The newest members of the Hall are: in the Builders Category, former BU Coach Jack Parker amnd Team Canada GM and Women's Hockey Coach Daniele Sauvageau were selected. For the Players Category, Jennifer Botterill, Brianna Decker, Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith and Alexander Mogilny were selected.
Jack Parker did a lot coaching at Boston University in the 40 years he ran the program. Three National Championships, six conference championships, 24 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, 13 appearances in the Frozen Four, and 897 wins as head coach. Numbers like that put one in rare air. Same thing can be said for Sauvageau on the national level and what she was able to do for Team Canada in the Women's game on the international level.
Now as for the players getting in, lets look at what Botterill and Decker have done for the Women's game. Botterill played four years at Harvard, including a 112 point season her senior year. It's even mroe impressive what she did, considering that the NCAA does not recognize her record because women's hockey was not an NCAA-sanctioned sport in Botterill's first two college seasons. She was the first to win the Patty Kazmaier Award twice, which is given to the best player in Women's College Hockey. She continued to play professional hockey through 2011 racking up 155 points in 78 games. Oh and add in 117 points in 92 games on the international level for Team Canada. Brianna Decker did the same thing for the United States as well. She played four years at Wisconsin University, with over 180 career points. She won six gold medals at the Worlds and a gold and two silvers at Olympic games. She helped set a standard for Women's Hockey in the United States.
Two forwards and two defenders get into the players category from the NHL.
Duncan Keith was a late 2nd round pick by the Hawks in 2002. He joined the Hawks in 2005 and stayed their until 2021. He played his final NHL season with the Oilers before retiring in 2022. 1,256 games played, 106 goals, 540 assists for 646 points. Four all star game appearances, twice winner of the Norris Trophy, a Conn Smyth Trophy and three Stanley Cup Championships are on his mantel. Sure, he had an offensive style to his game, but he was more known for his skating and defensive play. He was a solid all around defender who could skate with some of the best opposing forwards in the game. Then there's Zdeno Chara, the tallest player in league history. He was drafted in the third round of the 1996 entry draft by the Islanders. He joined the team in 1998 and spent three years on the team. Then gets traded to the Ottawa Senators for four years. He followed that up with 14 season in Boston, and finally a year each in Washington and back with the Islanders to finish his career. The numbers speak volumes for Big Z, 680 points on 209 goals and 471 assists in 1,680 games> Those games played the most by a defenseman and third among all players during his 25 years in the League. Six all star game appearances, a five time winner of the hardest shot, one Norris Trophy and a 2011 Stanley Cup Championship to his name. It took the big man a few years to stop growing and find his game, but when he did, he became a forced to be reckoned with on the blue line. He was a hall of fame player and a hall of fame human being as well.
One of the two forwards getting induction is long overdue. Alexander Mogilny finally getting his long awaited induction into the hall. Started his career in 1989 with the Buffalo Sabres, playing there until 1995. Then it was on to Vancouver from 1995 to 1999. Then a two year stop with the New Jersey Devils to 2001. He followed that with a three year stint in Toronto before one final year in New Jersey by the time he retired in 2006. 990 games played, 473 goals, 559 assists, 1,032 points. A Stanley Cup win in 2000, six all star games, member of the triple gold club. The list goes on and on for Mogilny. An incredible skater and one of the best pure goal scorers of his generation, Mogilny could either blow right by you or deke right around you. The fact that it took this long for him to finally get inducted is a bit of a crime, but as the saying goes better late than never. We go from one of the best goal scores to one of the best play makers of a generation in Joe Thornton. Jumbo Joe was drafted 1st overall in 1997 and started his career that year in Boston. He played their until midway through the 2006 season, where he was traded to San Jose. Joe played for the Sharks till 2020 where he would spend his final two seasons in the league with Toronto and Florida. 1,714 career games, 430 goals, 1,109 assists good for 1,539 points. Joe as a six time all star to go along with winning an Art Ross and Hart trophy in 2006. Like Chara, it took Thornton a little time to get acclimated to the NHL game. Once he did, he cemented himself as an outstanding playmaker.
