U.S. HOCKEY HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2003
INDUCTEES
LaFONTAINE FIRST TO BE ELECTED TO BOTH HALLS
IN SAME YEAR
EVELETH, MN, June 20, 2003 -- The United States
Hockey Hall of Fame announced today, four
individual inductees and one team to the
American ice shrine in Eveleth, Minnesota. The
new inductees are John Cunniff (deceased), a
native of South Boston, Massachusetts; Dick
Dougherty of International Falls, Minnesota;
Mark Howe, of Detroit, Michigan; Pat LaFontaine,
born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in
Pontiac, Michigan and the 1980 Olympic Gold
Medal Hockey Team.
LaFontaine is the first individual to ever be
elected to both the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and
the Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto) in the same
year. The 1980 Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team is
the second team to be inducted into the Hall.
The 1960 Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team was the
first team to be inducted in 2000. In
celebration of the United States Hockey Hall of
Fame's 30th Anniversary, the Hall will formally
induct all four men and the 1980 Olympic Gold
Medal Hockey Team at the United States Hockey
Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota on Saturday,
October 18th, 2003.
"In this 30th Anniversary year, we are
especially proud to be honoring these four
outstanding American hockey greats," said United
States Hockey Hall of Fame Board of Directors,
President James Findley. "We are also thrilled
to be inducting the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal
Hockey Team to this year's class," said Findley.
The Hall's 30th Annual Induction Ceremony and
Dinner is Saturday, October 18th, 2003. The
Induction Ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m.
on Saturday, October 18th, at the United States
Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth. The social hour
will follow at 4:30 p.m. at the ROCC (curling
club facility) next to the Hall of Fame, and the
dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. Ticket prices are
$40 per person, $20 for students 18 and under
and $300 for a table of 8 people. Tickets can be
obtained by calling the United States Hockey
Hall of Fame at 1-800-HHF-PUCK or
1-800-443-7825.
Mark Howe - Detroit, MI - Born: May 28, 1955
A Detroit, Michigan native, Howe, was already
considered one of the finest young players in
the game, when at age 16, he was a key member of
the silver medal -winning 1972 U.S. Olympic
Men's Ice Hockey Team that competed in Sapporo,
Japan. Howe also competed in the team's
Pre-Olympic Tour that season, as well as the
1981 Canada Cup, where he notched four assists
in six games played for Team USA.
Howe exploded onto the pro hockey scene in
1973-74 with 38 goals, and 41 assists. He was
named WHA Rookie of the Year and was a key
member of the Houston Aeros' championship team
in his first year. Howe played an amazing 22
seasons in the National Hockey League and the
World Hockey Association, beginning with the
1973-74 season and ending with the 1994-95
season.
In his 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers,
(1982-83 to 1991-92), Howe is the team's
all-time leader among defensemen in goals (138),
assists (342) and points (480). He holds the
record for the second-highest scoring defenseman
in professional hockey after Paul Coffey, with
1,247 points (197-545-742 in 929 NHL games and
208-247-505 in 426 WHA games). Howe was a
three-time runner up for the James Norris
Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the NHL's
best defenseman in 1983, 1986 and 1987. A
three-time First-Team All-Star in 1983, 1986 and
1987, Howe also played in four NHL All-Star
Games in 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988. In the
1985-86 season, Howe led the NHL with a
plus/minus rating of +85. Howe played in three
Stanley Cup Finals in 1985, 1987 and 1995 and
won two Avco Cups as a member of the WHA's
Houston Aeros in 1974 and 1975. In 1974, Howe
received the Lou Kaplan Award as the WHA's
Rookie of the Year. Howe was inducted into the
Philadelphia Flyer's Hall Of Fame in 2001.
Howe and his wife, Ginger, reside in the
Philadelphia area and have three children,
Travis, Nolan and Azia.
Pat LaFontaine - St. Louis, Missouri - Born:
February 22, 1965
LaFontaine, born in St. Louis Missouri, and
raised in Pontiac, Michigan, had an outstanding
international career in addition to his 15-year
National Hockey League career. He played one
season (1982-83) of junior hockey for Verdun in
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was
honored as the Canadian Major Junior Player of
the Year. His USA Hockey playing experience
includes leading his team in scoring with 10
points (5-5) in six games as a member of the
1984 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team that
competed in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. He was also a
member of the 1989 U.S. National Team.
LaFontaine helped lead Team USA to the title at
the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, scoring four
points in five games. At the 1998 Olympic Winter
Games in Nagano, Japan, LaFontaine tallied one
goal and one assist in four games played.
LaFontaine was also a key component for the U.S.
on the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments.
Reaching the 1,000 point plateau in his final
NHL season, LaFontaine is currently sixth
all-time among Americans in points with 1,013
and third in goals with 468. LaFontaine played
eight seasons with the New York Islanders
(1983-84 through 1990-91 seasons), and six
seasons as a Buffalo Sabre (1991-92 through
1996-97) where he captained the team from
1992-97. He finished his career with the New
York Rangers in 1997-98. Remarkably, LaFontaine
scored at least 40 goals in six consecutive
seasons in the NHL. He played in 5 NHL All-Star
Games in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993. After
posting career-best marks for points (148) and
assists (95) for the Sabres, LaFontaine was
elected as an NHL Second Team All-Star in the
1992-93 season.
He received the Dodge/NHL Performer of the Year
Award in 1989-90 after scoring 105 points,
including a career-high, 54 goals for the
Islanders. He was also awarded the NHL's Bill
Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1994-95 for
perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to
hockey, and the USA Hockey Distinguished
Achievement Award in 1993.
LaFontaine and his wife, Marybeth, reside in
Lloyd Harbor, New York with their three
children, Sarah, Brianna and Daniel.
|
