NHL
Martin Brodeur
Brodeur is a first-year eligible candidate after having waited the required three years following his last professional game. The 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils, and the NHL’s leader in wins (691) and shutouts (125). Additionally, Brodeur holds the NHL record for:
- Games played by a goaltender (1,266),
- Saves (28,928)
- Minutes played (74,438)
- 30-win seasons (14)
- Consecutive 30-win seasons (12)
- Consecutive 35-win seasons (11)
- 40-win seasons (eight)
- consecutive 40-win seasons (three)
When it comes to personal awards, Brodeur won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 1994. He also won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie four times (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008). Lastly, he won the William M Jennings Trophy for fewest goals against in a season with a minimum of 25 appearances five times (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, and 2010). Lastly, Brodeur shares the record for the most wins in a season (48) with Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby.
Martin St.Louis
Like Brodeur, St. Louis is also in his first year of eligibility. He will be joining former teammate Dave Andreychuck, the Lighting’s captain in 2004, who was inducted last year. Martin went from being an undrafted player, which was mostly due to his size, (being 5 foot 8), to being a Stanley Cup champion in 2004 with Tampa Bay. He also won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 2004. St. Louis won the Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer in 2004 and 2013, as well. Another award Martin won was the Ted Lindsay award, that is given to the most outstanding player as voted by the NHL players’ association in 2004. Lastly, Martin also won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2010, 2011, and 2013 for his skill and sportsmanship.
Martin St.Louis holds records with the Lightning in:
- Assists (588)
- Points (953)
- Power-play points (300)
- Shorthanded goals (28)
- Shorthanded points (44)
- Game-winning goals (64)
- Overtime goals (10)
- Postseason goals (33)
- Postseason points (68)
St. Louis finished his career with 1,033 points (391 goals, 642 assists) in 1,134 games played.
Willie O’Ree
2018 Hockey Hall of Fame-Builder
Willie O’Ree will be going into the Hall in the Builders Category. Willie broke the NHL’s color barrier on Jan. 18, 1958, in a game with the Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. In total, Willie O’Ree played 45 NHL games and had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists). O’Ree isn’t known for his NHL career but rather for breaking down barriers and his community involvement.
In 1998, O’Ree was hired by the NHL as the league’s director of youth development and an ambassador for NHL Diversity. He championed the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone initiative. The initiative has introduced more than 120,000 boys and girls from all backgrounds to the game and established 36 local hockey programs, all of which are geared toward serving economically disadvantaged youth.
Recently, he handed out the first Willie O’Ree Community Hero award to Darcy Haugan, the late coach of the Humboldt Broncos.
Gary Bettman
2018 Hockey Hall of Fame-Builder
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman began his tenure on Feb. 1, 1993. Bettman has overseen rapid and massive growth in his 25-plus years. As commissioner, the NHL has grown to a 31-team league and has an annual revenue that exceeds $4 billion, from about $400 million at the beginning of his career. Commissioner Bettman oversaw the additions of the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks in 1993, the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2000, and the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017.
In 1996, the Winnipeg Jets became what are now the Arizona Coyotes, but brought the Jets back to Winnipeg in 2011. The Quebec Nordiques relocated and became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, winning the Staley Cup in their first season in Denver. Additionally, under commissioner Bettman, the NHL has also become a more global sport. The NHL has participated in four Winter Olympics and held three World Cup of Hockey tournaments under Bettman.
Lastly, the Commissioner has overseen the birth of the salary cap, that was instituted in 2005 to help stabilize franchises. Gary Bettman, like Willie O’Ree, will go down as a builder in the 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony.
Alexander Yakushev
Yakushev was a star with Spartak Moscow in the U.S.S.R, but was introduced to fans in North America in 1972 in the Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Alexander was likened to Canada’s Phil Esposito, the only player on either team to finish with more points in the eight-game series. Yakushev led the Soviets with 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in the eight-game series. He scored two goals in the eighth and final game of the series to help the Soviets take a 5-3 lead before Canada rallied in the third period for a 6-5 win to take the series.
Yakushev also won gold medals with the Soviet Union at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics and the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, and helped the U.S.S.R. win seven IIHF World Championships.
Jayna Hefford
Hefford played for Canada at five Winter Olympics. She was a part of four gold medal-winning teams (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014). She scored the gold medal-winning goal against the United States at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hefford is also one of five athletes to win gold at four consecutive Winter Olympics. Lastly, Hefford helped Canada win seven gold medals and five silver medals at the IIHF World Women’s Championship.
