Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees

TORONTO (June 23, 2009) — 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, announced today that Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category and Lou Lamoriello has been elected in the Builder Category. The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.

"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."

A native of Belleville, Ontario, Brett Hull played college hockey for two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before embarking on a professional career in 1986. Hull played 19 NHL seasons, earning First Team All-Star selection on three occasions and winning Stanley Cups with Detroit and Dallas. Along with his father Bobby, the duo is the only NHL father and son to each record 600 goals and 1,000 career points.

"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."

Brian Leetch played his collegiate hockey at Boston College and was drafted in the first round (9th overall) in 1986. He turned pro with the Rangers in 1987 and went on to play 18 NHL seasons, winning the James Norris trophy twice. Leetch was a key member of the Rangers' 1993-94 Stanley Cup-winning team and became the first U.S.-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL's playoff MVP.

"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 played his Junior hockey in Hull, Quebec under the tutelage of Pat Burns. A late selection (9th round) of the Los Angeles Kings in 1984, he went on to win the Calder Trophy in his rookie season in 1986-87. He played 19 NHL seasons, ranking 10th amongst NHLers all time in scoring. His eight 40+-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 was selected 4th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1983 Entry Draft and went on to play 22 seasons for the Wings. The longest-serving team captain in Red Wings history (1986 to 2006), Yzerman holds numerous team records, 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."

In the Builder Category, long-time New Jersey Devils General Manager, Lou Lamoriello was honoured for his over 40 years of contributions to the game — both at the collegiate and NHL levels. Under his leadership the Devils have won three Stanley Cups: in 1995, 2000 and 2003.

"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."

The 2009 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 9th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art multimedia presentations and exhibits from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. 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, please contact Kelly Masse Hockey Hall of Fame (416) 933-8212 kmasse@hhof.com

Brett Hull

Born August 9, 1964 in Belleville, Ontario Holds BCHL record for most goals in a season with 105, set in 1983-84; Penticton Knights On scholarship at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was named the WCHA Freshman of the Year (1985) and a WCHA First-Team All-Star (1986) Picked 117th overall, as the Calgary Flames' 6th choice, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft Member of the AHL's First All-Star Team and the Dudley ``Red'' Garrett Memorial Award as the League's Rookie of the Year in 1987 while playing with the Moncton Golden Flames 19 NHL Seasons played with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes Three-time NHL First-Team All-Star (1990, 1991, 1992) 8 NHL All-Star Games Played (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001) Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1990) Lester B. Pearson Award winner, Hart Memorial Trophy winner (1991) 5th Player in NHL history to record 50 goals in 50 games or less, behind Gretzky, Richard, Bossy, Lemieux. Served as captain of the St. Louis Blues 1992-95; Recorded three consecutive 70-goal seasons 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, including a career-high 86 goals in 1991 Led the St. Louis Blues in goals 1988-89 to 1996-97; points 1988-89 to 1991-92, and 1994-95 to 1997-98; power-play goals 1988-89 to 1997-98 Holds records as the St. Louis Blues' all-time leader in regular season goals (527), hat tricks (27), game-winning goals (701), power-play goals (195), and shots on goal (3,367) Holds records as the St. Louis Blues' all-time leader for most goals (86) and points (131), power play goals (29) in one season; most 30+ goal (8), most 40+ goal (8), and most 50+ goal seasons (5) Holds records as the St. Louis Blues' all-time leader in playoff games played (102), playoff goals (67), points (117), and game-winning goals (15). Recorded 100+ points on 4 occasions (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) Along with his father, Bobby Hull, became the only NHL father-son duo to each record 1000 career points (1995-96)and 600 career goals (1998-99) His 24 career playoff game-winning goals are tied with Gretzky for the most in NHL history Ranks 3rd in NHL regular season career goals (741) behind Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe Ranks 3rd in the NHL for most goals, including playoffs (844), and most goals, one season (86) Two Stanley Cup championships; Dallas Stars, 1999, Detroit Red Wings, 2002 Represented the USA at two Olympic Winter Games (1998, 2002 - silver), two World Cups (1996 - gold, 2004 - bronze), at the 1991 Canada Cup (runners-up), and the 1986 IIHF World Championship. NHL Regular Season Career: 1269 games played, 741 goals, 650 assists, 1391 points NHL Playoff Career: 202 games played, 103 goals, 87 assists, 190 points Retired from NHL play; October 16, 2005 Sweater number (#16) retired by the St. Louis Blues in 2006 Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, 2008 Currently serves as the Co-General Manager of the Dallas Stars

Lou Lamoriello

Born October 21, 1942 in Providence, Rhode Island. Attended Providence College and then continued on as a coach and Athletic Director 1967-1987) 15 years as a coach, 5 as Athletic Director. Captained both Hockey and Baseball teams while an undergraduate. Played, coached and Managed in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Served as an assistant coach for four years at Providence immediately following graduation in both hockey and baseball. Served as member of Big East Conference Television Committee and NCAA Professional Sports Committee. One of the co-founders of Hockey East Association. Served as Commissioner of Hockey East from 1983 -1987. Lamoriello Cup has served as Hockey East's Championship award since 1989. Became the New Jersey Devils President in April, 1987 and assumed dual role as President and General Manager prior to 1987-88 training camp. A position he has held for 21 seasons. Has assumed role of Head Coach of the Devils twice during his tenure: December 19, 2005 through 2006 playoffs, and from April 2, 2007 through 2007 playoffs. Won the Stanley Cup 3 times, 1995, 2000 and 2003. Led Albany River Rats to the AHL Calder Cup Championship in 1995; became the first club since the 1976-77 season to win dual NHL/AHL championships. A member of the NHL Board of Governor Executive Committee and a member of the General Managers' Steering Committee. Served as General Manager of Team USA during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Over last 13 seasons with New Jersey, Devils have had ten 100 point seasons, and have won 4 Eastern Conference and 7 Atlantic Division championships. Inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. Named winner of the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1992. Named recipient of the 2000 Unico National Vince Lombardi Award for Professional Sports Achievement. Received Honorary Doctorate Degree from Providence College in 2001. Inducted into New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. Received Ellis Island Medal of Honor, May 2003. Inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and the LaSalle Academy (Rhode Island) Hall of Fame in 2004. Member of the Board of Directors of the Yogi Berra Museum since 2006. Currently also holds title of CEO as well as President and General Manager

Brian Leetch

Born March 3, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas Played NCAA hockey at Boston College where he was named a Hockey East First All-Star Team, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Player of the Year, NCAA East First All-American Team, and a Hobey Baker Award finalist, 1987 Picked 9th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers 18 NHL seasons played with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins Two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner (1992, 1997) Calder Memorial Trophy Winner and NHL All-Rookie Team, 1989 Lester Patrick Award Winner, 2007 NHL First All-Star Team: 1992, 1997 NHL Second All-Star Team: 1991, 1994, 1996 Nine NHL All-Star Games Played (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002) Served as Captain of the New York Rangers 1997-2000 Holds New York Rangers records for most career goals (240), assists (741), most assists in a season (80), most points by a defence-man (981), and most assists by a defence-man in one season (102) Ranks 2nd among Rangers all-time points leaders (981), games played (1129), and points by a rookie (71) Holds NHL Record for most goals by a rookie defence-man in one season with 23 (1988-89), and ranks 2nd in the league for most points by a defence-man in one season with 71 Marked his 1000th point on October 18, 2005 while playing for the Boston Bruins 1 Stanley Cup Championship; 1993-94 New York Rangers Became the first U.S. born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1994, after leading the league in playoff scoring Represented the U.S.A. on three occasions at the Winter Olympic Games (1988, 1998, 2002), serving as team captain of the 1988 team, and a silver medal performance at the 2002 Olympics Represented his native U.S.A. at three IIHF World Junior Championships (1985-87) where he was named to the 1987 First All-Star Team; two IIHF World Championships (1987, 1989); two World Cups (1996, 2004), and at the 1991 Canada Cup One of 12 players to be named to the All-Time USA Hockey Team, 1997 NHL Regular Season Career: 1205 games played, 247 goals, 781 assists, for 1028 points NHL Playoff Career: 95 games played, 28 goals, 69 assists, 97 points Announced his retirement from NHL play; May 24, 2007 Sweater number (#2) retired by the New York Rangers; January 24, 2008 Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, 2008

Luc Robitaille

Born on February 17, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec As a member of the Hull Olympiques, was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team in 1985 Was named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team, Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team, 1986 Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year, 1986 Picked 171st overall, as the Los Angeles Kings' 9th choice, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft 19 NHL seasons played with the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings Calder Memorial Trophy winner and NHL All-Rookie Team, 1987 Represented Canada on three occasions: silver medalist at the 1986 IIHF World Junior Championship, 1991 Canada Cup champion, and gold medalist at the 1994 IIHF World Championship where Robitaille recorded the championship-winning goal Five-time NHL First Team All-Star (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993) Three-time NHL Second Team All-Star (1987, 1992, 2001) Eight NHL All-Star Games Played (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2001) Served as co-captain of the Los Angeles Kings 1992-93 with Gretzky Holds Los Angeles Kings records for most career goals (557), and most points by a rookie(84), 1986-87 Holds NHL record for most career goals (668), career points (1394), and points in a single season (125, 1992-93) by a Left Winger Ranks 2nd among NHL Left Wingers for goals in one season (63), and career assists (726) Ranks 10th among NHL All-Time Goal Scoring Leaders (668) Ranks 19th among All-Time Points Leaders (1394) and Games Played (1431) Recorded the third-most consecutive 40+ goal seasons (8) behind Gretzky and Bossy As a member of the Los Angeles Kings, marked his 500th career goal (Jan. 7, 1999) to become the 6th Left Winger in League history to reach that plateau Marked his 1,000th career point Jan. 29, 1998 as a Los Angeles King One Stanley Cup championship with Detroit Red Wings, 2002 NHL Regular Season Career: 1431 games played, 668 goals, 726 assists, 1394 points NHL Playoff Career: 159 games played, 58 goals, 69 assists, 127 points Retired from NHL play; April 17, 2006 Sweater number (#20) was retired by the Los Angeles Kings in 2007 Currently serves as President, Business Operations, Alternate Governor for the Los Angeles Kings

Steve Yzerman

Born on May 9, 1965 in Cranbrook, British Columbia Picked 4th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings 22 NHL seasons played with the Detroit Red Wings In his Rookie year, set Detroit records for goals (37) and points (87) for a rookie; he became the youngest player to play in the NHL All-Star Game (age 18), was runner-up to the Calder Trophy, and was named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team (1984) Served as Captain of the Red Wings 1986-2006, the youngest player to be named Detroit's Captain (age 21), and the longest-serving Captain in League history Holds Red Wings records for most career assists (1063), most goals in one season (65), most assists in one season (90), most points in one season (155) Lester B. Pearson Award (1989) Conn Smythe Trophy (1998) Frank J. Selke Trophy (2000) Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (2003) Lester Patrick Trophy (2007) Nine NHL All-Star Games played (1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2000) Six 100+ point seasons (1987-93), and five 50+ goal seasons (1987-91 and 1992-93) Finished in the League's top ten in scoring 6 times Ranks 5th in the NHL for all-time most career points, including playoffs (1940); most career goals (692), assists (1063), and points (1755) by a Centre Ranks 8th in the NHL among all-time top goal-scoring leaders (692); 7th among all-time assists leaders (1063); 6th among all-time point scorers (1755); and 11th among all-time games-played leaders (1514) Marked his 500th career goal on Jan. 17, 1996 vs. Colorado Avalanche, and his 1000th NHL point on Feb. 24, 1993 vs. Buffalo Sabres 20 NHL post-season appearances Three Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002), Represented Canada on multiple occasions: bronze medalist at the 1983 IIHF World Junior Championship; champion at the 1984 Canada Cup; silver medalist at the 1996 World Cup; 3 appearances at the IIHF World Championship (1985 - silver medalist, 1989 - silver medalist, 1990); two-time Olympian (1998, 2002 - gold medalist) Named the 1990 IIHF World Championship Best Forward NHL Regular Season Career: 1514 games played, 692 goals, 1063 assists, 1755 points NHL Playoff Career: 196 games played, 70 goals, 115 assists, 185 points Retired from NHL play; July 3, 2006 Sweater number (#19) was retired by the Detroit Red Wings; January 2, 2007 Currently serves the Detroit Red Wings as Vice-President, Hockey, and as General Manager of Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Hockey journalist Dave Molinari and former broadcaster John Davidson honoured

TORONTO (June 2, 2009) — Bill Hay, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, announced today that DAVE MOLINARI, the newspaper voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for hockey journalism. Hay also announced that JOHN DAVIDSON, a long-time broadcaster who is currently the President of Hockey Operations with the St. Louis Blues, will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.

Dave Molinari

Molinari is described by his colleagues as a survivor whose subtle blend of dry wit, humour and sardonic writing style has captivated readers in Pittsburgh for more than two decades. Most notably, he was the lead chronicler for all of the highs and lows of Mario Lemieux's career as the lead hockey beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

"Since 1983 Dave Molinari has been telling the Pittsburgh Penguins story with the perfect blend of insightful analysis and entertaining prose," said PHWA President Kevin Allen. "The fans of Pittsburgh have been fortunate to have highly skilled players such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. And they have been equally fortunate to have a highly skilled writer such as Dave to chronicle their successes. With his dry wit, Dave is also the leading press box humorist in the hockey writing community. He is one of the most respected hockey writers in the game today."

Davidson, a former goaltender for the St. Louis Blues and the team's first-round draft choice in 1973, boasts an impressive hockey career on and off the ice, including as a analyst for the Madison Square Garden (MSG) Network, CBC and various other national hockey broadcast partners in the United States and Canada. Awarded the Lester Patrick Award in 2004 for his contribution to American hockey, Davidson's distinguished broadcasting career includes lead analyst work at the past five Winter Olympic Games.

John Davidson

"John Davidson has had a remarkable career in almost every aspect of professional hockey, and we as a broadcast community benefited immensely from his expertise and professionalism," said Chuck Kaiton, President, NHL Broadcasters' Association. "He is an incredibly deserving recipient of this honour."

Molinari and Davidson will receive the awards at a luncheon presentation on Monday, November 9, 2009. This year's Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will take place November 6th to 9th, culminating with the Induction Ceremony beginning at 7:30 P.M. (EST) on Monday, November 9.

The 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees will be announced on June 23rd, following the annual Selection Committee meeting that same day. Please visit HHOF.com for first-year eligible players for induction in 2009.

The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is named in honour of the late "Voice of Hockey" in Canada. It was first presented in 1984 by the NHL Broadcasters' Association in recognition of members of the radio and television industry who have made outstanding contributions to their profession and to the game of hockey.

Named in honour of the late Montreal newspaper reporter, the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award was first presented in 1984 by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in recognition of distinguished members of the hockey writing profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to the game of hockey.

Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art exhibits and multimedia presentations from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. Its mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of teams and 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: Kelly Masse Hockey Hall of Fame (416) 933-8212