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Hockey Hall of Fame 2013
The Hockey Hall of Fame recently announced its inductees for this year. The induction ceremony will occur in Toronto on Monday, November 11.
A couple of friends have indicated their displeasure with the date chosen. It is Remembrance Day, and has been a very important date in Canadian history since the completion of World War I. Peace was acknowledged throughout the world on: “the eleventh hour, of the eleventh month, on the eleventh day”.
I heartily agree that Remembrance Day should be a very important day for all of us. We should take time to remember those who sacrificed for us, as a society. Several members of my family fought in both great wars. I would never like to see another global conflict. But I also do not believe that the hockey induction ceremony will detract from the significance of the day. I am certain that the powers that be will make an effort, during the ceremony, to recognize Canada’s war efforts.
On to the selections. There were three former NHL players chosen: Chris Chelios, Scott Niedermayer, and Brendan Shanahan. One outstanding female hockey player, Geraldine Heaney, was selected. Fred Shero was elected in the Builder Cetegory.
There is always going to be some disagreement with the selections. Again this year, Eric Lindros has not been admitted to the Hall. My son Arty has taken me to task about this on several occasions. I finally did some research to show him
why the big fella has not been chosen. To my surprise, I now agree with my son. Lindros compares favourably with a recent inductee, Cam Neely. Lindros played 760 games, Neely played 726. Lindros had 865 career points on 372 goals. Neely had 694 points on 395 goals. Lindros spent more time in the penalty box than did Neely.
The other player passed over once again is Paul Henderson. He certainly proved his worth in the 1972 series against the Russians. But in 707 NHL games played, he had 477 points with 236 goals, well short of the numbers Lindros put on the board. Decisions on both players will be made in future years.
Chris Chelios played 26 seasons in the NHL, a record he shares with Gordie Howe. He began his career with the Montreal Canadiens, joining them late in the 83-84 season. He was selected to the All-Rookie team, and was runner up to Mario Lemieux as the Rookie of the Year. He spent seven seasons with the Habs before moving on to the Chicago Blackhawks. After nine seasons with the Hawks he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
Always a fierce competitor, Chelios could clear traffic in front of his net as well as anyone. He picked up Stanley Cup rings with the Habs and the Red Wings, adding a Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenceman. He played 1,651 games in the NHL.
Shanahan hails from Etobicoke. He played two seasons for the London Knights, and was selected second overall in the 1987 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils. He signed with the Blues as a free agent after four seasons with the Devils. The Devils received Scott Stevens as compensation for the signing. He spent two seasons with Hartford, then spent nine years with the Red Wings. He spent two years with the Rangers and finished his career with the Devils. He played 1,524 games in the NHL, bending the twine 656 times.
Scott Niedermayer picked up Stanley Cup rings in New Jersey and with the Anaheim Ducks. He began his NHL career with the Ducks in 1991, and spent 13 seasons there. He signed with the Ducks as a free agent, and spent five years in Anaheim. He represented Canada at several World events, capturing Olympic Gold in 2002 and 2010. He also won the Norris Trophy in 2003-2004. He fished his career with 740 points in 1,263 games.
Geraldine Heaney was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She began playing with the Toronto Aeros at 12, and spent 18 years with that organization. She played in every Women’s National Championship from 1987 to 2001. She won international gold seven times. Because of her prolific defensive skills, she has been dubbed, “The Bobby Orr of Women’s Hockey”. She accumulated 93 career points in 125 games for Team Canada.
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