Chicago Blackhawks announce signing of heavyweight enforcer today in hockey history

The Chicago Blackhawks have had many players in their history more known for their fighting and enforcing skills, and among them was J. Bob "Battleship" Kelly.

He was signed by the Blackhawks on this day in 1977, and would go on to play 138 games total with the team while mainatining his reputation as one of the most feared enforcers in the NHL at the time.

Appropriately nicknamed "Battleship" because of his physical prowess on the ice, he added the 'J' in front of his name so not to confuse fans with Bob Kelly, a famous member of the Broad Street Bullies edition of the Philadelphia Flyers.

He recently underwent health issues that included a cancer diagnosis that saw his weight drop to barely over 130 lbs. In 2019, he explained it took quite a long time for his weight to get back to a healthy level.

Taken with the 16th overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1967 NHL Entry Draft, Kelly had 196 points (87G, 109A) in 425 NHL games with 687 PIM.

The current Chicago Blackhawks are now being led by Jeff Blashill, who was previously the head coach of the former divisional foe Detroit Red Wings for multiple years.

He has also been an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the last 3 years, though he took considerable criticism from ex-Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for his tactics.

Because Blashill is known for his ability to develop young players, the Blackhawks hope he can do the same with their young, rebuilding team.