Hossa aging like a fine wine
Blackhawks star reaches 1,300-game plateau and can still score
OTTAWA — The way he still plays, the way he still so magnificently skates, Marian Hossa could also be a productive NHLer at the age of 45.
“Lots of people are saying that but everybody’s different, everybody’s got a different life outside of hockey,” said the 38-year-old Chicago Blackhawks star when it was mentioned he looks to be on a Jaromir Jagr path of longevity. “That’s impressive what he’s doing. At 45 years old, he’s still going. That’s amazing.”
Jagr is also single, while Hossa has a young family that will factor into any retirement decision. He says he’s taking things year by year, but he also has a contract that doesn’t expire until 2021. Can he play it out?
“Well, I’ll try,” said Hossa, grinning. “Definitely.”
On Thursday, Hossa suited up for his 1,300th NHL game, at Canadian Tire Centre, where his career began in earnest 18 years ago as an Ottawa Senators first round draft pick. It was 19 years ago that he worried he might not have an NHL career at all, after suffering a serious knee injury in the Memorial Cup.
He remains grateful to Randy Lee, now the Senators assistant GM but at the time the team’s strength and conditioning coach, for getting him back on track.
“After that, I was hoping I could be a good player,” said Hossa, who arrived in town this week with 521 goals and 1,128 points, the 55th highest scorer in NHL history. “I just kind of went through and tried to get better and better. I never had the big vision (of numbers) like that.”
Hossa should be a surefire Hall of Famer not for his offence but because he’s one of the great twoway players. His 22 goals so far this season, he credits to a fast start in the first half, playing on a top-six line with the “Russians,” Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. Now he spends more time in a defensive role on the third line.
And still, his ninth 30-goal season, and first since 2013-14, is within reach.
“I’m at the stage in my career where I don’t look if I can get five more goals, it doesn’t make a big difference,” said Hossa, who the Senators traded after four seasons in one of the more regrettable transactions in franchise history for Dany Heatley. “It’s all about winning the game, enjoying it, trying to win another championship. If I have to play that role I’m OK with it.”
After three Cups, Hossa remains as hungry as ever for a fourth.
“Because it’s so much fun, winning,” said Hossa, who’s right there with Daniel Alfredsson as the greatest all-around player in Senators history. ”If you taste it once, you just want to do it again. (The playoffs) is two months of hard work, but it’s so much joy at the end.”
It’s hard work that makes Hossa almost as good toward the end of his career as he was at the start.
“I can use my experience,” he said. “I’m lucky my old legs are still going. I try to take care of myself good. You have to, because it’s a young league now and everybody is such a good skater. You have to be prepared for this pace. Otherwise you’re not going to keep up.”