COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (AP) - Jeremy Roenick and defensemen brothers Kevin and Derian Hatcher were selected Thursday for induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
The three former NHL All-Stars were chosen by USA Hockey, along with administrator Art Berglund and longtime University of Minnesota physician Dr. V. George Nagobads.
This year’s class will be inducted into the Hall _ founded in 1973 _ on Oct. 21 in Buffalo, N.Y. There are already 143 members who have been honored for their contributions to hockey in the United States.
“These five individuals represent the very best of our sport in many different facets and their contributions have been truly extraordinary,” USA Hockey president Ron DeGregorio said in a statement.
The Hatchers are the second set of brothers to be inducted in the same year, joining Scott and Mark Fusco who went in together in 2002.
“I was quite excited,” Derian Hatcher said in a statement. “I got the call about 10 days ago. At the time they didn’t tell me who else was inducted. Then I was talking to my brother and he had mentioned that he was inducted, too.”
Nagobads was also inducted in 2003 as part of the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
Roenick, who retired after the 2008-09 season, scored 1,216 points _ including 513 goals _ in 1,363 NHL games during a 20-year career with Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Jose.
The nine-time All-Star is the third-highest American-born goal scorer in the NHL and the only player in league history to lead his team in goals, assists, and penalty minutes in two seasons.
In 154 playoff games, Roenick had 53 goals and 69 assists. He reached the Stanley Cup finals in 1992 with Chicago.
Roenick also played for the United States in 1988 and 1989 at the world junior championships, at the 1991 Canada Cup and world championship, and in the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Derian Hatcher played 16 NHL seasons after being chosen with the eighth pick in the 1990 draft. He recorded 80 goals and 251 assists in 1,045 games _ mostly with the Minnesota/Dallas Stars. Hatcher also had stints with Detroit and Philadelphia, and was a member of the U.S. team that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
His older brother, Kevin, spent 17 seasons in the NHL with Washington, Dallas, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers and Carolina. The five-time All-Star finished with 677 points, including 227 goals.
Kevin Hatcher scored 34 goals and 79 points during the 1992-93 season, becoming just the seventh NHL defenseman to net at least 30 goals. He represented the United States at the 1984 world juniors, the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, and the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
“Both of us being inducted together will be more exciting and special for me,” Derian Hatcher said. “I believe we will be the first pair of U.S. brothers who both played 1,000 games in the NHL. Throughout the course of our careers we played on a few teams together and now we are doing this together. It will be fun and we are looking forward to it.”
Over five decades on the international hockey stage, Berglund managed or served on the administrative staff of more than 30 U.S. teams. He spent 11 years as USA Hockey’s director of national teams and international activities, and was the organization’s senior director of international administration for nine.
Berglund was the general manager of nine U.S. men’s national teams and eight national junior teams, and was involved with six Olympic men’s hockey teams. He received the NHL’s Lester Patrick Award in 1992 and was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2008.
Nagobads was the team doctor for Minnesota’s hockey program for 34 years. From 1967-90, he served as the physician for five Olympic men’s hockey teams, 15 national teams, two Canada Cup clubs, five national junior squads, and the first U.S. women’s national team.
Nagobads worked with the Minnesota North Stars from 1984-92 and the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey League from 1973-76. He received the IIHF’s Paul Loicq Award for his outstanding contributions to international hockey in 2003 and will be inducted into the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame in September.
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