TORONTO --
Fame beckoned and Roger Neilson, Clark Gillies, Bernie Federko and Rod Langway answered its call Monday in Toronto as the 2002 induction class of the Hockey Hall of Fame took its place among the greatest figures in the history of hockey.
The date -- November 4, 2002 -- is one that will last forever in the hearts and minds of the four inductees. Neilson, a career coach and beloved figure in the sport, was enshrined in the Builders Category, while Gillies, Federko and Langway carved their reputations on the ice as star players.
The induction ceremony, which took place in the Hall's Great Hall, saw each man humbled by the honor of having his name and likeness forever remembered and linked with the other greats of the game who grace hockey's sacred building.
"I'm really proud to present this year's inductees," said Jim Gregory, chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame Committee. "If you look at the people here, it's really something. They represent a group of men whose contributions to the game of hockey in North America are far reaching."
Neilson has been head coach for eight different NHL teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs (1977-79), the Buffalo Sabres (1980-81), the Vancouver Canucks (1981-84), the Los Angeles Kings (1983-84), the New York Rangers (1989-93), the Florida Panthers (1993-95), the Philadelphia Flyers (1998-2000) and the Ottawa Senators (2001-02).
Neilson guided teams to three division titles -- the Sabres in 1980-81 and the Rangers in 1989-90 and 1991-92 -- while reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs 11 times in 15 seasons behind the bench. He led Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982, where they took on and lost to the powerful New York Islanders.
But Neilson wasn't denied Monday in Toronto, going into the Hall as one of the game's great coaches and innovators.
"It's pretty exciting," said Neilson, who in typical fashion fretted about being away from the Senators, where he is an assistant coach to Jacques Martin. "It makes you wonder if you really deserve all of these honors."
Neilson's coaching career began in 1966 with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. In 1977 he joined the NHL ranks with the Maple Leafs. Neilson appeared in his 1,000th game as an NHL head coach with Ottawa on April 13, 2002, as Martin stepped aside to allow him to reach the milestone. Neilson is one of thirteen coaches to record 400 wins. He also is also considered a pioneer in his field as the first NHL coach to use videotape as a teaching tool.
Throughout his standout career, Neilson has taught many players and coaches a thing or two about the wars that go on out on the ice, and because of his efforts, patience and kindness, he was repaid a hundred times over by the entire hockey community when he was diagnosed with cancer several years ago.
"Support from the hockey community when I was first diagnosed with cancer was unbelievable," Neilson said. "From little kids' teams, to NHL teams, to NHL owners, it was unbelievable. I got a call a couple of weeks after [being diagnosed] from Lance Armstrong, the cyclist. I really didn't know him, but it was nice of him to call. He pointed out how he really had felt down and really felt sorry for himself [when he was diagnosed].
"I guess it was Chris Carmichael, his trainer, who came to him and said; 'Look, if you're going to beat this thing you've gotta get going on it. You gotta start training. Do what you can do. It may take a year or two before you can really do a lot.' He told me that when he started off it was really painful, but he said that that was what got him going. He told me; 'My advice to you is keep as busy as you can.' So I've never forgotten that and I try to do that."
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In 12 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, Gillies scored 30 or more goals six times and finished his 14-year career with 697 points in 958 games off 319 goals and 378 assists.
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Gillies was another battler.
During his playing days, he was the prototypical power forward. Gillies not only provided space on the ice for his teammates, he also chipped in a goal or two in his storied career. In 12 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, Gillies scored 30 or more goals six times and finished his 14-year career with 697 points in 958 games off 319 goals and 378 assists. The Islanders' first-round pick in 1974 (fourth overall) also notched 94 points in 164 playoff games in his career off 47 goals and 47 assists. Gillies was an integral part of the Islanders teams that won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame added another fabulous memory to his awesome career.
"It certainly is the icing on the cake. You really can't go any further," Gillies said. "This is the ultimate reward I guess for playing a game that was just a lot of fun. When I got drafted by the Islanders I didn't expect anything like this. This is a pretty special reward."
The rugged winger was a key member, along with fellow Hall-of-Famers Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier, of one of the NHL's most formidable lines, the "the Trio Grande."
"I played with 'Trots' and 'Boss' a lot of years," Gillies said. "It was a tremendous honor and a lot of fun. We didn't know what it was going to be like when it first started out, but it all happened very quickly. To be in the Hall of Fame with Bryan and Mike and also Denny [Potvin], Smitty [Billy Smith], Al [Arbour] and Bill [Torrey] is tremendous."
Federko proved to be one of the best centers of his generation during a 14-year career. The native of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, made the most of his opportunities, scoring 1,130 points in 1,000 games, netting 369 goals and adding 761 assists.
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Federko made the most of his opportunities, scoring 1,130 points in 1,000 games, netting 369 goals and adding 761 assists.
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The high-scoring forward, who spent 13 years with the St. Louis Blues, was one-third of one of the most productive lines in the NHL, a unit that also included Wayne Babych and Brian Sutter.
"The emotions I have right now are unreal," Federko said Monday after trying on the Hall of Fame blazer and ring each inductee receives as a remembrance of the special occasion. "When you get this coat and this ring and look at how few people got this after all the guys that have played in this League -- this is just overwhelming."
Federko was the first player in NHL history to record at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons (1979 to 1988) and was the 22nd player in League history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
The seventh player chosen in the 1976 NHL Draft, Federko topped the 90-point mark seven times in his illustrious career. Federko led the Blues in scoring nine times while in St. Louis. When he hung up his skates in 1990, he was the Blues' career leader in goals, assists, points, games played, and seasons of service.
Langway, who won two Norris Trophies in his career as the NHL's top defenseman, rightfully will now sit among the best who ever patrolled a blue line for a living.
"There's all kinds of players out there," Langway said. "Organizations have to put a chemistry together and I was better at keeping the puck out than putting the puck in the net.
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Langway, who won two Norris Trophies in his career as the NHL's top defenseman, rightfully will now sit among the best who ever patrolled a blue line for a living.
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"I think if someone comes along and stops the great players out there, they're going to get the recognition too," Langway said. "I'm from the old school. I respected my goalies in a sense that I would go in front of a shot before it got to the goalie. There are certain players out there that do it, but don't get the recognition for it. It's a flashy game these days. But if someone comes along that has a knack for keeping the puck out, I think you'll see GMs go after him."
Langway began his professional career as a member of the World Hockey Association's Birmingham Bulls in 1977. Two years later, Langway found himself in the NHL after being claimed by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. His rookie season with the Canadiens would be a memorable one, as he earned the first and only Stanley Cup championship of his career.
After a solid tenure in Montreal, Langway was traded to the Washington Capitals in 1982, where his play earned him the nickname of "Secretary of Defense." Besides winning the Norris twice (1983 and '84) as a member of the Caps, Langway also served as the team captain for 11 seasons (1982-83 to 1992-93).
In addition, Kevin Dupont from the Boston Globe was selected as the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipient for his contributions to print media, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and Gilles Tremblay from La Soiree du Hockey in Montreal was selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association as the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in recognition of his work on NHL broadcasts.
