Two-plus decades after the duo arrived in Detroit – in much different ways – they are set to be inducted Monday into the Hockey Hall of Fame along with Phil Housley, Chris Pronger, Angela Ruggiero, Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos.
Advertisement
On Scotty Bowman: “I also want to thank Scotty Bowman”.
Blues fans were irate, especially at then-General Manager and coach Mike Keenan for engineering the deal.
Accepting his Hall of Fame plaque from Russian compatriot Igor Larionov, the 45-year-old Fedorov paid tribute to former coaches and spoke of how playing for CSKA Moscow prepared him for his shift to the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings.
“At that time”, Nickson, 61, said in a recent interview, “I wasn’t looking to become a broadcast sportscaster”. They had (Jonathan) Toews, (Dustin) Byfuglien and (Patrick) Kane and he was controlling the game.
With a rare combination of size, speed and soft hands, Fedorov won the Hart Trophy as MVP of the league and the first of two Selke Trophies as the top two-way player during the 1993-94 season. Anxious that the Pronger-sized Tchekmarev would carry him to the elevator and up to see the coach, Fedorov instead saw Jim Lites of the Red Wings and said the only English he knew: “Let’s go, Jim”. “You need to have that puck-moving, mobile defenseman who can play 30 minutes; a guy who can play the power play, a guy who can kill penalties. He was on that edge”.
“I remember when we chose to bring him aboard and he wanted to be a part of it, there was a few commentary about, how could you take a player as skilled and terrific as he was who had been disciplined eight times and put him in player safety?” “He was famous for clearing out the front of the net”.
“In my opinion if he’s still healthy today, he could still be a good player because when he had the puck, when he didn’t have the puck, he could slow the game down”, Holmgren said.
Again, the very paper-thin case against him when argued against Forsberg is that Forsberg was that force of nature.
Pronger thanked all whom he was associated with during an eloquent speech that focused on the opportunity he was afforded by many people along the way. “On and off the ice”, said Fedorov.
In mentioning agent Pat Morris’ help early in his career, Pronger apologized for the small planes the Newport Sports management team had to endure on their way to and from Dryden, Ont.
Pronger wrapped by telling the crowd, “I appreciate the support over the years. A few boos, some cheers, but thank you very much”. Like Yzerman, Fedorov is a first-ballot entrant, the ultimate recognition of a player another Hall of Fame member called “ultra-talented”. Obviously I’ve been to Canton, (Ohio), I’ve been to Cooperstown (New York), and now this. I just kind of jumped on their back and watched them play. It’s probably a good thing no one ever gave Pronger the keys to the Zamboni.
Even Brendan Shanahan, whom the Blues gave up for Pronger in the heart-tugging trade with Hartford on July 27, 1995, voiced his approval for admission into hockey’s Hall. “I never thought that, until I started playing with him – and then I realized it quite quickly”. “He was a warrior when he played”. “That’s the great thing about hockey, someone is always there to point out your mistakes”.
Pronger possessed very good speed and extraordinary reach, which made him a master of using his stick in a lethal manner when he wasn’t racking up power-play points. Of the 42 games through Sunday that went to overtime, 29 (69%) were decided in three-on-three play.
Just ask the Chicago Blackhawks, who have made a habit of doing just that the past six seasons with rather favorable results.
Meanwhile, Housley tallied 71 points in 141 games (1996-98). “What we did is enjoy each other’s company on the ice, went through a lot of ups and downs, played together as a group”. “But we think MacInnis takes it up a notch”. Each will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of fame on Monday.
Lidstrom said that is reflective of his hockey career.
Fedorov told the story of how he defected after an exhibition game ahead of the 1990 Goodwill Games.
Advertisement
Other inductees included Ruggerio, four-time Olympian for Team U.S., in the female player category, along with Karmanos, the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Hay, the former chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
