest NHL players of all time in 2017. It seems certain that sweater number 2 will never be worn again by a Blackhawk—except when Keith himself wears it on the night it is retired.

     

Although Keith seemed to grow tired of hearing about it and talking about it over the years, an incident from Game 4 of the Western Conference Final in 2010 showed us all we needed to know about his toughness and heart. Keith dropped to one knee trying to block a shot—and succeeded, catching the puck square in the mouth.

     "They [his teammates] didn't say much when I came off," said Keith, "because they didn't want to scare me about the way it looked. No stitches. Just stuck a bunch of needles in there and froze it all up." Minus seven teeth, Keith returned to the ice just in time to assist on the game-tying goal with barely a minute remaining in the second period. The Hawks scored two unanswered goals in the third period to complete a sweep over the San Jose Sharks and qualify for their first Stanley Cup Final since 1992.  

     "It's just missing teeth," Keith said through his ravaged mouth after the game. "It's a long way from the heart."

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Worth a Thousand Words: Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane played his 1,000th game for the Blackhawks last night, joining an exclusive club that already included Stan Mikita, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Bobby Hull, Eric Nesterenko, and Bob Murray. It was another in a series of milestones for Kane, who racked up his 1,000th point on January 20, 2020, and his 400th goal ten days ago, on February 28. At the relatively tender age of 32, he ranks fourth in franchise history in goals, third in assists, and fourth in points.

    

ONE OF PATRICK KANE'S MANY SENSATIONAL GOALS.

It would be hard to exaggerate Kane's importance to the franchise since he was selected first overall in the 2007 draft. In 2010 he scored the goal that gave the Hawks their first Stanley Cup in 49 years. He was also a key contributor, to say the least, when the Hawks captured the Cup again in 2013 and 2015. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs in 2013.

     Kane's trophy case includes the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2008 and a raft of awards in 2016--the Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer, the Hart Memorial Trophy as most valuable player (voted by journalists), and the Ted Lindsay Award as player of the year (voted by his peers). He was also named a first-team All-Star in 2010, 2016, and 2017. He will certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

     In 2010, Kane was on the U.S. Olympic team that settled for a silver medal after losing the gold-medal game to the Canadian team that featured his friends and Hawks teammates Keith, Seabrook, and Jonathan Toews. He was the first American-born player to win the Hart or Ross trophy, and he is likely to retire--when the time comes--as the greatest American player of all time.

     This year, with Toews out of commission, Kane has taken on a more active and vocal leadership role while continuing to play with the energy, enthusiasm, and uncanny skill he has brought into each of his 1,000 regular-season and 136 playoff games.

     "As my 1,000th game approaches," Kane said this week in a recorded message to Hawks fans, "I can't help but think of you guys. These great moments are meant to be shared with friends, family, and obviously you great fans. 

     "I've dreamed of sharing this moment with you, so that's what we're going to do. When it's safe to pack the United Center with all 21,000-plus of the best fans in sports, we'll share that moment together."

 

 

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