Top 10 Players in Chicago Blackhawks History

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The Chicago Blackhawks have been in the NHL for 85 years, during which many players have donned the Indian Head sweater.

In those 85 years, the Blackhawks have seen their share of great hockey players from Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. These great players have led the Blackhawks to numerous wins and four Stanley Cups.

It takes elite skill and talent to be on the top ten list of such a historic and storied franchise. These players are the reason why the original six Blackhawks are considered one of the greatest organizations in the NHL.

In no ranking order these are the top ten players in Blackhawks' history.

Keith Magnuson

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Defenseman Keith Magnuson was a solid, stay-at-home defender that helped the Blackhawks reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1971 and 1973.

He played in 589 NHL games, all with the Chicago Blackhawks, and accumulated 139 points.

Magnuson wasn't known to score goals but he was able to protect his teammates and jump into the role as a semi-enforcer. He had 1,442 penalty minutes, which is mainly due to fighting majors.

His leadership the ice led to him to become captain between 1977-1979 as well as one of the most respected defenseman in the NHL.

Ed Belfour

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Goalie Ed Belfour introduced himself to the Blackhawks organization with an outstanding rookie season.

In his first year donning the Indian Head, Belfour won a franchise record 43 games and posted a .910 save percentage. He also took home the Vezina and Calder trophies that year.

Belfour played eight seasons with the Blackhawks, backstopping the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992.

The netminder ranks near the top of the list in the organization with 415 games played and 201 wins.

Jeremy Roenick

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The tenacious center known as Jeremy Roenick was a big point producer for the Blackhawks in the early 90's.

A rough and energetic style of play helped Roenick fight his way past opponents and drive the net for numerous scoring opportunities.

He helped the Blackhawks reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992 and scored over 100 points in three of his eight seasons with the organization.

Roenick's tenure with the Blackhawks came to an end in the 1995-1996 season when he was traded. But he will always hold a special place in the history of the Blackhawks organization.

Pierre Pilote

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Pierre Pilote was one of the best defenseman in the NHL during his time with the Blackhawks. He won three Norris trophies and has been runner-up three times.

Spending the majority of his career with the Blackhawks, Pilote was able to lead the 1961 team to a Stanley Cup.

Pilote was one of the greatest offensive defenseman in the game and he became a fixture on the Blackhawks' power player during his tenure with the organization.

Jonathan Toews

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The current captain of the Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews has already proven to be a great leader and prolific scorer.

The 24-year-old has already lead his team to a Stanley Cup and a successful string of playoff appearances.

He is widely considered one of the elite players in the NHL and one of the best captains to ever play for the Blackhawks.

With a bright future ahead of him, Toews just might go down as one of the best Blackhawks to ever play the game.

Tony Esposito

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Tony Esposito is the franchises best goaltender.

In his first full season, Esposito was able to win 38 games and put up 15 shutouts. That stellar season led to him winning the Vezina and Calder Trophies.

Esposito also holds the lead in all major franchise goalie stats. He has the most games played (873), most wins (418) and most shutouts (74).

He was also one of the very first goalies to use the butterfly-style in net, which is now widely accepted as one of the best goaltending techniques in the NHL.

Chris Chelios

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Chris Chelios is known as one of the best defensemen to ever play the game.

Many Blackhawks fans will remember when Chelios joined the Detroit Red Wings, he instantly became public enemy No. 1. But differences aside, Chelios was one of the best defensemen to play on the back end for the Blackhawks.

He won the Norris Trophy in the 1992-1993 season when he put up 73 points and stood up opponents at the blue line with 282 penalty minutes.

Denis Savard

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One of the most exciting hockey players of the 1980's, center Denis Savard was most famous for his use of the "spin-o-rama."

Savard was a consistent point producer for the Blackhawks putting up numerous 100-point seasons and scoring creative goals in nearly every game.

He ranks third on the Blackhawks all-time point production list with 1096 points, 377 of those being goals.

During the 1987-1988 season, Savard scored 131 points which is a Blackhawks' record that stands to this day.

Stan Mikita

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Center Stan Mikita had a scoring touch that only very few NHL players possess.

Winner of the Stanley Cup and many other awards, Mikita was a major point producer during his time with the Blackhawks. He is the franchise leader in points, at 1467, and second in goals with 541.

Mikita also became the first NHL player to hold the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy all in the same season.

Bobby Hull

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High-flying Bobby Hull has been the face of the franchise ever since he first played for the Blackhawks in 1957.

He became the first Blackhawk to reach the 50-goal plateau and the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season.

Hull is the franchise's current goal leader, with 604, and ranks second in points with 1153 points. He has also won the Art Ross Trophy three times during his years with the Blackhawks.

With one Stanley Cup and numerous trips to the all-star game, Hull will forever be one of the main players responsible for the success of the Blackhawks as a franchise.

 

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