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Hockey Hall of Fame Induction
November 9, 2009

The Hockey Hall of Fame held its 2009 Induction Celebration on Monday, November 9th at its site in exciting downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bill Hay, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Board of Directors, and Jim Gregory and Pat Quinn, Co-Chairmen of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Selection Committee had announced that Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category and Lou Lamoriello was elected in the Builder Category. "The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these five hockey legends as Honoured Members," said Jim Gregory. "Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved."

Hull, who was drafted 117th by the Calary Flames as their 6th choice in 1984 and played 19 NHL seasons, earned First Team All-Star selection on three occasions and won one Stanley Cup each with Detroit and Dallas. "It is hard to put into words what this means to me, especially since I'm joining my father in the Hockey Hall of Fame," said Hull. "Simply getting to the NHL was a challenge for me, and I would like to thank all of my supporters who made many sacrifices on my behalf." Defenseman Brian Leetch played 18 NHL seasons, won the James Norris trophy twice and was a key member of the Rangers' 1993-94 Stanley Cup-winning team. "I am humbled and excited by this honour, particularly since for me it is difficult to think of myself as a member of the Hall of Fame," said Leetch. "My hockey career has been a long and enjoyable process. I am appreciative of all those who have helped me. From my father, as my youth coach, to Mark Messier who helped me out so much - both on and off the ice surface." Luc Robitaille, who was selected in the 9th round by the Los Angeles Kings in 1984, played 19 NHL seasons, ranked 10th amongst NHLers all time in scoring and his eight 40plus goal seasons are surpassed only by Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy. "My goal was always just to play in the NHL and I never dreamed of anything beyond that," said Robitaille. "To be honoured in the same room as The Rocket, Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretzky is a tremendous honour." Steve Yzerman played 22 seasons for the Wings and holds numerous team records. He led the team to three Stanley Cups and was a member of Canada's gold-medal winning Olympic team in 2002. "It is a tremendous honour to receive this news," said Steve Yzerman. "I want to thank the Selection Committee for recognizing my contributions — I truly had chills down my spine when I got the news." Long-time New Jersey Devils General Manager, Lou Lamoriello was honoured in the Builder category for his over 40 years of contributions to the game at the collegiate and NHL levels. "This award is completely unexpected," said Lamoriello. "Over my career I have been fortunate to have been associated with great players, coaches and scouts, and this award recognizes their contributions to my career."

About The Hockey Hall of Fame

Established in 1943 at the CNE ( see sources and links), the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering multimedia presentations and exhibits from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. on June 18, 1993, the Hockey Hall of Fame officially opened at its new home at BCE Place as it was then known. Its mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of individuals who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect and preserve objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world. For more information, click on this page.

The Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration was a fine night celebrating NHL Hockey! Check back here for next year's event!





© 2009 G.C. Eyre, All Rights Reserved