After 12 years of waiting, Jeremy Roenick finally got his call to join the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a moment that has been long overdue. One that seemed like a no-brainer given his hockey resume both in the NHL and in international play. JR was drafted 8th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1988 draft and would go on to have a 21-year career that saw him play for the Hawks, Coyotes, Flyers, Kings, and Sharks. JR changed what it meant to be a hockey player by choosing to show that it was okay to show your personality and not be the copy-and-paste generic quote giver. A quality that may have been the reason that it took this long to get his induction. JR played the game tough and never wanted to be anything more than a thorn in the side of his opponents. When I interviewed him a few years ago , he talked about how he went into every game wanting to make sure they hated him and that they left the ice hurting after battling with him.
While he played the game tough, he also was able to put on a show with the puck on his stick. JR is a 500-goal scorer, finishing his career with 513 career goals, which puts him in third place among American-born players. 267 of those came during his time with the Hawks, which puts him 9th all time in franchise history. He’s also a member of the 1,000-point club with 1,216 career points, good for 4th all-time among American-born players. Simply put, Roenick did it all, and because of that, he was a fan favorite everywhere he played. His achievements go beyond the NHL, as he was a big part of Team USA in all forms of international play. He was the leading scorer for Team USA at the 1989 World Junior Championship and is third all-time in WJC points among Team USA. He won silver medals at the 1991 Canada Cup and at the 2002 Olympics. Its unfortunate that he was never able to capture a Stanley Cup and will always be on the list of best to play to the game to never win one.
JR isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and you either love him or hate him for it. He set out to be an entertainer, and he accomplished that. Sure, he ruffled feathers along the way, but keeping him out of the Hall for this long because of that was an absolute joke, and I am glad the committee remembered it’s the Hockey Hall of Fame and recognized JR as one of the best to do it. Am I a little biased? 100 percent, but at the same time, his numbers speak for themselves. Despite being a Hawk during the “dark days,” I will always hold his years in Chicago close to my heart, as he was a part of the core that helped me fall in love with not just this team but the game of hockey. I could not be more excited for JR to be officially inducted this November. Congratulations, JR; you deserve it!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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