Rest easy, legend. He will indeed live forever.

Stanley Mikita- MR. BLACKHAWK! Let us all Blackhawk fans pray for his health and his family. Amen.

RIP Stan. We will miss you.

One of the greatest to ever lace them up!

Great man, GREAT player. I certainly enjoyed watching Stan as a youngster. I am SO sorry to hear of his ill health and I wish him and his family nothing but the best. My condolences also go out to the Chico Maki family as they deal with this fine mans passing. Chico was also a favorite player of mine as a youth. Those old times and the Chicago Black Hawks of then were really something. GREAT memories!

Speaking of memories, my of my youngest memories of the Blackhawks and Chicago Stadium took place right in front of where Stan is standing. He's standing in row B and my Dad's seats were on the end of Row A right in front of him.

I also enjoyed watching Stan the Man. Great hockey player for sure. Go Hawks Go! Bring home Stanley #7 2015

Blackhawks were always my favorite team growing up, both because of the sensational logo and jersey, and the legendary duo of Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Thanks for posting!

When Wayne & Garth have immortalized you even more than the accolades provide.

Thank you for posting this stuff Brad. Wish my old man was around to text him this. Incredible.

Great that his family immigrated to Canada!!!

I was 12 years old . I was in a peewee tournament from Fredericton NB. I was waiting for the Chicago team out side their dressing room. Stan came out and literaly brushed me a side. I went out side by the bus . Bobby Hull come off the bus to give me an autougrafe. Stan came off the bus and said we haven't got time for that. Bobby said he came clear from Fredericton and he is getting it. No respect for him at all.

When Stan Mikita was a child, newly arrived in Canada, he faced bigotry and taunting, today he is regarded as one of professional hockey’s finest players. When will we learn to welcome newcomers?

I loved watching Stan and Bobby Hull at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto! They were both great but the old leafs usually beat them LOL

Stan was Gretzky before there was Gretzky . Anything Gretzky did that was considered as magical had already been done by Stan His stick handling and passing skills were dumbfounding . Before 1967 when the NHL introduced the Booby Orr point scoring system Stan's highest point total was 97 ponits . Had the Booby Orr mandatory second assist on all goals been around when Stan was in his prime , he would have easily hit 140 point a season , making first 100 point man in NHL history . But Esposito was first //// Stan major clawback from NHL immortal status was the inability to win more than one Stanley Cup ( as it is with Hull ) That the hawks only won 1 cup is due to may reasons ... one being thta Hull was not the best Team Player to play with . Hulls refusal to follow a team concept of two way play made ( Hull ) their strongest player , their weakest asset . Stan was not the nicest guy you would ever meet . He was sarcastic , mean mouthed sometimes unapproachable athlete that would turn away young autograph hunting kids ... I'm glad I never met him as a 10 year old ( I am 70 ) ... that would have altered my entire concept of the man . Was he Good ?? ....... he was amoung the best centermen EVER . WaS HE GREAT ?? .... Just a few more stanley Cup wins would have elevated him to the level of a Beliveau ..... It breaks my heart to say this , but Stan was a loser ,,, and so was Hull ! But there's no denying his talent . As the only Triple Crown winner in NHL history ( Heart - Art Ross _ Lady Byng ) , he should get more recognition than he does . Not even Gretzky ever won the Triple Crown .... BUT Stan did it ... IN BACK TO BACK SEASONS !!!!!! Take that Gretzky ! All in all ,,, my all time favorite most talented player ever ... Stan Mikita !

Sad that apart from Makita saying himself, Brad Palmer never mentions the name of the town in Europe where Makita was born, nor any town in Canada where Makita and Hull played. Why? He is clueless about geography and does not give a hoot. Canadians know all about the USA but Americans only know about the USA. We all know exactly where Chicago is and its history. Americans know nothing about their most loyal neighbours. Sad.

Stosh.