Blackhawks create Hall of Fame, fans to vote from list of candidates

The Chicago Blackhawks are launching a Hall of Fame as part of the team's centennial celebration for the 2025-26 campaign, and fans will get to have a vote.

"The concept of a Hall of Fame has been in the works for a long time," Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said, according to The Athletic's Scott Powers. "If we're going to do it, let's do it right. Let's be thoughtful. Let's think of the criteria. Let's think about how we do this, where it lives, how it comes to life, like all the details that go into it.

"So when we launch it, we're not going to launch it half-assed. It's going to be something really well presented, a real honor, and something that can be sustainable, kind of in perpetuity as a way to honor our history and our past."

The Blackhawks Hall of Fame will have a dedicated physical exhibition space at the expanding Fifth Third Arena.

Players who have had their numbers already retired by Chicago were automatically inducted. Those nine are Chris Chelios, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall, Marian Hossa, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, and Denis Savard.

Each year, the Blackhawks will induct two alumni into the Hall of Fame. One will come from a modern-era ballot featuring players who completed their career in Chicago after 2000, and a heritage-era ballot for players who left Chicago before 2000. Players must be retired from the NHL for three or more years to be eligible.

The process will see fans, Blackhawks alumni, and media vote for one player from each ballot, and the results for each voting group will be weighed equally to determine inductees.

The inaugural fan vote began Thursday. Here are the initial ballots:

Fans can vote here.