Lost in all of the rumblings about the New York Islanders and their possible move out of Long Island (whenever that may be) was the fact that Monday was also a monumental day for US hockey. Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk (who is pictured), Gary Suter, Ed Snider, and Mike "Doc" Emrick were all selected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. All five selected have on some level, impacted the state of US hockey. Chelios, for all of his outspoken comments against Gary Bettman, namely during the lockout of 1994, was a mainstay on the blue line for Montreal, Chicago, and Detroit for two and a half decades (let's pretend the Atlanta experiment never happened for argument's sake). Tkachuk was the power forward that was heavily leaned upon by the Jets/Coyotes, Blues, and Thrashers. Suter, like Chelios, was a blue line stalwart, playing for Calgary, Chicago, and San Jose. All three made their marks in international play, as part of the 1996 World Cup championship team for the United States.
If there ever was to be an announcer that goes perfectly with the three players, it would be Emrick. His distinct voice was evident on Devils' broadcasts, and is currently heard on the NBC and Versus broadcasts. Snider and Philadelphia are synonymous with each other, so it should be no surprise that both gentlemen are inducted for their efforts to make hockey visible in this country.
No comments:
Post a Comment