Top 25 Blackhawks of the quarter century, No. 20-16

As we count down the final days of 2025 and look ahead to 2026, this is the perfect time to take a look back at the last 25 years of Chicago Blackhawks hockey. We’ve seen it all since the turn of the century. It started with a directionless team with no hope of ever regaining its former glory. Then, after Rocky Wirtz took over the team, we witnessed the franchise's greatest stretch of hockey, with three Stanley Cups in six years. We are now starting to see the light after the start of a long rebuilding process, with numerous talented young players looking to get the Blackhawks back to championship contention.

Over the final five days of the quarter season, we’ll take a look back at the 25 best Blackhawks players from the past 25 years. Today, we start with players 20-16.

No. 20 – Eric Daze

While Eric Daze arrived in Chicago in the 1990s, he put together back-to-back great seasons at the turn of the century. He had a career year in 2000-01 with 33 goals and 57 points, and topped that the next season with 38 goals and 70 points. He only missed three games during those two seasons. He was the MVP of the 2002 NHL All-Star Game after scoring three goals and assisting on another. From Jan. 1, 2000, until his final game in 2005, Daze scored 108 goals and 198 points in 259 games.

Daze is one of the most underrated players in recent Blackhawks history. He came into the league when big power forwards like Eric Lindros ruled the game. While he had the size to play that way, that wasn’t his style, and he was criticized at times for it. However, he was an offensively gifted player on some bad teams. Chronic back injuries shortened his career right when he was hitting his prime.

No. 19 – Steve Sullivan

There wasn’t a lot of fanfare when the Blackhawks claimed Steve Sullivan off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the start of the 1999-2000 season. However, the move went down as one of the best waiver claims in team history. The crafty right-wing had his best career season in 2000-01 with 34 goals and 75 points. During the quarter-century, Sullivan scored 113 goals and 281 points in 340 games.

Sullivan spent five of his 16 years in the NHL with the Blackhawks. He had his most productive seasons in Chicago, but had one more 31-goal season with the Nashville Predators in 2005-06. Shortly after retiring, he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes as a development coach and was eventually promoted to assistant general manager. Last season, he joined the Toronto Marlies as an assistant coach and was promoted to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench earlier this week.

No. 18 – Jocelyn Thibault

Goaltender Jocelyn Thibault is another criminally underrated Blackhawks player. He had the unfortunate job of being the top netminder while the franchise was at its lowest point. However, he performed at an All-Star level and made the Blackhawks more competitive than they had any right to be. He was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in November 1998. He was under a ton of pressure after being the big return in the trade of goaltender Patrick Roy. He was never bad in Montreal, but when you’re replacing a beloved team legend, you can never win everybody over.

During the 2000s, Thibault won 110 games and recorded 22 shutouts. He finished his Chicago career with a .907 save percentage (SV%) and never posted a goals-against average (GAA) higher than 2.87. After the 2005 lockout, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins and eventually lost his starting job to a rookie named Marc-Andre Fleury. He has the distinction of winning the final games played at the Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, and Capital Centre. He also played in the final game at Colisee de Quebec as a member of the Quebec Nordiques.

No. 17 – Connor Murphy

As was the case with Thibault, Connor Murphy had the daunting task of replacing a beloved player in Chicago. He was acquired at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft for Niklas Hjamarsson, a key member of three Stanley Cup championships and a player who will appear later in this countdown. Nine years later, and Murphy is still roaming the blue line for the Blackhawks.

Murphy has brought a consistent game to the Blackhawks' defensive corps. He is an old-school, stay-at-home defenseman. He’s scored 30 goals and 115 points in his 524 games, but he’s not here to provide offense. He’s dished out 1,052 hits and blocked 1,089 shots since arriving. He is never afraid to stick up for his teammates, while providing leadership and mentorship for the young defensemen developing on the Blackhawks roster.

No. 16 – Brian Campbell

Brian Campbell represented a shift in the franchise that many fans felt would never happen. He was one of the top free agents in the summer of 2008 when he signed with the Blackhawks. He was a player that this team never signed; an All-Star in the prime of his career. His eight-year, $57.1 million contract was something the Blackhawks never did either. Bringing him for big money showed that Chicago was now a destination. The following summer, Marian Hossa joined the team, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Campbell, a puck-moving defenseman more common in today’s game, added another element to the Blackhawks’ blue line. In 295 regular-season games, he scored 24 goals and 134 points, while being a plus-63. He had four goals and 18 points in 47 playoff games, and had the primary assist on Patrick Kane’s Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2010. He is still with the organization as an assistant general manager.