Blackhawks part ways with Eddie Olczyk.

The Chicago Blackhawks are parting ways with another beloved figure in their organization.

According to a breaking news report from Chicago Blackhawks insider Mark Lazerus, Chicago native Eddie Olczyk is expected to leave the broadcast booth after 16 seasons covering his former team.

From Lazerus:

A source said that Blackhawks director of broadcasting Trevor Bray has been reaching out to former players Monday morning to check their availability to serve as color commentator on NBC Sports Chicago broadcasts next season because Olczyk is not expected to return to the post he’s held for 16 seasons.

The decision will no doubt be met with a great deal of disappointment given that Olczyk was a very popular figure, even more so after he successfully overcame a cancer diagnosis and fought his way back into the broadcast booth. According to Lazerus the veteran NHL broadcaster and former player is expected to continue his role during the NHL broadcast, albeit in a different market.

Olczyk's contract is believed to have expired at the end of June and negotiations with the veteran broadcaster have stalled over the past few weeks leading to this split.

Olczyk was not just the Blackhawks broadcaster for the past 16 seasons but is also a part of the organization's fabric. Olczyk was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft and he would both begin and end his career as a member of the Blackhawks.

Update: According to Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times, Olczyk will be covering the Seattle Kraken moving forward.