Chicago Blackhawks: Niklas Hjalmarsson was truly great

The Chicago Blackhawks had many great players contribute to winning three Stanley Cups in a span of six years. Some were there for just one, others for two, and a select few were there for all three. One of those players is Niklas Hjalmarsson. He might be the most unsung hero of the bunch as well. He has announced his retirement from the National Hockey League and deserves all of the praise for his work on and off the ice.

Hjalmarsson’s name joins Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa as the only players who won all three Cups with Chicago from 2010-2015. It is an era that will never be forgotten by sports fans in this city and for good reason.

Hjalmarsson’s career ends after 821 games played. He had 25 goals and 147 assists for 172 points in those games. He wasn’t an offensive defenseman by any means but his defensive ability was second to none. He was the best defensive defenseman on the team for a long time. He was, and rightfully so, in the shadows of Keith and Seabrook but that didn’t make him any less important. When someone like him is your third-best defenseman, you are a great team.

One thing that he was famous for was his ability to block shots. You used to hear people say that having Hjalmarsson on the ice was like having an extra goalie out there. It is fair to assume that guys like Corey Crawford, Scott Darling, and Antti Niemi amongst others appreciated it. Hjalmarsson blocked 1,606 shots in his NHL career which is about two shot blocks per game.

Having Niklas Hjalmarsson on the Chicago Blackhawks was a treat for a long time.

This player was as unselfish as any player in the history of the franchise. He was so good and rarely ever got the spotlight. Some people used to get on him for not shooting enough and they had a case but he was just so concentrated on making the right play each and every time. Championship teams have guys like that on their roster.

Hjalmarsson got to finish out his career with the Arizona Coyotes after the Hawks traded him there in 2017. Those are the only two teams that he ever played for over his 14 year NHL career. Hopefully, the Hawks do something to recognize him in the future because he deserves it.

The United Center should be packed at the start of the season so they shouldn’t wait too long. He was an extremely important piece to a team that had so much sustained success for such a long time. Congrats to Hjalmarsson on retirement from an outstanding career.