Former American Hockey League rookie of the year Brett Hull and current Lowell Devils governor Lou Lamoriello are among the newest class of inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bill Hay, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, Jim Gregory and Pat Quinn, Co-Chairmen of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee, announced today that Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category and Lamoriello has been elected in the Builder Category.
The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.
A native of Belleville, Ont., Brett Hull played college hockey for two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before embarking on his professional career in 1986. He played 67 games as a rookie with the AHL’s Moncton Golden Flames in 1986-87 and tallied 50 goals and 42 assists, earning the Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie.
Hull went on to play 19 NHL seasons, winning Stanley Cups with Detroit and Dallas. His 741 career NHL goals are the most ever by an AHL graduate.
"It is hard to put into words what this means to me; especially since I’m joining my father in the Hockey Hall of Fame," said Hull. "Simply getting to the NHL was a challenge for me, and I would like to thank all of my supporters who made many sacrifices on my behalf."
Long-time New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was honored for his over 40 years of contributions to the game. Under his leadership the Devils have won three Stanley Cups.
Lamoriello’s 22 years with the Devils organization have also seen him serve on the AHL’s Board of Governors representing the Albany River Rats and Lowell Devils. Lamoriello oversees Lowell’s player personnel, and under his guidance the Devils organization became the first in 18 years to win the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup in the same season (1995).
"This award is completely unexpected," said Lamoriello. "Over my career I have been fortunate to have been associated with great players and coaches, and this award recognizes their contributions to my career."
The 2009 Induction Celebration will be held on Nov. 9 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. With Hull and Lamoriello, there will be 110 players, coaches, officials and managers with ties to the American Hockey League who have been selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art multimedia presentations and exhibits from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada. Its mandate is to recognize and honor the achievements of individuals who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect and preserve objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world.
