Like many before him and many more will be after him, Duncan Keith is honoured to be inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame (BCHHOF).

“You grow up playing, and dream of being in the NHL, which is one step at a time,” said Keith, who was selected by the Blackhawks in the second round, 54th overall in the 2002 NHL Draft. “It was a fun journey, my hockey career and to be named to the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame is a huge honour. One that I am very proud of.”

When Bob Nicholson, director at the BCHHOF called Keith, he admitted to not knowing what was happening.

“All of a sudden Brent is on the line and Bob gave us the news. To get the call from Bob was an honour in itself and to be able to go in with Brent at the same time, makes it that much more special,” said Keith of being inducted with Blackhawks teammate Brent Seabrook. “Going out with such a great player, but more importantly, he’s just a great person, a great teammate of mine. It’s special to be going in with Brent for sure.”

This recognition follows Keith being added to the Penticton Vees Ring of Honour, alongside longtime broadcaster Al Formo, for the impact he made playing for the Panthers from 1999-2001. Keith, who also played 56 games with Michigan State University before joining the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets for half a season, averaged nearly a point per game in his BCHL career. He collected 118 points in 119 career regular-season games with an additional 10 points in 15 career BCHL playoff games. During the 2000-2001 season, he was named the BCHL Interior Conference Best Defenceman and named to the BCHL Interior Conference First All-Star Team, after he posted 82 points in 60 games.

Keith played in 1,256 career NHL regular season games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers scoring 106 goals and registering 540 assists for 646 points. He added 151 NHL playoff games with 19 goals and 72 assists for 91 points. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2014-15 and is a two-time Norris Trophy winner (2009-10, 2013-14). In an interview with the Penticton Western News in 2014, he was asked what winning his second Norris Trophy was like.

“It’s a very special feeling. I think it’s such a prestigious trophy that not a lot of guys win. Let’s face it, I wouldn’t be winning that if I didn’t have good teammates and a good defence partner in Brent Seabrook. I certainly know the importance of having great teammates …. help you win not only Stanley Cups, but individual awards as well. I look at the list of names on that trophy over the years, a lot of guys I grew up looking at and idolizing. I’m proud to have my name alongside them.”

Along with being a Stanley Cup champion, Keith won on the international stage helping Canada win gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Olympics. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Keith retired from the NHL in 2022 after one season with the Edmonton Oilers. He has returned to living in Penticton.