Chicago Blackhawks: Jeremy Roenick Days to 2018-19

As the countdown to the Chicago Blackhawks 2018-19 season continues, we’ll take a look at one player who best wore the same number as there are days left until October 4 when the season kicks off against the Ottawa Senators.

Chicago Blackhawks hockey kicks off in just 27 short days. Yesterday, with 28 days to go, we broke down the career and impact that Steve Larmer had on the Chicago Blackhawks while he has here.

Today, we take a look at one of the best Blackhawks to wear no. 27, Jeremy Roenick (though I wish it were Jeremy Morin).

Roenick was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, eighth overall, in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. In his first season he would play in only 20 games, however he put up an impressive 18 points (9 G, 9 A).

Our own Keith Schultz remembers him as someone who played a reckless game but could score in bunches. Thus, making him a fan favorite.

Roenick took no time adjusting to the NHL as his point totals only continued to grow after that impressive 20 game preview. He finished third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting despite scoring 26 goals and totaling 40 assists. Somehow, third was the highest Roenick would ever finish in voting. That said, it’s consistent with the rest of his career where he usually seemed to get the short end of the stick.

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For instance, he put up his first 50-goal season in 1992. When he did, he became only the third Blackhawk in franchise history to do so. That year, he helped take the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1973.

The Blackhawks had won and swept back to back series and won a total of 11 consecutive games before facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Final that year.

Unfortunately, the Pens swept the Blackhawks that year and the team wouldn’t see a Cup Final again until 2010.

As his luck would have it, Bill Wirtz (not a fan favorite, to say the least) traded Roenick away to Alexei Zhamnov.

It was a move seemingly no one was on board with.

After leaving Chicago, Roenick was never quite able to be the same player with any of the four other teams he played with. After eight seasons with the Blackhawks, Roenick would play six with the Phoenix Coyotes, three with the Philadelphia Flyers, two with the San Jose Sharks and one with the Los Angelas Kings.

That said, Roenick was always a Blackhawk at heart. If you need proof, his reaction to the Chicago Blackhawks winning their first Stanley Cup in 49 years says it all.

JR’s reaction here is priceless. Though his counterparts whom he’s sharing the broadcast with aren’t quite as kind, Roenick’s response is pure and of the upmost class. He will always be remembered throughout Blackhawks history and is one of many who deserves to go down as one of the best.

Tomorrow marks 26 days until Blackhawks hockey! Let us know who you think will be featured at number 26.