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CHICAGO - He sat at his table, a “Hossa, Marian” nameplate on a mini sandwich board in front of him, and faced wave after wave of questioners.
They came with their microphones on the end of cut-off hockey sticks, notepads and cameras to visit him on Stanley Cup Media Day at the United Center.
Just about everyone of them asked one of two questions of the Chicago Blackhawks winger, who sat there in a black hoodie with “Blackhawks” and his number 81 on the front and a “Stanley Cup Final” logo on the arm.
1. How come you haven’t scored more in these playoffs?
2. What’s it like being in your third straight Stanley Cup final with your third different team and will this time be the charm?
He answered the questions with the same dogged resolve he brings to a backcheck, recognizing that, like having to play defence for an offensively-gifted player, it’s not something that he enjoys doing but is part of the job.
“It’s the same thing like what happens in the dressing room,” he said, “now I get to wear a nice hoodie in a more comfortable seat.”
Marian Hossa has put himself out there like no other player, leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins after losing the 2008 Stanley Cup final to the Detroit Red Wings to jump to the Wings on a one-year deal only to lose the 2008 final in seven games to the Penguins.
That’s a twist of fate crueler than a Chris Pronger crosscheck.
Now he finds himself, near as anyone can figure out, as the first player to make it to three consecutive Stanley Cup finals with three different teams.
One of the big stories of this final will be Hossa’s, one of either redemption and reward or defeat and disappointment.
Times three.
If the last two years have taught Hossa anything, it is not to think too much. There was too much time to do that last summer.
“No big speeches from me,” he said in a quiet moment between the questioners.
This question had been what had he learned about himself in the lessons of the last two years.
He said the temptation was there to tell his young teammates about making the most of the moment because you never know when you get the next chance, how cruel a hockey life can be if you goal is the Cup. That’s too expansive a concept, he has come to realize.
“It’s such a young team, they probably don’t realize it,” he said. “That’s great. I’m not going to tell them. If they don’t worry about it, that could be a good thing.”
Hossa has just two goals in these playoffs and if he throws another shutout in this final - like last year - he’ll be as responsible as anyone for becoming the first player to lose three finals with three different teams.
“His record speaks for itself in terms of his performance over a long period of years. He’s been a consistent performer. I think more than anything, though, he played a style that we were trying to instill in some of our younger guys, which is he plays both ends of the ice,” said ’Hawks general manager Stan Bowman, “and I think we’ve seen that in the playoffs here.”
Hossa has made his mark on the ’Hawks, but it remains to be seen if the game will leave another on him.
He has made his decisions for the right reasons, left money and term on the table two summers ago for a chance at a Cup. Right now all he’s got to show for it is a long line of questioners - and a nice, new hoodie.
“You just stand up,” he said, “and go for it again.”