Blackhawks Number History, 1-5

As we’ve hit the slow part of the National Hockey League’s offseason, with most rosters being set and very little business left to take care of, it’s a good time for history lessons. The Chicago Blackhawks have a century’s worth of history lessons to teach, so we’re only going to scratch the surface over the next few weeks.

Our Blackhawks Number History series will look at every number ever worn over the 100 seasons of hockey. We’ll feature the best player to wear each number, as well as give you some fun history nuggets and tidbits. So, let’s start at the beginning by looking at numbers 1-5.

No. 1 – Glenn Hall

Number of players to wear No. 1: 19
First to wear No. 1: Glen Smith (1951)
Last to wear No. 1: Ed Belfour (1989)
The rest of the No. 1s: Red Almas, Harry Lumley, Marcel Pelletier, Moe Roberts, Al Rollins, Jack Gelineau, Jean Marois, Hank Bassen, Ray Frederick, Denis DeJordy, Dave Dryden, Garry Desjardins, Gary Smith, Mike Viesor, Gilles Villemure, Warren Skorodenski
Fun Fact: Smith was the only player to No. 1 who wasn’t a goaltender.

There is no debate about who the greatest No. 1 in Blackhawks history is. When you’re a goaltender, and your nickname is “Mr. Goalie,” chances are you were pretty good at the position. The Hall of Fame netminder is best remembered for playing in a record 502 consecutive games, a record that will never be broken. Hall played in an era where the backup goalie was only there for when the starter got hurt. There were no tandems or rotations, so Hall played every second of those 502 games. He was also the first goaltender to be credited with using the butterfly style.

Hall is second all-time in franchise history for goalies in games played (618), wins (276), and shutouts (51), trailing only fellow Hall of Famer Tony Esposito. He won two of his three Vezina Trophies with the Blackhawks. Back then, the Vezina was like the William Jennings Trophy, given to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals. Of course, Mr. Goalie was the backstop for the 1961 Stanley Cup championship. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, had his number retired in 1988, and was named as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of All Time in 2017.

No. 2 – Duncan Keith

Number of players to wear No. 2: 22
First to wear No. 2: Hugh Coffin
Last to wear No. 2: Duncan Keith
The rest of the No. 2s: Jack Steward, Gus Mortson, Al Arbour, Bob Turner, Howie Young, Doug Mohns, Ed Van Impe, Gilles Marotte, Bill White, Randy Holt, Dave Logan, Greg Fox, Randy Boyd, Marc Bergevin, Mario Doyon, Bryan Marchment, Eric Weinrich, Brad Brown, Boris Mironov, Deron Quint
Fun Fact: Weinrich was the first American-born player to wear No. 2 in 1994.

No debate for this one either. Duncan Keith is not only the best No. 2 in franchise history, but he’s one of the best players to ever put on a Blackhawks jersey. The engine of three Stanley Cup wins in the 2010s, he was a once-in-a-lifetime type of player. He was the two-way defenseman that the modern game is built around. He played elite defense while contributing offensively and on the power play. He had three double-digit goal seasons and had at least 30 assists 10 different times. His career season came in 2009-10, when he scored 14 goals and 69 points, winning his first of two Norris Trophies.

Keith’s endurance was something to be marveled at. During the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he averaged 31:07 of ice time per game, while leading all players with 18 assists. He deservedly won the Conn Smythe Trophy after that third championship run. In addition to his three Stanley Cups, two Norris Trophies, and a Conn Smythe, he won two Olympic gold medals for Canada. He’s second in team history in games played (1,192) and his second among blueliners in goals (105), assists (520), and points (625), trailing only Doug Wilson. He was one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025, and was part of the first induction class of the Blackhawks Hall of Fame in 2026.

No. 3 – Pierre Pilote

Number of players to wear No. 3: 20
First to wear No. 3: Ernie Dickens
Last to wear No. 3: Bryan Berard
The rest of the No. 3s: Lee Fogolin, Ron Ingram, Howie Young, Keith Magnuson, Dave Feamster, Bruce Cassidy, Dave Manson, Igor Kravchuk, Steve Smith, Craig Muni, Greg Smyth, Brad Werenka, Ivan Droppa, Boris Mironov, Brad Brown, Jaroslav Spacek
Fun Fact: Berard, the last player to No. 3, is also the only former first-overall pick to wear it for the Blackhawks.

This one was a little tougher, as the Blackhawks retired the No. 3 for both Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson. While Magnuson was the heart and soul of his teams, Pilote was the better overall player. He was a staple on the Blackhawks blue line for 13 seasons. He served as captain for seven seasons and won the Norris Trophy in three straight seasons. He finished either first or second in Norris voting for six straight years. He is the only three-time winner of that award in franchise history.

Pilote was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, along with Hall. In 1997, he was ranked 59th on The Hockey News’ 100 Greatest Hockey Players. His seven-year stint was the longest in team history until it was surpassed by Jonathan Toews.

No. 4 – Niklas Hjalmarsson

Number of Players to wear No. 4: 25
First to wear No. 4: Bill Gadsby
Last to wear No. 4: Seth Jones
The rest of the No. 4s: Allan Stanley, Metro Prystai, Frank Martin, Don Ward, Moose Vasko, John Miszuk, Tom Reid, Brian McDonald, Mike McMahon, Paul Shmyr, Doug Jarrett, Randy Holt, Dave Logan, Bobby Orr, Keith Brown, Keith Carney, Jayson More, Doug Zmolek, Stephane Quintal, Chris McAlpine, Sami Helenius, Bryan Berard, Niklas Hjalmarsson
Fun Fact: Miszuk, who wore No. 4 for three games in 1966-67, is one of only two players born in Poland to play for the Blackhawks.

It’s hard to argue that Niklas Hjalmarsson was the best player to wear No. 4 in Blackhawks history. We talked about how Magnuson was the heart and soul of his teams, and the same can be said about Hjalmarsson. He did a lot of the dirty work for three Stanley Cup championship teams. While he was overshadowed by stars like Keith, Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Brent Seabrook, the Blackhawks don’t win three Cups without Hjalmarsson. He took on all the tough defensive assignments, blocked every shot he could, and kept the crease cleared for his goaltender. He was the true definition of a warrior and a fan favorite.

No. 5 – Phil Russell

Number of players to wear No. 5: 25
First to wear No. 5: Don Morrison
Last to wear No. 5: Connor Murphy
The rest of the No. 5s: Al Dewsbury, Harry Watson, Jimmy Thomson, Jack Evans, Doug Robinson, Matt Ravlich, Wayne Smith, Geoff Powis, Ray McKay, Paul Shmyr, Phil Russell, Pat Ribble, Dave Hutchinson, Jack O’Callahan, Glen Cochrane, Steve Konroyd, Steve Smith, Trent Yawney, Steve McCarthy, Jassen Cullimore, Brent Sopel, Steve Montador, David Runblad
Fun Fact: Evans and Smith, who were both born in the United Kingdom, are the only players in team history to wear No. 5 born outside of North America.

This one came down to Phil Russell and Connor Murphy. While Murphy played the most games of all the No. 5s, Russell had the better run in Chicago. He was a bruising, physical player who opponents feared. He and Magnuson made sure nobody took liberties with any of their teammates. He led the Blackhawks in penalty minutes in each of his first five seasons. He helped the Blackhawks reach the 1973 Stanley Cup Final in his rookie season. Russell wasn’t only a tough guy; he also had an offensive element to his game. He scored 53 goals and 229 points from the blue line in his 504 games with the Blackhawks.

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