2013 Hockey Hall of Fame Class Announced

The announcement was made earlier this week that the Hockey Hall of Fame will be getting some new members come November 11th. Scott Niedermayer, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan, Fred Shero and Geraldine Heaney were voted into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Niedermayer and Chelios were in their first year of eligibility following their retirement after the 2009-10 season. Shanahan was in his second year of eligibility after being passed over last year, when Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Chelios, 51, was the oldest first-time eligible candidate the selection committee ever had to consider. He played until he was 48 years old, compiling 948 points in 1,651 games (fifth all-time, most among defensemen and most among American-born players) suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers. Chelios, who was chosen by the Canadiens with the No. 40 pick in the 1981 NHL Draft, won the Stanley Cup three times (1986 with Montreal, 2002 and 2008 with Detroit). He also won the Norris Trophy three times (1989 with the Canadiens and 1993 and 1996 with the Blackhawks).

Niedermayer is the only player in history to win every major North American and international championship. He won the Stanley Cup four times (1995, 2000, 2003, 2007) and a gold medal at the Olympics (2002, 2010), the World Championship (2004), the World Cup of Hockey (2004), and the World Junior Championship (1991). He also won the Memorial Cup with the Kamloops Blazers in 1992. He was known as one of the greatest skaters of his generation, and perhaps of all time. Niedermayer was chosen by the New Jersey Devils with the No. 3 pick in the 1991 NHL Draft. He played with the Devils until 2004 and signed to play for the Anaheim Ducks coming out of the lockout-cancelled 2004-05 season. Niedermayer played 1,263 games over 18 seasons (1992-2010) and compiled 740 points. He had 98 points in 202 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Shanahan, who like Niedermayer was drafted by the Devils (No. 2 in 1987), won the Stanley Cup three times with the Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002), Olympic gold with Canada in 2002, and World Championship gold in 1994. Shanahan is one of 18 members of the NHL's 600-goal club; he is 13th all-time with 656. He's 13th all-time in games played with 1,524 and 25th in points with 1,354. Shanahan played for the Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Red Wings and New York Rangers.

Shero coached the Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975. He was the first coach to win the Stanley Cup with an expansion team. He also brought the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1976 and the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1979. Shero, who passed away in 1990, coached for 10 seasons from 1971-81 and went 390-225-119. He is 11th all-time in winning percentage (.612) and was the first winner of the Jack Adams Award (1974). Shero was considered an innovator because he was one of the first coaches to put his team through morning skates, and he went to the Soviet Union to study the hockey philosophies there in order to incorporate them into his coaching style. He was the first coach to hire a full-time assistant, to make sure his players used in-season strength training, and among the first to study film. His son, Ray Shero, is general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Heaney, a long-time defenseman, won the gold medal with Canada at the World Women's Championship seven times (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001). She also won gold at the 2002 Olympics and silver at the 1998 Games. Heaney, Granato and James were inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2008.

(Story provided by nhl.com)