Three NHL legends were voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday, with Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan and Scott Niedermayer joining the hallowed fraternity of former players.
The trio combined for a grand total of 10 Stanley Cup Championships, and their postseason success proved to differentiate them from well-qualified snubs Eric Lindros, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick whose names cannot be found engraved on hockey’s holiest relic.
Here is a brief look at each inductee’s tremendous accomplishments:
Chris Chelios
Arguably the greatest American-born defenseman, Chelios played professional hockey in parts of four different decades. After leading the Wisconsin Badgers to an NCAA title, Chelios joined the Montreal Canadiens, winning his first Stanley Cup in just his second season. Splitting his long career mostly between Montreal, his native Chicago, and Detroit, Chelios posted 948 points, good for 10th all time among NHL defensemen.
Chelios represented his country at the international level frequently, leading Team USA to World Cup glory in 1996, and the four-time Olympian won a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City games. As a grizzled veteran, Chelios won his second and third Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008 respectively. A winner of the Mark Messier Leadership award, Chelios attempted to extend his career with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010, and although his comeback attempt ended after just seven games, he will become the first former-Thrasher to enter the Hall of Fame.
Brendan Shanahan
A teammate of Chelios in Detroit, Brendan Shanahan won three championships in a career that stretched from 1987 to 2009. The eight-time all-star spent time in New Jersey, St. Louis, Hartford and New York, but he established himself as a Hall of Famer with a sparkling stint in Hockeytown.
Shanahan played a big role in Detroit’s back-to-back titles in the late nineties, and alongside Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov, he racked up quite a few of his 1354 career points. Shanahan’s 656 career goals rank 13th all time, and he scored 20 or more goals in 19 straight seasons. His consistent scoring helped put the Red Wings in the playoffs in each of his nine seasons with the club. Joined by prolific goal-scorers Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull, Shanahan won a third and final championship in 2002
“Shanny” also found success with Team Canada. He earned a spot in the coveted Triple Gold Club with a World Championship in 1994 and Olympic Gold in 2002. The only player in NHL history with over 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes, Shanahan is now the NHL’s chief disciplinarian.
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer was a key cog in the defensive machine that was the New Jersey Devils of the 90’s and early 2000’s. Along with teammate Scott Stevens, Niedermayer helped future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur lay the ground work for his record-breaking win total.
Niedermayer’s superb two-way game helped carry the Devils to championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003. He followed up his third title with a Norris-winning season in 2003-04, his last year in New Jersey.
Neidermayer left the Devils to join the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim after the 2004-05 season was lost to a lockout. Though the Ducks dropped the “Mighty” from their name for the 2006-07 season, Niedermayer gave them plenty of strength, leading the team to its only Stanley Cup championship with a Conn Smythe Trophy-winning performance. Niedermayer shared the experience with his younger brother Rob.
One of the winningest players in the history of the sport, the Canadian Niedermayer added to his trophy haul with two Olympic gold medals, a World Championship and a World Cup. The five-time all star is now an assistant coach in Anaheim.
Chelios, Shanahan and Niedermayer are joined in the 2013 Hall of Fame class by two time Cup-winning coach Fred Shero and Olympic gold medalist Geraldine Heaney.
The three players inducted were widely considered to be locks, but it surprised many that the fourth available player-slot went unfilled. Eric Lindros, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Alexander Mogilny and Rob Blake each seemed to have a legitimate shot, but they will each have to wait for another chance next year.
