Should the Blackhawks Retire #27?

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

When the Chicago Blackhawks honored Jeremy Roenick last Sunday night with a Heritage Night at the United Center, the festivities, including the ceremonial puck drop and a glowing tribute, were all well and good, but it seemed as though something were missing.

That missing component, that piece that would have made the tribute seem less hollow, was a banner.

That banner was one with a number 27 adorned on it, and if all things were right in the world, then the Chicago Blackhawks would rectify this error and retire the number 27 in honor of Mr. Roenick.

Jeremy Roenick

Now, there have been folks who have argued that it would be wrong to retire a player’s jersey number who only played for seven seasons for a squad, but few Hawks players have had the impact that Roenick had on the city, and on the team. Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago used the longevity argument to keep the number from being retired, but with Jeremy’s impact, I think the length of his tenure should be tossed out the window.

His resume speaks for itself: he owns or shares 13 Blackhawks records, including most game-winning goals in a single season (13), and most overtime goals in post-season play (three). He also set a record for most power play goals in a season in the 1993-94 season, with 24 markers.

In addition, he ranks fifth in team history in post-season goals, and he had one of the best statistical seasons in Hawks history in 1991-92, when he scored a combined 65 goals between regular and post-season and led the Hawks to their last Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

With all of those numbers, it isn’t a stretch to realize that Roenick at least warrants consideration for jersey retirement, but numbers don’t tell the entire story of Jeremy’s time with the Hawks.

If you go to YouTube and check for videos of Roenick’s career, one that stands out is when he threw down with Bob Probert after a particularly hard check.  There is also this story about a game when a 19 year old Roenick was going up against St. Louis in the heat of a playoff race. Kudos to Sports Illustrated for this:

Played in the tropical humidity of a glorified barn called the St. Louis Arena, the game turned on a second-period spat between Roenick and Blues defenseman Glen Featherstone. With St. Louis leading 1-0, the two exchanged unpleasantries and shoves. The quick-tempered Featherstone then jammed the shaft of his stick into Roenick’s mouth, inducing a condition known in hockey as “bloody Chiclets.”

“Your first instinct is to spit [teeth fragments] out,” said Roenick, “but I kept them on my tongue so I could show them to [referee] Kerry Fraser.” Roenick’s instincts proved correct. Fraser was moved by the exhibit of enamel and assessed Featherstone a five-minute penalty for cross-checking. Roenick drew a two-minute minor.

With the teams skating four on four, the speedier Hawks scored twice in an eight-second span to go ahead 2-1. Roenick came out of the box and, 1� minutes later, scored on the power play. Hey, who needs novocaine?

It’s stories like this that make it easy to see why he was so loved in the city. Chicago fans have historically embraced blue-collar athletes, and the Second City sure loved Roenick. Fans thrilled to his exploits, and the Chicago Stadium was rocking whenever he scored a goal. He was a fan-favorite, and he adored the fans right back. Even now, he still speaks in glowing terms about the fans, who have re-emerged from the shadows of a darkness inflicted upon them by poor management, and embraced the team yet again.

One could make the argument that the Hawks’ problems began when Roenick was traded in 1996 to the Phoenix Coyotes. It was one of the more mind-boggling trades in the history of the NHL, with Bill Wirtz inciting it with his low-ball contract offer to Roenick, and scoffing at what Jeremy thought was a reasonable offer.

In the end, when the two sides couldn’t come anywhere near an agreement on numbers, Roenick was dealt to the Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov and Craig Mills. It was an astonishing move, trading arguably the most popular player on the Hawks for a couple of no-name players. It’s almost like trading Scottie Pippen in his prime for Shawn Bradley and Isaiah Rider: a trade that makes the team astonishingly weaker and gives them a couple of junk players in return.

After doing such a foolish thing, the LEAST the Blackhawks could do is, in the spirit of the Hawk-key renaissance that has seen them vault in both popularity and economically, is retire Roenick’s number. He has meant more to this organization than just numbers and playoff appearances: he was the embodiment of the Chicago psyche. He was hard-nosed, offensively gifted, and above all, willing to give anything to protect and defend the Indian head sweater.

Give Roenick his due:  raise #27 to the rafters. Just don’t wait 30 years like you did with Keith Magnuson and Pierre Pilote please.

Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, detroit red wings, Jeremy Roenick, St. Louis Blues