Four former NHL players were announced as inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 29. The group to receive one of the sport’s highest honours included a trio of defencemen - Phil Housley, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger - along with forward Sergei Fedorov.
The former NHLPA members each had highly distinguished NHL careers, and helped lead their respective teams to great success.
The NHLPA would like to congratulate the newest additions to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and recognize their outstanding efforts on the ice and within the community.
Angela Ruggiero (Player category), Bill Hay (Builder category) and Peter Karmonos Jr. (Builder category) were also announced as inductees.
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2015 INDUCTEES
TORONTO (June 29, 2015) – Lanny McDonald, incoming Chairman of the Hockey Hall
of Fame and John Davidson, Chairman of the Selection Committee, announced today that
seven individuals have been elected to Hockey Hall of Fame Honoured Membership, five
in the Player Category and two 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 seven hockey legends as Honoured
Members,” said John Davidson. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well
documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”
In the Builder Category, Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos Jr. were elected.
The first NCAA graduate to play in the National Hockey League, Bill Hay’s contributions
to hockey span from grassroots to the professional level. His distinguished hockey
resume includes contributions made while serving as President and Chief Operating
Officer of Hockey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Flames,
and most recently as Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“Being recognized by my hockey peers is truly a great honour,” said Hay. “Seeing the
game - and the Hockey Hall of Fame - become truly international has been a
tremendously rewarding experience.”
“Being included in the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2015 ranks right up there with
winning the Stanley Cup,” said Karmanos. “Hockey has a special place in my heart. It is
the greatest team sport, and I believe the greatest game a boy or girl could play. Giving
more kids the chance to play at the highest levels has truly been a labour of love.”
In the Player category, Sergei Fedorov, Phil Housley, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger
and Angela Ruggiero were elected.
The first Russian to reach the 1,000 point milestone in the NHL, Sergei Fedorov played in
six All Star Games, captured three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, and was
awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 1994.
“I have always played hockey because I loved it, not because I wanted to win awards,”
said Fedorov. “But now that my career is over I realize how special it is to be recognized
by the Hockey Hall of Fame. I am deeply honoured to be an inductee.”
The second-leading scorer all-time amongst U.S.-born players, defenseman Phil Housley
played in seven All Star Games over a remarkable twenty three season NHL career. He
also ranks third all-time among all NHL defensemen in scoring.
“I am absolutely elated to be entering the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of
2015,” said Housley. “One glance at the Legends who have already been enshrined
proves that this really is the ultimate honour for a hockey player.”
A seven-time recipient of the James Norris trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, Nicklas
Lidstrom also captured four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and an Olympic
Gold Medal for Sweden.
“During my hockey career I was always focused on the next game or the next season, so
I never allowed myself to imagine I’d be hearing from the Hockey Hall of Fame” said
Lindstrom. “I took a lot of pride in being dedicated to the game, so it means a great deal
to me to be recognized by those who know the game the best.”
One of the toughest competitors to ever patrol the blue line, Chris Pronger captured both
the Hart Memorial Trophy and James Norris Trophy in 2000. The native of Dryden,
Ontario also captured two Olympic Gold Medals for Canada and a Stanley Cup with the
Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
“It’s very humbling to be included alongside the esteemed group of players and builders
in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2015,” said Pronger. “It’s very exciting to think
about becoming an Honoured Member. It’s certainly something I didn’t expect while
playing.”
The youngest member of the team that captured the first-ever Olympic Gold Medal in
women’s ice hockey, Angela Ruggiero went on to help the United States capture four
more Gold and six Silver World Championship medals. The defenceman from Panorama
City, California, was also named Harvard’s player of the year three times.
“I’ve visited the Hockey Hall of Fame many times, and never get tired of learning about
the rich tradition of the inductees,” said Ruggiero, who is the fourth female ever elected
for induction. “The fact that I’m now joining them is very special, and the greatest
accomplishment I can think of as a hockey player.”
The 2015 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 9th at the Hockey
Hall of Fame in Toronto. For more information regarding the 2015 Induction
Weekend/Celebration, visit http://www.hhof.com.
Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s (“HHOF”) mandate is to recognize and
honour the achievements of players, builders and officials who bring special distinction
to the game of hockey, and to collect, preserve, research and exhibit objects, images and
resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the
world. As a non-profit corporation and a registered charity under the Income Tax Act,
HHOF owns and operates a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art
exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational programming from its premises at
Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada.
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