Chris Chelios Jersey Retirement Shining A Much Needed Spotlight on 90’s Blackhawks

It isn’t a question of who’s going to be on hand to celebrate the Blackhawks ceremony honoring Chris Chelios with his jersey retirement.

It’s more a question who won’t be there.

The panel discussion, which will be emceed by legendary Blackhawks announcer Pat Foley, includes stars from the 90’s Blackhawks teams that include Jeremy Roenick, Eddie Belfour, Tony Amonte, Gary Suter, and Steve Larmer.

Just having a panel with Chelios is one thing. But bringing back names from the past–of an era that often is not remembered for what it should be–is essential.

Chris Chelios and the Blackhawks were a 90’s Power

The early 90’s Blackhawks were a Norris Division power. Before Detroit took over the role in 1995, it was the Blackhawks tustling with the Blues, North Stars, and Maple Leafs for supremecy. There were also the battles with the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs.

The 91-1992 team featured Chelios, Roenick, Larmer, and Belfour’s finest run together, a Stanley Cup Final appearance after rolling 11-straight wins to get there. It ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins, but it looked as if they were finally rounding out into what would be a legitimiate heavyweight for years to come.

But it never came to fruition. Larmer and Roenick were traded because management squabbled on contracts. Belfour and Suter were dealt to San Jose. Chelios would end up in Detroit at the 1999 trade deadline. Amonte would leave as a free agent.

Fans of a certain age remember it well, gritting their teeth through “Dollar Bill’s” governance as the 1995 Conference Final was a last gasp for a team destined for Stanley Cup glory. The Hawks sunk into obscurity for years and it wasn’t until Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and the core of what would be three Stanley Cup winning teams resuscitated hockey in Chicago.

But that time in between dampened the accomplishments of a 90’s squad that was very popular, which included an iconic moment at the 1991 All-Star Game when the Stadium crowd roared during the National Anthem. It showed that hockey was alive and well in Chicago. It also cemented a tradition that is revered to this day.

Now, that era of Blackhawks hockey finally has the chance to be remembered for the great players that led it. Hopefully, it continues to shine a much needed spotlight on Hawks who need to be immortalized along with Chelios.

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