Hossa wants more active role with Blackhawks
CHICAGO — Marian Hossa isn’t exactly sure how he will feel when the Chicago Blackhawks retire his No. 81 jersey.
The Hockey Hall of Famer is certain he is going to watch some more numbers from his championship teams in Chicago go up to the United Center rafters some day.
“There’s so many names [that] deserve it to be up there,” Hossa said Wednesday night. “It’s not up to me, but I know I will be coming back for some others in the future.”
Hossa, 43, gets his moment before Sunday night’s game against Pittsburgh, another one of his five teams during his 19 NHL seasons. He becomes the eighth player to have his number retired by Chicago, joining an impressive list that also includes Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard and Tony Esposito.
During his eight years in Chicago, Hossa scored 186 of his 525 career goals and collected 229 of his 609 assists while playing a 200-foot game that helped the development of the team’s young stars, sparking a remarkable run of success for the franchise.
“Everyone talks about his two-way game, but he had 500 goals, too,” Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. “So he’s a pretty impressive offensive player, but brought a lot to our team.”
Hossa stepped away from the game after the 2016-17 season because of a progressive skin disorder. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame a year ago.
Free from the grind of games and practices that irritated his skin condition, Hossa is feeling good these days. And he is hoping to take on a more active role with the Blackhawks.
“Definitely like to be a small part with the Blackhawks organization,” said Hossa, who also has a new book out on his hockey career. “I know it’s been a long time but try to make sure I’m going to make the right decision with what part I will take.”
Hossa played for Pittsburgh when it lost to Detroit in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. Then he played for the Red Wings when they lost to the Penguins in the 2009 Stanley Cup championship.
In 2010, it finally worked out for the rugged winger.
After signing a 12-year, $63.3 million contract with Chicago in free agency, Hossa helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. With Hossa’s two-way game and the rise of a strong group of young players that included Kane and Jonathan Toews, Chicago won the championship again in 2013 and 2015.
Hossa’s commitment to defense left a lasting impression on Kane.
“Teams would be transitioning the other way and he would come from behind and pick the guy, and then all of a sudden you got an odd-man rush or 2-on-1 break the other way,” Kane said. “But you definitely see the effect that has on the team and the game, and you try to do that as well. And it gets you into the game when you do something like that.”
Hossa was known more for his offensive skill when he broke into the NHL with Ottawa in 1997. But he learned a lot about playing a more well-rounded game during his one season with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in Detroit.
“The break came when I joined the Detroit Red Wings, and that year gave me so much, even when we lost,” he said. “I learned from the best to play the right way, and I think when I came to Chicago I saw so much talent so I knew you don’t have to worry about scoring goals that much.”
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Ball State fired coach Mike Neu, the school announced Saturday. The Cardinals are 3-7.
Neu was 40-63 in nine seasons at Ball State. Neu led the Cardinals to the MAC title in 2020, which was his only winning season at Ball State.
Sources told ESPN that the staff was informed of Neu’s dismissal early Saturday.
Offensive line coach Colin Johnson will serve as the interim head coach for the last two games, athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement. Ball State hosts Bowling Green on Nov. 23 then plays at Ohio on Nov. 29.
Neu, 53, is a beloved alum with a strong campus reputation, but the lack of results ultimately led to his dismissal. Ball State lost 51-48 in overtime at Buffalo this week and fell to 2-4 in MAC play.
That clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for Ball State.
“Coach Neu has poured his heart into the Ball State football program,” Mitchell said in the statement. “I commend him for his professionalism and the positive team culture he has constructed. His efforts have greatly impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. He has represented the Ball State brand with integrity and class, and I wish him well in future pursuits.”
Neu led Ball State to two bowl games. That included a win over San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl to conclude the 2020 season, when Ball State finished 7-1 and won its first MAC title since 1996.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein will not play against No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, with redshirt junior Nate Yarnell getting the start for the Panthers.
Holstein hadn’t been cleared medically, sources said, and was considered a game-time decision by coach Pat Narduzzi after leaving two of Pitt’s past three games following apparent head injuries. Holstein took part in warmups Saturday.
Yarnell, who lost a camp battle to Holstein, will make his first start this season and fourth in his career for the Panthers. He has a 2-1 record as a starter, with wins over Western Michigan (2022) and Boston College (2023) and a loss to Duke (2023).
Yarnell has a strong amount of experience for a backup, as he has thrown for 1,104 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. That includes a 65.3% completion percentage and an average of 8.9 yards per attempt. This season, he has thrown for five touchdowns and two interceptions while playing in the past three games.
Holstein has been a revelatory player for the Panthers under new offensive coordinator Kade Bell. Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, has thrown for 17 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Pittsburgh has the country’s No. 16 scoring offense at 36.7 points per game. That’s up from No. 114 last season, when it averaged 20.2 points.
Holstein has completed 61.9% of his passes and thrown for 2,174 yards.
Indiana has agreed to a contract extension with Curt Cignetti amid the Hoosiers’ unprecedented 10-0 start, the school announced Saturday.
Cignetti’s new eight-year contract runs through the 2032 season and will pay him an average of $8 million per year with an annual $1 million retention bonus, putting the total value of the new contract at $72 million.
“I am beyond appreciative for the tremendous commitment, confidence, and support from President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson,” Cignetti said in a statement. “Manette [his wife] and I love Bloomington and are grateful for how the IU community has embraced us. I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football.”
Cignetti originally received a six-year, $27 million contract when he was hired in December. He took the Indiana job after leading James Madison to an 11-1 season in 2023 — when he made $677,311 — with the goal of changing the Hoosiers’ historically woeful image in football.
He then led Indiana to the first 10-win season in school history and a possible push for the College Football Playoff. No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) has one more win than its combined total over the previous three seasons. Its No. 5 ranking is one spot shy of the team’s highest ever, last reached in 1967, also the last time the Hoosiers won or shared a Big Ten title.
Indiana has scored at least 40 points seven times, won nine times by 14 or more points and trailed only twice briefly all season.
“We were confident IU could become a winning program and we love what he’s building here,” Dolson said in a statement. “We love the student-athletes that he’s bringing here. We love how our fanbase has rallied around this team and made Memorial Stadium the place to be on Saturday afternoons. And now, we love the fact that he’s going to be doing all those things right here in Bloomington for a long, long time.”
A source told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that Indiana will also significantly increase the pool for Cignetti’s assistants and staff.
The Hoosiers are on a bye this week before a pivotal matchup with No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday that could determine Indiana’s playoff hopes and a potential spot in the Big Ten championship game.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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