The Blackhawks officially sent Chris Chelios' No. 7 jersey into the rafters on Sunday, making him the ninth Blackhawks player to have their jersey number cemented into the franchise's history.
But, the Blackhawks have another No. 7 worth retiring in Brent Seabrook. Would Chelios welcome Seabrook's No. 7 jersey next to his in the United Center rafters?
"I'd love to. No one wore that jersey better," Chelios said after his ceremony. "The success he had. He's a bigger guy, right? I wasn't big enough to do it. The damage he did physically. You want to know about a guy, what kind of guy he was, what type of player he was, just ask the trainers. When the trainers love you, and they say nothing but good things about you, that was good enough for me. He was a class act. He was a leader.
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"There's no telling what he would've accomplished if he could've played five, seven more years. He'll be right there. And I'd be more than happy to share another No. 7 up there right next to mine. It'd be actually really cool."
I know what you're thinking. How can the Blackhawks retire two of the same jersey numbers?
Well, they've done it before. The Blackhawks retired both Pierre Pilote (No. 3) and Keith Magnuson (No. 3). Granted, theirs was done at the same time, versus Chelios' No. 7 going up in the rafters first without Seabrook. Still, it's not unprecedented.
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The Maple Leafs, like the Blackhawks, have two of the same number retired. The notion spreads across sports, too. The Cubs, for example, have both No. 31 for both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux retired.
The discussion for future retired Blackhawks numbers is an intriguing debate. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp will all likely have their respective numbers retired.
What about Seabrook?
He played 15 seasons, entirely with Chicago. In 1,114 games with the Hawks, Seabrook recorded 103 goals, 361 assists and finished with a +111 plus/minus by his career's end. He never earned any individual accolades, but he was at the forefront of the Blackhawks' three Stanley Cups between 2010-15.