USA Hockey announced its 2024 Hall of Fame class Thursday, including Matt Cullen, Brianna Decker, Frederic McLaughlin, Kevin Stevens and the 2002 Paralympic sled hockey team. The enshrinement will be held on December 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh.
“The impact of the Class of 2024 spans across the sport and each honoree is reflective of the extraordinary contributions necessary to earn the highest honor in American hockey,” Mike Trimboli, president of USA Hockey, said. “Their stories are all unique and have positively impacted so many.
“We very much look forward to enshrining the Class in December.”
Significance of Stevens, Cullen
It’s no accident Pittsburgh will play host to the induction ceremony on Dec. 1. The Penguins have long emphasized the prominence of Americans’ influence on their organization — and their coach, Sullivan, will helm Team USA at the NHL’s Four Corners tournament and also the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Pittsburgh will expand its presence in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame with the inductions of Stevens and Cullen.
Stevens becomes the sixth member of Pittsburgh’s 1991 or 1992 Stanley Cup teams to be enshrined. He’ll join former players Joe Mullen (1998), Gordie Roberts (1999), Tom Barrasso (2009); GM Craig Patrick (1996) and coach Bob “Badger” Johnson (1991)
A variation of Johnson’s famous quote — “any day is a great day for hockey” — has been a mantra in the organization since his death in 1991. Stevens was a dominant power forward for the Penguins in the early 1990s.
His strength and skating stood out in that era, and his hockey sense and physicality made him an imposing net-front threat. He holds the third and sixth highest-scoring NHL seasons by an American, and ranks ninth and eighth, respectively, in playoff goals and points by a U.S.-born player.
Cullen’s long NHL career brought him to the Penguins near its end, but he provided invaluable two-way play and leadership to their back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017. — Rob Rossi, senior Penguins writer
Why now for Brianna Decker?
Decker is a natural, and obvious, choice for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. She retired in March 2023 after an accomplished NCAA, professional and international career.
On the ice, Decker was a force. She often didn’t get the same amount of recognition as other players of the same ilk — like Hilary Knight or Marie-Philip Poulin — but at her peak, Decker was no doubt pushing for the title of the best player in the world.
She is a six-time world champion and sits fourth in U.S. history for career points (68) at the tournament and third in assists (40). She played in three Olympic tournaments and was instrumental in Team USA winning the gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the first U.S. Olympic gold since 1998.
Over her 15-year career with the U.S. Women’s National Team, she scored 81 goals and 170 points in 147 games and was a two-time recipient of the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year Award.
During her collegiate career at Wisconsin, Decker was an NCAA champion and Patty Kazmaier winner as the best player in women’s college hockey. She will become the first Wisconsin women’s hockey alum to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, according to the school.
Decker was injured in Team USA’s opening game of the 2022 Olympics – she broke her leg and tore ligaments in her ankle – and did not return to play before announcing her retirement.
She now serves as an associate head coach at Shattuck St. Mary’s, where she played her prep hockey. Decker has also coached at the international level with the U.S. under-18 team, helping the Americans win gold at the 2020 U18 Women’s World Championships and silver in 2019 and 2023. — Hailey Salvian, women’s hockey staff writer
Required reading
(Photo of Brianna Decker: Derek Leung / Getty Images)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5747666/2024/09/05/usa-hockey-2024-hall-of-fame/
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 05:46:00
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