Write an article about Former Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith to be inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from
Duncan Keith was sorting through papers Tuesday at his home in Penticton, British Columbia, when his phone buzzed.
“I saw a 416 number pop up,” Keith said. “I didn’t recognize [it], but I knew that’s the Toronto area code, so I tried to pick it up as quick as I could.”
It was indeed from Toronto — in fact from the Hockey Hall of Fame, whose outgoing chairman, Lanny McDonald, informed Keith he will be inducted into the 2025 class. The former Blackhawks defenseman was in his first year eligible, making him officially a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“[I got] goosebumps when they started telling me,” Keith added. “It was a pretty surreal moment, sitting in my living room here, knowing that I’m going into the Hall of Fame with players that I grew up idolizing and trying to emulate.”
Keith, the defensive guru behind the Hawks’ three recent Stanley Cup championships, will be one of eight people inducted at a ceremony Nov. 10.
It’s the second consecutive year a Hawks legend will be inducted, following Jeremy Roenick’s long-awaited call last year. Keith will become the second core player from the Hawks’ 2010s dynasty era to be inducted, following Marian Hossa in 2020.
The other 2025 player inductees are former Bruins star Zdeno Chara, former Sharks star Joe Thornton, women’s hockey legends Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker and former journeyman forward Alexander Mogilny (a fan favorite finally elected in his 17th year of eligibility).
Longtime Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker and former Canadian national women’s team coach Daniele Sauvageau will be inducted as builders.
Former Canadiens goalie Carey Price surprisingly wasn’t elected this year but likely will be in the coming years. From the Hawks, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will unquestionably join Keith and Hossa in the Hall once they retire and become eligible.
“Having such great teammates, we all pushed one another to get better,” Keith said. “It wasn’t really until I retired that the thought had come into my head about the Hall of Fame, but that was really only because people were asking me that question.”
In addition to the three Cups, Keith won two Norris Trophies in 2010 and 2014 and one Conn Smythe Trophy in 2015. Outside of the NHL, he earned two Olympic gold medals with Canada in 2010 and 2014.
Duncan Keith’s 2015 playoff performance has become legendary.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file photo
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native recorded 625 points in 1,192 appearances over 16 seasons in Chicago before finishing his career with a brief Oilers stint in 2021-22. He ranks second in Hawks franchise history in games played (behind only Stan Mikita) and second in points by a defenseman (behind only Doug Wilson).
“Duncan defined the modern archetype for a complete defenseman,” Hawks chairman Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “His opponents feared his shutdown defense as much as they respected his offensive prowess. He played with grit and heart, giving his all every second he was on the ice.
“While Blackhawks fans have long understood Duncan’s profound impact on the game, we’re thrilled to see his legacy now celebrated on hockey’s biggest stage as he takes his well-deserved place among the game’s all-time greats.”
Beyond his individual accomplishments, Keith helped pioneer the modern approach to defense as more aggressive than passive — and more proactive than reactive — than previously taught. His two-way excellence, despite being neither a prototypical “offensive” or “defensive” defenseman, made him invaluable to the Hawks and basically a unicorn in the NHL.
Since retirement, he has been coaching his now-12-year-old son Colton’s youth team in Penticton.
“I hope my teammates and coaches would say I was a good teammate that they liked going to battle with — somebody they would want to have on their side any time [we were] going into a big game or a tough situation,” Keith said. “I always took a lot of pride in plain, old hard work.”
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