Special to the Phanatic
Former Dallas Stars teammates Joe Nieuwendyk and Ed Belfour highlight the 2011 Hockey Hall of Fame class, which also included former Flyers defenseman Mark Howe.
Son of the famous Gordie Howe, Mark lived up to his fathers name in a professional career that spanned two leagues and 22 seasons.
"I was elated to have this dream come true given that it is a tremendous honor just to have my name mentioned with the upper echelon of hockey," said Howe. "To actually have my name in the Hall of Fame with my Dad will mean so much to my family."
He began play with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association alongside his father and brother Marty. Playing left wing on the team, he was honored as the league's top rookie in 1974 and helped the nascent club win two Avco Cups.
When the WHA and NHL merged in 1979, the Whalers were welcomed into the league as the Hartford Whalers and Howe continued to play there.
Howe recovered from a serious internal injury at the end of the 1980-81 season, which prompted the league to redesign its nets after he suffered a serious leg gash from crashing through the center portion. After one more year with the Whalers, he was shipped to Philadelphia in a three-team trade prior to the 1982-83 campaign that included sending Ken Linseman to Edmonton.
Immediately inserted as a top-line defender, he was the anchor of a defensive squad that saw the team go to the Stanley Cup Finals twice while he was there (1985, 1987), losing both times to the Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers.
The three-time Norris Trophy finalist spent 10 seasons in Philadelphia and had several productive seasons, including the 1985-86 campaign that saw him score 24 goals, notch 58 assists and finish with a league-best plus-85. He lost out the Norris Trophy that year to Paul Coffey, who totaled 138 points that season.
Currently the Red Wings' director of pro scouting, he was elected to the United State Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
Howe, who still maintains a residence in Ocean City, New Jersey, finished his NHL career playing 929 games, totaling 197 goals and 545 assists along with 10 goals and 51 assists in 101 playoff games. Over six WHA seasons, he racked up an impressive 208 goals and 504 points in 426 contests.
To get the phone call today took my breath away," Howe said. "I never expected that call. I don't consider myself in the class of the Gordie Howes, Wayne Gretzkys and Bobby Orrs. It means the world to me. When I was trying to call dad and I called my children, I began to tear up. It is just a tremendous honor."
Along with the Nieuwendyk and Belfour, who won a Stanley Cup together in 1999 with Dallas, Doug Gilmour will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 14.
The current general manager of the Stars, Nieuwendyk began his career in Calgary where he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1988. He notched 51 goals that season and is one of just five players (Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Teemu Selanne and Alex Ovechkin) to record at least 50 goals in their rookie season.
He was traded to Dallas in December of 1995 after a contract holdout in exchange for the rights to current Flame Jarome Iginla. The 1998-99 season saw the Stars win the Stanley Cup in six games over Buffalo and Nieuwendyk win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
Near the end of the 2001-02 campaign he was traded to New Jersey and won a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2002 Olympics. The following season saw him win his third Stanley Cup with a third different team when the Devils defeated the Ducks in seven games.
Nieuwendyk then went on to spend time with Toronto and Florida and decided to retire from the game on December 6, 2006. He totaled 564 goals and 562 assists over 1,257 games and 66 goals and 50 assists in 158 playoff games.
"Every player does their best year after year and strives to play at a very high level," said Nieuwendyk. "I truly love the game and love to compete, and I'm pleased to be honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame."
Known as "The Eagle", Belfour had a career that spanned 17 seasons and began with a Calder and Vezina Trophy winning season in Chicago.
"It is hard to put into words what this means to me," said Belfour. "I would like to thank all of my teammates and people along the way who helped me achieve my hockey dreams."
Recalled by the Blackhawks late in the 1989-90 season, he became the full-time goalie the next season and went 43-19-7 with four shutouts and a 2.47 goals- against average in 74 games.
That dominating performance won him the best rookie trophy, best goaltender trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest team goals-against average. Also, he was nominated for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player, but lost to Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues.
Next season he guided the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Finals, but the team was swept by Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He spent the next four-plus seasons with Chicago, winning another Vezina Trophy in 1993, but was traded to San Jose halfway through the 1996-97 season.
Signed by the Stars as a free agent on July 2, 1997, he backstopped the team to his first and only Stanley Cup championship in 1999. He outdueled former teammate and six-time Vezina winner Dominik Hasek as he went 16-7 with a 1.67 GAA and three shutouts.
Belfour won a Gold Medal with Team Canada in 2002 and, following the 2001-02 season, signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he spent the next three seasons, setting a franchise-record with 37 wins in the 2002-03 season.
He played for a season with Florida after signing with the team on July 25, 2006 and that was his final campaign in the NHL as he went to play in Sweden after signing with a club there on August 27, 2007.
Over his career in the NHL he appeared in 963 games and went 484-320-111-14 with 76 shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and .906 save percentage.
Known as a small, scrappy player throughout his career, Gilmour won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989 along with Nieuwendyk.
"This is an overwhelming honor and one that makes me reflect back on the teammates and coaches I have had over the years," said Gilmour. "Larry Mavety, who gave me a chance in Tier II hockey and Gord Wood who drafted me into Junior at Cornwall, are two people who were instrumental in helping me establish myself as a player."
On January 2, 1992, Toronto acquired Gilmour from Calgary in a 10-player deal that is seen as one of the most lopsided in the history of the NHL.
The next season, he set a franchise record with a 127-point season and thanks to his efforts he won the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward and was a runner-up for the Hart Trophy.
Gilmour led the team to the Campbell Conference Finals, but was unable to lift them into the Stanley Cup Finals as the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings eliminated the Maple Leafs in front of the Toronto crowd in Game 7. Gilmour finished the playoffs that year with 35 points in 21 games.
He eclipsed the 100-point mark the next season with 111 and again led the Maple Leafs to the conference finals, but again was unable to push them over the top in a series loss to Vancouver.
Traded to New Jersey during the 1996-97 campaign, he spent time with Chicago, Buffalo and Montreal.
He was sent to Toronto from Montreal at the trade deadline in 2003, but his first game saw him collide with Calgary's Dave Lowry, tearing his ACL and ending his career.
Toronto retired his No. 93 on January 31, 2009, the 17th Leaf honored that way.
No comments:
Post a Comment