TORONTO – They had to wait a little longer than previous inductees, but on Monday night the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2020 finally had their enshrinement moment.
That included a pair of Blackhawks players who were the faces of their particular generation of the franchise.
Forward Marian Hossa along with defenseman Doug Wilson were two of the six people who were enshrined as members of the Class of 2020 in Toronto on Monday night. They joined Jarome Iginla, Ken Holland, Kevin Lowe and Kim St. Pierre for the ceremony that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wilson played 14 years with the Blackhawks and made six of his seven All-Star Games in Chicago and was the winner of the Norris Trophy for best defenseman during the 1981-1982 season. He would finish his playing career with the expansion San Jose Sharks in the 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons before he retired.
During his induction speech, Wilson paid tribute to the late Stan Mikita, his first roommate with the Blackhawks, Keith Magnuson, and Tony Esposito for their help in his career. He thanked the organization and the fans as a whole while also giving a shoutout to play-by-play announcer Pat Foley along with current Blackhawks historian Bob Verdi.
Hossa spent eight of his 19 NHL seasons in Chicago and aided the team’s run to three Stanley Cup championships in the 2010s. He scored 186 goals and had 229 assists and was the missing piece to what would grow into an on-ice dynasty during the decade.