The Hall Calls

Yesterday, the 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame class was announced, and four players, plus coach Pat Burns and referee Bill McCreary will all be inducted into the Hall of Fame in November.  The four players, Mike Modano, Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, and Dominik Hasek, all have six Stanley Cups, four gold medals, and three Hart Trophies between them, and all except Blake got in on the first ballot (Blake made it on his second try).

Modano was the first overall pick in 1988 out of Prince Albert and not only became the face of the Dallas Stars franchise after they moved from Minnesota in 1993, but was also an integral part of some very good U.S. teams in the late 90's-early 2000's.  He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and was best known for his game-breaking speed.  He holds the record for most points by an American all-time, and he also holds the record for most playoff points by an American.

Forsberg's legend was written before he started play in the NHL in 1995.  A first round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, he was a part of the huge Eric Lindros trade of 1992 and was immortalized on a postage stamp in 1994 after he scored the shootout winner in the gold medal game in that year's Olympics.  He would go on to win two Stanley Cups with Colorado and a Hart Trophy in 2003.

Hasek was a late bloomer who didn't experience success until a 1992 trade to Buffalo.  He would wrestle the starting job away from Grant Fuhr in 1994 and would not look back, as he became the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy, which he did twice, took home Olympic gold in 1998, and win the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008.

Blake spent his career with Los Angeles, Colorado, and San Jose, winning the Norris Trophy in 1998, a Stanley Cup in 2001, and Olympic gold in 2002.  He was often overshadowed by the likes of Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, and Ray Bourque, but he was a great player in his own right, particularly on some lean teams in Los Angeles.

Pat Burns was head coach for 14 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Boston Bruins.  A three time Jack Adams winner, he led the Devils to the Stanley Cup in 2003.  He succumbed to cancer in 2010, and will be posthumously honored this year.

Bill McCreary was an official for 29 seasons, working three Olympics (1998, 2002, 2010), working the gold medal game in each one, 44 Stanley Cup Finals games, and the 1991 and 1994 Canada Cup tournaments.