Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted June 11, 2003 6/11/2003 TORONTO (CP) - Goaltender Grant Fuhr and forward Pat LaFontaine were selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The two were named in the players' category while Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and Ottawa 67's head coach Brian Kilrea will enter the Hall as builders. Fuhr, 40, earned five championships with the Edmonton Oilers, helped Canada win the Canada Cup tournament in 1987, and was the first team all-star goalie and Vezina Trophy winner in 1988. ``It's a fabulous honour,'' said Fuhr. ``It's the topping on which was the most enjoyable of things to do for a living. This is the ice cream on the cake.'' Glen Sather, who coached Fuhr in Edmonton, called him one of the best goalies of the 80s. ``He played on an offensive team and had the ability to win games when the team had to win,'' said Sather, who is now the GM of the Rangers. The native of Spruce Grove, Alta., who was in his first year of eligibility, was judged the 11th-best goalie in NHL history, and 70th-best player overall, by a panel of experts assembled by The Hockey News five years ago to pick the top 100 players of all time. He will be the first black entrant into the Hall. ``He was a low-profile guy who just wanted to be part of the team,'' said Sather. ``He was a great team guy. ``He was the last one to take credit for what he did and the first one to take blame for what he didn't do, and he didn't blame anybody else for making mistakes.'' LaFontaine, a 38-year-old American, recorded 468 goals with 545 assists in 865 career games with the New York Islanders and Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. ``It's a tremendous honour,'' said LaFontaine. ``To be in such an exclusive club is overwhelming,'' LaFontaine, who was in his second year of eligibility, was an Islanders star throughout the 1980s before he was traded to the Sabres in 1991. He had his best season in 1992-93, scoring 53 goals and recording 95 assists. LaFontaine, who was plagued by concussions during his career, played his final NHL season with the New York Rangers in 1998. In his only season with the Rangers, LaFontaine became the third American player to record 1,000 points. He was a five-time all-star and played for the United States in the 1984 and 1998 Olympics. He was also a member of 1996 World Cup championship team. Guy Carbonneau, Dino Ciccarelli, Glenn Anderson and Brian Bellows were among other players eligible for induction. Kilrea reached 1,000 wins this season behind the Ottawa 67's bench, making him only the second hockey coach to surpass that mark next to the NHL's Scotty Bowman. The 68-year-old from Ottawa just finished his 26th season behind the 67's bench. The Canadian Hockey League's coaching award was re-named the Brian Kilrea Trophy. Ilitch, whose empire also includes baseball's Detroit Tigers and the Little Caesars pizza chain, purchased the Red Wings in 1982. They went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. They also captured the NHL championship in 2002. Jim Gregory chairs the selection committee. Members are Bowman, Al Arbour, Ed Chynoweth, John Davidson, Mike Emrick, Red Fisher, Emile Francis, Dick Irvin, Stan Mikita, Richard Patrick, Marty Pavelich, Pat Quinn, Bert Raymond, Serge Savard, Frank Selke, Harry Sinden and Frank Udvari. Bowman was named to the committee April 2 when Cliff Fletcher's term expired. The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 3 at the Hall in Toronto. -TSN.ca Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest gthureson Report post Posted June 11, 2003 I'm iffy on Lafontaine. He was a really good player, and if he hadn't had a slow start to his career and an abrubt end, he may have put up some spectacular numbers. But the HoF should be about what you did, not what you might have done had the circumstances been better. 865 games, 1013 points. He didn't break the 500 goal mark, he had 2 100 point seasons. No Stanley Cups, and no major individual awards. I'm guessing he got in 'cause he was part of the first wave of really good American players. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lightning Flik Report post Posted June 11, 2003 TSN gave the fact that Pat got 1.17 PPG as a final tally and thusly part of the reason why he was being considered. I think... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brush with Greatness Report post Posted June 11, 2003 About time for Kilrea. Fuhr's a good choice too and I think the only goalie whose career was defined in the 80's that will get in. Lafontaine is very questionable. Talented player yes, HOFamer, no. Not sure about Illitch. I think he's also very good about contributing and stuff towards the minor hockey levels in Detroit. If so, he's a good choice too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HungryJack Report post Posted June 11, 2003 If not for his concussions, Lafontaine would EASILY have broken 500 goals, I think he's deserving of the Hall. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brush with Greatness Report post Posted June 12, 2003 Hell, let's just give Lindros a spot in the Hall right now as well. Let's see, Gord Kluzak without out his knee problems may have been Hall of Fame material as well. Throw him on the ballot. Pelle Lindberg had great potential. Throw him in the hall too. I can't really justify that logic. Since when is the hall of fame based on potential and what could have been without injuries? Pat Lafontaine is no doubt a very talented hockey player but he does not deserve to be in the Hall anymore than Anderson or Cicceralli. Both had more goals and more points than Lafontaine (granted both played more games, but longevity can be factored into greatness). Lafontaine played in 5 allstar games, Anderson and Cicceralli each played in four. Glenn Anderson won 6 Stanley Cups, Lafontaine made it past the first round 3 times. All three players had 2 - 50 goal seasons. Anderson had 3 - 100 point seasons while Lafontaine and Cicceralli each had 2. Lafontaine and Anderson each had 9 - 30+ goal seasons, Cicceralli had 11. It just seems to me that Lafontaine is in because he was the prettier of all three and more of a skill player. And he's also American and the HOF has a tendency to favour good Americans who, if Canadian, would have a tougher time getting in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted June 12, 2003 While I agree that Pat is iffy, I think it is reasonable to take injuries into account versus what set numbers one needs to get into the HOF. But everybody's right that Pat's popularity did put him over-the-top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted June 12, 2003 Grant's a no brainer, and Pat had a lot more points then I thought he did, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Slingshot Suplex Report post Posted June 12, 2003 Dino didn't make it...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted June 12, 2003 A hearty congratulations and IT'S ABOUT TIME! to Brian Kilrea. He's long been recognized as the greatest coach in junior hockey history (getting his thousandth win this season), and probably one of the best ever at any level. You deserve it, Killer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest nl5xsk1 Report post Posted June 12, 2003 Letting people like Lafontaine in potentially open the floodgates to all sorts of very good (but not great) players getting inducted into the HOF. I don't agree with the argument that injuries need to be considered. You have to look at what a player accomplished, not what they could have accomplished, and I don't think that Lafontaine had a HOF-calibre career. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
