The third time was a charm for Marion Hossa, who, after three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, finally got to hoist the shining silver mug. Hossa’s Penguins fell four games to two in the 2008 Finals. In the offseason, Hossa jumped ship to champion Detroit and hoped for a repeat, but his new Red Wing brethren came up one game (and one goal) short of this feat. They lost, of course, to Hossa former allies from Pittsburgh.

The Blackhawks were touted as a good, young team going into the 2009-10 season, but they weren’t supposed to be good enough to be Cup contenders quite yet. Hossa didn’t care. Once again finding himself on the open market, Hossa jumped on a massive 12-year contract with Chicago that would see him earn $62.8 million. While his numbers weren’t as good as they’ve been, thanks to surgery on his shoulder that forced him to miss the first eight weeks, he still managed to make an impact.

Hossa played in 57 regular season and 22 playoff games. In the 79 combined games, he scored 27 goals and 39 assists, good for 66 points and just 43 penalty minutes. He became the first player in NHL history to go to three-straight Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams. While Chicago is in danger of coming apart due to the many expiring contracts approaching, one this is certain: Hossa will be wearing a Blackhawks jersey for the second straight season.

Hossa has participated in over a dozen international tournaments representing Slovakia, including World Junior Championships, World Championships, a World Cup, two Olympics, and now three Stanley Cup Finals, but this is just the first time he’s enjoyed any measure of success. His story is one of determination; of how much a man must endure before finding his way to the top. It was only fitting that team captain Jonathan Toews hand the Stanley Cup directly to Hossa. It was an image that will inspire the Blackhawk fans for as long as Hossa wears their uniform or until their next Stanley Cup.