Top 25 Blackhawks of the quarter century, No. 5-1

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. We’ll spend the final hours of the quarter-century looking at the top five players on our list. There should be no surprises about who they are, but in what order do they come in?

No. 5 – Marian Hossa

July 1, 2009, is a very important date in Blackhawks history. That was the day that Marian Hossa became arguably the greatest free agent signing we’ve ever seen in Chicago. With him on board, the Blackhawks went from an up-and-coming team to a dynasty. Hossa himself has said that playing against them in the 2009 Western Conference Finals made the Windy City an attractive destination the following summer. The Hall of Fame winger gave the Blackhawks an element that few teams had: a complete two-way forward who excels at every element of the game.

Hossa lived up to every penny of his contract. He scored 186 goals and 415 points in his 534 games with the Blackhawks. He was a plus-133 while posting a 55.9 Corsi for percentage (CF%) over his eight seasons. He had 40 power-play goals and 18 shorthanded, showing that he was a weapon in all situations. In his 107 postseason games, Hossa scored 21 goals and 73 points. He scored six game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, none more important than in Game 5 against the Nashville Predators in 2010. His No. 81 hangs from the United Center rafters, and he rightfully has his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

No. 4 – Brent Seabrook

When you choose to wear No. 7 in Chicago after Chris Chelios made it legendary, you'd better live up to those high standards. Brent Seabrook did just that over his 1,114 games with the Blackhawks. He is the first of two players in our top five drafted by Mike Smith, taken with the 14th overall pick in 2003. He made his NHL debut in 2005 and became a staple in the lineup until injuries forced him out of the game in 2020. His body eventually betrayed him after spending 15 seasons sacrificing it do whatever it took to win.

Seabrook was half of the greatest defensive tandem this franchise has ever had. Spoiler alert: the other half is still coming. He played a hard-nosed game in his own zone, but wasn’t afraid to get involved offensively. He didn’t score often, but when he did, it seemed like it was always when it was needed most. Out of his 103 regular-season goals, 19 were game-winners. In the postseason, he scored three game-winners, all of them in overtime. He eliminated the Red Wings in 2013, won Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final later that spring, and thwarted an upset by the Predators in 2015. While he was never the Blackhawks captain, many on those championship teams said he was the definitive leader. He knew when to speak up and lead by example. It won’t be long before he has a banner next to Chelios’ hanging in the United Center.

No. 3 – Jonathan Toews

It must have been one heck of a quarter-century when a player as great as Jonathan Toews is only considered the third best. He’s the greatest captain in team history, leading the team to three Stanley Cups while winning a Selke and Conn Smythe Trophy along the way. It’s hard to believe that he fell to No. 3 in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. When he arrived in 2007, we immediately saw a special player. He was named the youngest captain in team history and quickly became the driving force of a hockey dynasty.

The greatest players in every sport all share one thing: an incredible competitive drive. Toews is one of the most competitive players the game has ever seen. It’s that drive that led him back to the league this season with the Winnipeg Jets after two years away. During his 15 seasons with the Blackhawks, he never scored less than 20 goals. He had three seasons with over 30 goals, including a career-high 35 in 2018-19 at age 30. He was nearly a point-per-game player in the postseason with 45 goals and 119 points in 137 games. Almost a quarter of his playoff goals, 11, were game-winners, including two in overtime. When your captain is your hardest-working player, it trickles down throughout the roster. That showed during the best era of Blackhawks hockey, thanks to Toews.

No. 2 – Patrick Kane

When you’re the number one overall pick of the NHL draft, you’re put in a high-pressure situation from the second your name is announced until you play your final game. Patrick Kane flourished under pressure and lived up to the hype. Heck, he’s still living up to it as he’s two goals away from 500 in his career. While Toews was the no-nonsense two-way center, Kane was the flashy winger who lived for making the highlight reel. They were the perfect complement to each other, and the Blackhawks rode their wave to three championships.

Kane accomplished everything one could in a hockey career. He won the Calder, Conn Smythe, Art Ross, and Hart Trophies during his 16-season run in Chicago. In his 14 full 82-game seasons with the Blackhawks, he never scored fewer than 21 goals or 64 points. He had five seasons with over 30 goals and eight with over 50 assists. He’s third in team history in games played (1,161), third in goals (446), second in assists (779), second in points (1,225), and fourth in game-winning goals (67). Not only will he be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day, but his No. 88 will be retired, and he and Toews will have statues outside the United Center.

No. 1 – Duncan Keith

The Blackhawks were blessed with multiple Hall of Famers during their run of three Stanley Cups in six years. While Toews, Kane, Hossa, and Patrick Sharp grabbed most of the highlights, it was Duncan Keith who kept the team’s engine running. Few players in the NHL had the work ethic, drive, and motor that Keith had during his Hall of Fame career. He was an elite defenseman who had the skill, speed, and smarts to dominate all three zones of the ice.

The Blackhawks don’t win three Stanley Cups without Keith, and may not have won any if he wasn’t part of the franchise. The two-time Norris Trophy winner had the perfect combination of athleticism and toughness. His legend grew during Game 4 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals when he lost seven teeth after taking a puck to the mouth and returned to the game only a few minutes later. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his amazing performance during the 2015 postseason. He had three goals and 21 points during those 23 games while averaging an astonishing 31:07 of ice time per game. His scoring the Cup-clinching goal on home ice was the chef’s kiss on an incredible playoff run. He’s not only the best player of the last 25 years, but he also belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest players in team history.