photo: Adam Coish/Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted six new members last night in Toronto. Added to the pantheon of greats are Players Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk as well as Builder Brian Burke.
Patrice Bergeron was just inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame this past May at the World Championship in Zurich. He had an incredible career with Team Canada and played his entire NHL career with Boston, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010-11. He was considered the best defensive forward of his generation, being named Selke Trophy winner an unprecedented six times. In 1,294 NHL games, he had 1,040 points, and in IIHF play he was nearly perfect. He is the only player to win gold at the World Championship before the World Juniors, and he won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014. He is Triple Gold Club member #25.
Bergeron used his speech to look back at his early days falling in love with the game and recognizing those who helped him become the Hall of Fame player he was. “When I think about my hockey journey, my mind always goes to the feeling I had when I put skates on,” he began. “It was unlike anything I had experienced…I stand here today truly grateful for everything the game of hockey has given me…I was incredibly lucky to have amazing minor hockey coaches and teammates who helped me grow and develop along the way on my hockey journey. I learned how to win, how to persevere through adversity. But most of all it's the friendships, memories, and values that will stay with me forever.”
Brian Burke had a long career as an executive, both in the NHL and with USA Hockey. He was the general manager of Hartford (before the Whalers moved to Carolina), Vancouver, Anaheim, and Toronto, winning his only Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2006-07. He was also GM of USA’s 2010 men’s Olympic team which won silver in Vancouver. He later became the first Executive Director of the PWHL’s Player Association.
“When I first got the call from the Selection Committee, I paused,” Burke began. “No one starts playing hockey at 13 years old in Minnesota and thinks that one day they will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”
He later gave credit to Pat Quinn, who hired him: "Pat Quinn took a flier on a young lawyer in Vancouver. He was a mountain of man with a heart and a brain to match. He taught me how to run a team with integrity, backbone and, yes, a little bit of functional hostility.”
Cindy Curley represented the United States at the unofficial Women’s World Championships in Toronto in 1987 and then in the first three IIHF Women’s Worlds—1990, 1992, and 1994. In 1990, in Ottawa, she set records that still stand for most points (23), most assists (12), and most goals 11 (tied with Angela James CAN) in a tournament. These records are thanks partly to one great game which allowed her to set several other records—most points in a game (9) and most goals in a game (5—tied with Hanna Teerijoki FIN). Additionally, she is the only woman to record six points in a period (1st period, March 21, 1990, versus Norway—4 goals, 2 assists) and one of only two players to score four goals in one period. In all, Curley had 34 points in 15 WW games, winning three silver medals.
“I never expected to receive this honour,” Curley said with humility. “I started playing hockey at five years old. My late father put a stick in my hand and taught me to love the game as much as he did. He might not have known it, but he gave me a great gift back then…I’m so grateful to him…One of the greatest privileges of my life was to play on the international stage, representing my country…Since then, it’s been incredible to see the growth of the women’s game.”
Goalie Carey Price had a 2-0-2 record with Canada at the 2005 Men’s U18 World Championship, after which he never lost another game playing for Team Canada. He was 6-0-0 at the 2007 World Juniors, winning gold; 5-0-0 at the 2014 Olympics, gold; and, 5-0-0 at the 2016 World Cup, and another championship. In the NHL, he played his entire career with Montreal, 2007-2022, during which time he played 712 games, winning 361, which ranks 24th all time. His best season was 2014-15 when he led the league in wins (44), GAA (1.96), and save percentage (.933). These achievements led him to be named winner of the Hart, Vezina, and Jennings Trophies as well as the Ted Lindsay Award.
“All I can remember is always wanting to be a hockey player,” Price said of a childhood spent in tiny Anahim Lake, B.C., a time which helped forge the person he became. “Growing up in a remote community, there was a very slim chance of this happening without a relentless desire, and an opportunity. The opportunity was provided through sacrifice. As a parent now of a young family, I understand that meant time apart, time spent apart between a mother and a son, time spent apart between a father and a daughter.”
Like Price, Pekka Rinne was a goalie who played his entire NHL career with one team. In his case it was Nashville, starting in 2005 and lasting 16 seasons. He played in 683 games, winning 369, the most for a Finnish goalie. He and the Predators advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 2017, and he won the Vezina Trophy a year later. Rinne represented Finland at four World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2014, when he was also named tournament MVP. He also played in one game of the 2016 World Cup.
“When I was a kid, my idol was my cousin Jari, who was a goalie,” Rinne recalled. “As soon as I saw Jari’s goalie gear, I knew I wanted to be a goalie. After school, I used to stare out the window and wait for my cousins to come home so I could knock on their door and ask them to come out and take shots on me. Most of the time, they did.”
Keith Tkachuk was a prototypical power forward during his 18 years in the NHL. He could score and play physically, and he was tough as nails around the net. In 1,201 regular-season games he scored 538 goals and recorded 1,065 points. He started with the Winnipeg Jets in 1991, moved to Phoenix when the franchise relocated south, and later played for St. Louis. Eleven times he had more than 100 penalty minutes, including 1996-97 when he had a career high 52 goals. Tkachuk was also a Team USA player on several occasions, most notably the 1996 World Cup when the Americans defeated Canada in the best-of-three championship. He also played at two World Juniors (bronze in 1992) and four Olympics (silver in 2002).
“Growing up in Boston, I loved the Bruins,” Tkachuk reminisced. “Hockey became my life. At Boston University, coach Jack Parker helped shape me as a player and person. I am grateful to him, Tony Amonte, Scott Lachance, and Shawn McEachern and many others who made my year there special. I’ve looked up to my cousin Tom Fitzgerald my whole life. Tom showed me and many others what it takes to be a long-time NHLer.”
Patrice Bergeron was just inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame this past May at the World Championship in Zurich. He had an incredible career with Team Canada and played his entire NHL career with Boston, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010-11. He was considered the best defensive forward of his generation, being named Selke Trophy winner an unprecedented six times. In 1,294 NHL games, he had 1,040 points, and in IIHF play he was nearly perfect. He is the only player to win gold at the World Championship before the World Juniors, and he won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014. He is Triple Gold Club member #25.
Bergeron used his speech to look back at his early days falling in love with the game and recognizing those who helped him become the Hall of Fame player he was. “When I think about my hockey journey, my mind always goes to the feeling I had when I put skates on,” he began. “It was unlike anything I had experienced…I stand here today truly grateful for everything the game of hockey has given me…I was incredibly lucky to have amazing minor hockey coaches and teammates who helped me grow and develop along the way on my hockey journey. I learned how to win, how to persevere through adversity. But most of all it's the friendships, memories, and values that will stay with me forever.”
Brian Burke had a long career as an executive, both in the NHL and with USA Hockey. He was the general manager of Hartford (before the Whalers moved to Carolina), Vancouver, Anaheim, and Toronto, winning his only Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2006-07. He was also GM of USA’s 2010 men’s Olympic team which won silver in Vancouver. He later became the first Executive Director of the PWHL’s Player Association.
“When I first got the call from the Selection Committee, I paused,” Burke began. “No one starts playing hockey at 13 years old in Minnesota and thinks that one day they will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”
He later gave credit to Pat Quinn, who hired him: "Pat Quinn took a flier on a young lawyer in Vancouver. He was a mountain of man with a heart and a brain to match. He taught me how to run a team with integrity, backbone and, yes, a little bit of functional hostility.”
Cindy Curley represented the United States at the unofficial Women’s World Championships in Toronto in 1987 and then in the first three IIHF Women’s Worlds—1990, 1992, and 1994. In 1990, in Ottawa, she set records that still stand for most points (23), most assists (12), and most goals 11 (tied with Angela James CAN) in a tournament. These records are thanks partly to one great game which allowed her to set several other records—most points in a game (9) and most goals in a game (5—tied with Hanna Teerijoki FIN). Additionally, she is the only woman to record six points in a period (1st period, March 21, 1990, versus Norway—4 goals, 2 assists) and one of only two players to score four goals in one period. In all, Curley had 34 points in 15 WW games, winning three silver medals.
“I never expected to receive this honour,” Curley said with humility. “I started playing hockey at five years old. My late father put a stick in my hand and taught me to love the game as much as he did. He might not have known it, but he gave me a great gift back then…I’m so grateful to him…One of the greatest privileges of my life was to play on the international stage, representing my country…Since then, it’s been incredible to see the growth of the women’s game.”
Goalie Carey Price had a 2-0-2 record with Canada at the 2005 Men’s U18 World Championship, after which he never lost another game playing for Team Canada. He was 6-0-0 at the 2007 World Juniors, winning gold; 5-0-0 at the 2014 Olympics, gold; and, 5-0-0 at the 2016 World Cup, and another championship. In the NHL, he played his entire career with Montreal, 2007-2022, during which time he played 712 games, winning 361, which ranks 24th all time. His best season was 2014-15 when he led the league in wins (44), GAA (1.96), and save percentage (.933). These achievements led him to be named winner of the Hart, Vezina, and Jennings Trophies as well as the Ted Lindsay Award.
“All I can remember is always wanting to be a hockey player,” Price said of a childhood spent in tiny Anahim Lake, B.C., a time which helped forge the person he became. “Growing up in a remote community, there was a very slim chance of this happening without a relentless desire, and an opportunity. The opportunity was provided through sacrifice. As a parent now of a young family, I understand that meant time apart, time spent apart between a mother and a son, time spent apart between a father and a daughter.”
Like Price, Pekka Rinne was a goalie who played his entire NHL career with one team. In his case it was Nashville, starting in 2005 and lasting 16 seasons. He played in 683 games, winning 369, the most for a Finnish goalie. He and the Predators advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 2017, and he won the Vezina Trophy a year later. Rinne represented Finland at four World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2014, when he was also named tournament MVP. He also played in one game of the 2016 World Cup.
“When I was a kid, my idol was my cousin Jari, who was a goalie,” Rinne recalled. “As soon as I saw Jari’s goalie gear, I knew I wanted to be a goalie. After school, I used to stare out the window and wait for my cousins to come home so I could knock on their door and ask them to come out and take shots on me. Most of the time, they did.”
Keith Tkachuk was a prototypical power forward during his 18 years in the NHL. He could score and play physically, and he was tough as nails around the net. In 1,201 regular-season games he scored 538 goals and recorded 1,065 points. He started with the Winnipeg Jets in 1991, moved to Phoenix when the franchise relocated south, and later played for St. Louis. Eleven times he had more than 100 penalty minutes, including 1996-97 when he had a career high 52 goals. Tkachuk was also a Team USA player on several occasions, most notably the 1996 World Cup when the Americans defeated Canada in the best-of-three championship. He also played at two World Juniors (bronze in 1992) and four Olympics (silver in 2002).
“Growing up in Boston, I loved the Bruins,” Tkachuk reminisced. “Hockey became my life. At Boston University, coach Jack Parker helped shape me as a player and person. I am grateful to him, Tony Amonte, Scott Lachance, and Shawn McEachern and many others who made my year there special. I’ve looked up to my cousin Tom Fitzgerald my whole life. Tom showed me and many others what it takes to be a long-time NHLer.”