| Advertisement |
Teemu Selanne will see a familiar face when he is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. "The Finnish Flash" will be joined by longtime teammate and close friend Paul Kariya as part of the Class of 2017, which was announced on Monday afternoon. Dave Andreychuk and Mark Recchi were also included to go along with Team Canada women's star Danielle Goyette and builders Clare Drake and Jeremy Jacobs.
Advertisement
The 2017 Induction Celebration will be held at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 13.
Selanne began his decorated career by leading the NHL with a 76-goal season in 1992-93 with the Winnipeg Jets, winning the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. The 10-time All-Star showed no signs of slowing down during his 21-season career, collecting 1,457 points (684 goals, 773 assists) in 1,451 games.
Selanne's goal total is 11th-best all-time, while Andreychuk's 640 ranks 14th and Recchi's 577 is good enough for 20th on the NHL's career list.
"I'm lucky to have played with great people wherever I went in hockey," said Selanne, whose No. 8 is retired by the Anaheim Ducks. "The game is a team effort and I have a long list of those who helped me."
Kariya's name likely is high on that list. The two-time Lady Byng recipient set up Selanne for many goals in Anaheim and finished with 989 points (402 goals, 587 assists) in 989 career games. He finished in the top seven in league scoring on four different occasions.
"I have to thank all of the countless people in my life who helped me get here," said Kariya, who was in his fifth year of eligibility. "My parents sacrificed so that I could play the game and I wouldn't be receiving this honor if it wasn't for them."
Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli issued the following statement congratulating Selanne and Kariya.
"What a tremendous day for our franchise to have two players named 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees!" the statement read. "Both Teemu and Paul now rightfully take their place among legendary players in the history of the sport.
"The relationship Teemu has with our fans is unparalleled in professional sports. Paul was the first true face of our franchise and helped put the organization on the map. Congratulations to both!"
Andreychuk, who was a two-time All-Star, gained entry into the Hall in his ninth year of eligibility. The 53-year-old captained the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004 and has scored the most power-play goals (274) in league history.
"When I look back I always think of hockey as a team game and it was never about me," said Andreychuk, who had 698 assists. "As a player it is how we are taught and that makes this individual award even more unique."
Recchi won three Stanley Cup titles with three different teams (Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins), becoming only the 10th player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. A seven-time All-Star, Recchi recorded three 100-point campaigns over his 22 seasons and ranks fourth all-time in games played (1,652).
"I can't thank the Selection Committee enough for this recognition," Recchi said after his fourth attempt to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. "It's an incredible feeling and the icing on the cake after 22 years of playing the game."
Goyette netted the lone goal for Team Canada in the inaugural 1998 gold-medal game in Nagano. The 51-year-old Quebec native notched 113 goals and 105 assists in 171 international contests, claiming two Olympic gold medals, one silver and seven gold medals on the World Championship stage.
"The Hockey Hall of Fame is where the people I have looked up to all my life are enshrined, " Goyette said. "It will be an amazing honor for me to be with them."
Drake, 88, coached the University of Alberta to six University Cup championships during his 28-year run behind the bench. He remains the only coach to win a national title in both hockey and football in the same year.
"I am truly humbled to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame," Drake said. "As a Canadian university hockey coach this honor is truly special."
Jacobs, 77, has owned the Bruins since he purchased the team in 1975 and has served as chairman of the league's Board of Governors since 2007. He won the Lester Patrick Award for service to hockey in the United States in 2015.
"Being elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame was the furthest thing from my mind when I purchased the team over 40 years ago," Jacobs said. "To be honored in the same way as former Flames' governor Harley Hotchkiss is truly humbling."
