This season hasn’t been all bad news for the Blackhawks. On November 11, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto got a great new member among a talented 2024 class of inductees – Jeremy Roenick.
But the celebration of Roenick’s career during this season didn’t stop there. The Blackhawks have planned a full night of events to honor one of their biggest stars. Next Thursday, Roenick will get his metaphorical flowers as Chicago hosts the Kraken at the United Center.
The bad news – the Blackhawks aren’t retiring Roenick’s number 27 sweater. He obviously has a pretty good chance to have his number raised to the rafters of the United Center eventually, especially now that he has the words “hall-of-famer” on his resume. However, the argument could be made that he wasn’t with the Blackhawks quite long enough. He played in Chicago from 1988-1996 and didn’t win a Stanley Cup. Roenick’s teams had some success, but only won their conference once in his tenure there.
The festivities are set to begin at 5:45 p.m. in the United Center Atrium, where Roenick will take part in a special pregame Q&A, which will be moderated by Troy Murray. Roenick will also “Sound the Horn” before puck drop and there will be a video tribute during a TV timeout in the first period of the game.
The festivities will make for a fun night for a well-deserved player. During his eight seasons in Chicago, Roenick logged 524 games and scored 596 points, including 267 goals. He broke the 100-point mark three years in a row from 1991-94.
In his Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month, Roenick was the last to speak and certainly stole the show. He delivered a heartfelt speech in which he regaled listeners with stories of his time in Chicago while thanking the countless people who helped him along the way. We can only hope his Q&A is half as insightful as his latest speech.
