HHOF Inductees: Class of 2015
By Ryan Ritchie
HHOF Inductees (Hockey Hall of Fame) will include four ex-NHL’ers and one female player on Monday when the 2015 class is officially inducted.
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Angela Ruggiero is an ex-American player who had significant impacts in helping grow interest in women’s hockey. She shared many successes on the international stage representing Team USA.
Along with Ruggiero, HHOF inductees include four new members of a very unique class of NHL players. The 2015 HHOF inductees are Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Chris Pronger, and Phil Housley.
2016 HHOF Inductees (Hockey Hall of Fame)
Nicklas Lidstrom
Conn Smythe Winner, seven time Norris Trophy Winner, and four-time Stanley Cup winner, Lidstrom changed the landscape of hockey for the country of Sweden. He was a pioneer to help lead a charge of young Swedish defenseman that are now beginning to take over our game. The evidence is clear when you see what players like Niklas Kronwall, Erik Karlsson, and Victor Hedman have to say about the soon-to-be hall of famer. Debate will occur about where he ranks on the all-time list for defense, but he should in the same conversation as Bobby Orr.
Fact: Lidstrom was first European player to win Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP
Sergei Fedorov
Sometimes people forget the struggle Fedorov went through to pave his way into the NHL during a time of political instability. By paving his own way, Fedorov was able to help open a door for Russian players to earn a living in North America playing hockey.
"via Detroit Red Wings archives, “Fedorov was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, fourth round, 74th overall. In 1990, while CSKA Moscow was in Portland for the Goodwill Games, Fedorov quietly slipped out of his hotel room and onto an airplane bound for Detroit, thus becoming one of multiple future NHL stars to have defected from the Soviet Union to play in the League.”"
For a long-time in the 1990s, Fedorov was considered among many to be the best hockey player in the world, even said once by Wayne Gretzky. Fedorov is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, two Frank J. Selke awards, along with one Lester B. Pearson award, and one Hart Trophy for league MVP. Fedorov was a solid player on both sides of the puck, but like many Russians even today, had a knack for creating separation with defenders. He was an excellent skater with a great shot and release. Although, he was never the same player after the first lockout we now refer to as the “post-cap era”. Fact: Fedorov was an ambassador for Russia at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi Fact: He was part of the famous CSKA Russia line that featured Pavel Bure, Alexander Mogilny, and Sergei Fedorov
Chris Pronger
Drafted 2nd overall in 1993 by Hartford, Pronger went on to have an illustrious career, having a true claim to fame being the only defenseman since Bobby Orr to win the Hart Trophy for League MVP. His career was unfortunately cut slightly prematurely due to injury, but Chris Pronger appeared in 1167 regular season games, scoring 698 points from the back-end. He also won the Norris Trophy once, and two “Bud Light Plus-Minus” Awards with a plus-47 and plus-52 over a three-year stint during his time in St.Louis.
Pronger will go down in history as one of the most punishing defenseman physically to have played the game, up there with Scott Stevens. He accumulated 1590 penalty minutes over his NHL career, and some players have claimed, as announced on Saturday’s broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada, “Pronger would take a penalty on every shift. It was a matter of whether or not he’d get caught”. He was suspended eight times over his entire NHL career.
Chris Pronger spent time between Hartford, St.Louis, Edmonton, Anaheim, and Philadelphia. Since being forced into retirement, Pronger has taken a job with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Fact: Pronger is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having two Olympic golds
Phil Housley
The all-time scoring leader for American defenseman, is long overdue for his induction into the hall of fame. Housley hasn’t played since 2002-03, and appeared in 1495 regular season games over his 21 year career, scoring 1232 points. He ranks 4th scoring all-time for defenseman, and his best season came in 1992-93 when he scored 97 points in 80 games. Phil Housley played for Buffalo, Winnipeg, St.Louis, Calgary, New Jersey, Washington, and Toronto. He’s now an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators.
"via Wikipedia “Phil Housley”, “Housley never won the Stanley Cup, coming closest with the Capitals in 1998, where they were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Detroit Red Wings. He played more NHL games without winning the Stanley Cup than any player in NHL history.”"
Fact: Housley played in 7 all-star games Fact: Phil appeared for Team USA internationally in the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup, 1996 World Cup of Hockey, six World Championships, and coached the 2013 Gold Medal winning U20 World Junior Team Fact: Housley was part of the deal in 1994 that sent Al MacInnis to St.Louis and Housley to Calgary
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The 2015 HHOF inductees class features three of the best defenseman in the last 25 years, and one forward that helped open a door for an entire nation. An argument can be made that Housley, Lidstrom, and Fedorov were all influential figures for their country, inspiring generations of hockey players just starting to scratch the surface now. The numbers don’t lie, and evidence is clear, the NHL has hit a new low in 2015-16 for the percentage of Canadian players.