Russian star Pavel Bure, Swedish icon Mats Sundin and Canadians Joe Sakic and Adam Oates were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Sakic was one of the few players who spent his entire illustrious NHL career with one franchise.
A 13-time All-Star, Sakic was a first-round draft pick of the Quebec Nordiques in 1987, and stuck with them eight years later when they moved to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche.
Sakic played a key role in the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, and after 20 seasons retired as the club’s all-time leader with 625 goals and 1,016 assists.
In 2001 Sakic won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player and led Canada to Olympic gold in Salt Lake City in 2002.
“I had a chance to play 20 years, got to lift the Stanley Cup twice and was able to play for my country and win a gold medal,” Sakic said. “But this is the greatest honor I’ve ever received.”
Sundin, who played with Sakic his first four years in the NHL, spent 13 seasons with the Maple Leafs and still holds Toronto club records for most points, goals, power-play goals, shorthanded goals, game-winning goals and overtime goals.
Sundin, a 2006 Olympic gold medal-winner, totaled 1,349 points in 1,346 NHL games. He scored 564 goals and had 785 assists.
Bure, nicknamed the “Russian Rocket,” averaged 36.7 goals per season in 12 NHL campaigns and twice reached the 60-goal plateau.
Oates, who just several hours prior to his Hall-of-Fame bid was named the head coach of the Washington Capitals, ranks sixth all-time in NHL history with 1,079 assists and 16th with 1,420 points. He played 1,337 career games with Detroit, St. Louis, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Anaheim and Edmonton.
The joy of the ceremony was tempered by the lockout that has idled the league.
The contract dispute between NHL team owners and players has seen regular season games cancelled through November 30 along with the Winter Classic outdoor game that was set for New Year’s Day.
Sakic, Sundin, Bure, Oates enter Hockey Hall of Fame
