Hockey Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Celebration
11/09/09 05:30 pmHockey Hall of Fame (Brookfield Place Concourse)
30 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON, M5E 1X8
John Davidson, Brett Hull, Lou Lamoriello, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman
Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees
TORONTO (June 23, 2009) — Bill Hay, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, and Jim Gregory and Pat Quinn, Co-Chairmen of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee, announced today that Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category and Lou Lamoriello has been elected in the Builder Category. The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these five hockey legends as Honoured Members,” said Jim Gregory. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”
A native of Belleville, Ontario, Brett Hull played college hockey for two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before embarking on a professional career in 1986. Hull played 19 NHL seasons, earning First Team All-Star selection on three occasions and winning Stanley Cups with Detroit and Dallas. Along with his father Bobby, the duo is the only NHL father and son to each record 600 goals and 1,000 career points.
“It is hard to put into words what this means to me, especially since I’m joining my father in the Hockey Hall of Fame,” said Hull. “Simply getting to the NHL was a challenge for me, and I would like to thank all of my supporters who made many sacrifices on my behalf.”
Brian Leetch played his collegiate hockey at Boston College and was drafted in the first round (9th overall) in 1986. He turned pro with the Rangers in 1987 and went on to play 18 NHL seasons, winning the James Norris trophy twice. Leetch was a key member of the Rangers’ 1993-94 Stanley Cup-winning team and became the first U.S.-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL’s playoff MVP.
“I am humbled and excited by this honour, particularly since for me it is difficult to think of myself as a member of the Hall of Fame,” said Leetch. “My hockey career has been a long and enjoyable process. I am appreciative of all those who have helped me. From my father, as my youth coach, to Mark Messier who helped me out so much – both on and off the ice surface.”
Luc Robitaille played his Junior hockey in Hull, Quebec under the tutelage of Pat Burns. A late selection (9th round) of the Los Angeles Kings in 1984, he went on to win the Calder Trophy in his rookie season in 1986-87. He played 19 NHL seasons, ranking 10th amongst NHLers all time in scoring. His eight 40+-goal seasons are surpassed only by Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy.
“My goal was always just to play in the NHL and I never dreamed of anything beyond that,” said Robitaille. “To be honoured in the same room as The Rocket, Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretzky is a tremendous honour.”
Steve Yzerman was selected 4th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1983 Entry Draft and went on to play 22 seasons for the Wings. The longest-serving team captain in Red Wings history (1986 to 2006), Yzerman holds numerous team records, led the team to three Stanley Cups and was a member of Canada’s gold-medal winning Olympic team in 2002.
“It is a tremendous honour to receive this news,” said Steve Yzerman. “I want to thank the Selection Committee for recognizing my contributions — I truly had chills down my spine when I got the news.”
In the Builder Category, long-time New Jersey Devils General Manager, Lou Lamoriello was honoured for his over 40 years of contributions to the game — both at the collegiate and NHL levels. Under his leadership the Devils have won three Stanley Cups: in 1995, 2000 and 2003.
“This award is completely unexpected,” said Lamoriello. “Over my career I have been fortunate to have been associated with great players and coaches, and this award recognizes their contributions to my career.”
The 2009 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 9th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art multimedia presentations and exhibits from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. Its mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of individuals who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect and preserve objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Masse
Hockey Hall of Fame
(416) 933-8212
kmasse@hhof.com
Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award And Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award Recipients
Hockey journalist Dave Molinari and former broadcaster John Davidson honoured
TORONTO (June 2, 2009) — Bill Hay, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, announced today that DAVE MOLINARI, the newspaper voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for hockey journalism. Hay also announced that JOHN DAVIDSON, a long-time broadcaster who is currently the President of Hockey Operations with the St. Louis Blues, will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.
Molinari is described by his colleagues as a survivor whose subtle blend of dry wit, humour and sardonic writing style has captivated readers in Pittsburgh for more than two decades. Most notably, he was the lead chronicler for all of the highs and lows of Mario Lemieux’s career as the lead hockey beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“Since 1983 Dave Molinari has been telling the Pittsburgh Penguins story with the perfect blend of insightful analysis and entertaining prose,” said PHWA President Kevin Allen. “The fans of Pittsburgh have been fortunate to have highly skilled players such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. And they have been equally fortunate to have a highly skilled writer such as Dave to chronicle their successes. With his dry wit, Dave is also the leading press box humorist in the hockey writing community. He is one of the most respected hockey writers in the game today.”
Davidson, a former goaltender for the St. Louis Blues and the team’s first-round draft choice in 1973, boasts an impressive hockey career on and off the ice, including as a analyst for the Madison Square Garden (MSG) Network, CBC and various other national hockey broadcast partners in the United States and Canada. Awarded the Lester Patrick Award in 2004 for his contribution to American hockey, Davidson’s distinguished broadcasting career includes lead analyst work at the past five Winter Olympic Games.
“John Davidson has had a remarkable career in almost every aspect of professional hockey, and we as a broadcast community benefited immensely from his expertise and professionalism,” said Chuck Kaiton, President, NHL Broadcasters’ Association. “He is an incredibly deserving recipient of this honour.”
Molinari and Davidson will receive the awards at a luncheon presentation on Monday, November 9, 2009. This year’s Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will take place November 6th to 9th, culminating with the Induction Ceremony beginning at 6:00 P.M. (EST) on Monday, November 9.
The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is named in honour of the late “Voice of Hockey” in Canada. It was first presented in 1984 by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in recognition of members of the radio and television industry who have made outstanding contributions to their profession and to the game of hockey.
Named in honour of the late Montreal newspaper reporter, the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award was first presented in 1984 by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association in recognition of distinguished members of the hockey writing profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to the game of hockey.
Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art exhibits and multimedia presentations from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. Its mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of teams and individuals who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect and preserve objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world.
For more information:
Kelly Masse
Hockey Hall of Fame
(416) 933-8212
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
[...] Swine Flu Hits the NHL! – Hockey GalThe Hockey Business Report – NHL Draft Edition « FanRatesHockey Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Celebration « Prolebrity [...]