Holland, Hossa named to Hockey Hall of Fame

On Wednesday, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced its class of 2020, which included two former Red Wings.

Former longtime Detroit general manager Ken Holland, currently the Edmonton Oilers general manager, will enter the Hall in the Builder Category.

TSN released the video of Lanny McDonald, chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, making the call to Holland.

"I'm incredibly humbled, I don't know what to say," Holland told McDonald. "I've been in the game my whole life and it's an incredible honor, I'm incredible humbled. This is a call I'll never forget. It means an incredible amount to me."

Holland transitioned from being a minor league goaltender to a Wings scout in 1985, moved up to assistant general manager in 1997 and then served as general manager for the next 22 years.

"It's an opportunity to reflect back, and I reflect back on getting hired by Jim Devellano when I retired as a player in 1985 and hiring me as a scout and then Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch who trusted me to take over and become the general manager in 1997 and then all the talented people I worked with off the ice and on the ice," Holland said on a post-announcement conference call. "I was so fortunate, we had so many great players, and to work with Scotty Bowman and Jim Devellano and Mike Babcock, the list goes on and on, the talented people I got to work with. Jim Nill running the draft. Certainly, I feel incredibly fortunate today but I also know that … I received the call from Lanny today and there was so many people that did all the work in Detroit and I got to go up to the mic(rophone) and make some announcements but there were a lot of people that were doing all the work."

During his time in Detroit, the Wings won more combined regular-season and playoff games (1,044) than any other team.

"On behalf of Marian Ilitch and the entire Detroit Red Wings family, I would like to congratulate Ken Holland on his induction today into the Hockey Hall of Fame," said Red Wings Governor, President and CEO Christopher Ilitch. "Ken spent more than three decades with the Detroit Red Wings as a player, scout, and front office member, and his hard work, loyalty and passion for both the Red Wings and the game of hockey were a driving force for our organization. He played an integral role in bringing four Stanley Cup championships to the City of Detroit. He is incredibly well-respected around the game as a top-notch hockey man, but more importantly, Ken is a Hall of Fame person. Congratulations once again to Ken, his wife Cindi, and the entire Holland family on this tremendous accomplishment."

Holland remembered being at Steve Yzerman's first training camp in 1983 and was there to welcome him back when Yzerman returned as Detroit's new executive vice president and general manager on April 19, 2019. Holland was then offered the general manager's job in Edmonton a few weeks later.

"I'm extremely happy for Ken, Cindi and the Holland family," Yzerman said. "Ken's had a tremendous career in management, starting as a scout with the Red Wings and working his way up to general manager. He helped guide the team through four Stanley Cup seasons and an incredible 25-year playoff run. Not only has he been a great executive, he's been a great friend and a mentor to me and to several of my colleagues as our playing careers ended and new careers started. This is a well-deserved honor, and I look forward to celebrating his induction in the fall."

During the conference call, Holland was reminded that he very nearly left hockey behind when his playing career ended.

"Reflecting back, I played nine years of pro, wasn't sure what I was going to do and my mom suggested getting an Electrolux vacuum cleaner job and a couple days later, Jim Devellano called and offered me the job as a scout for the Detroit Red Wings and here I am today, getting the call from Lanny and being with this incredible class of the 2020 induction," Holland said. "Funny how life goes."

Former forward Marian Hossa, who played on the 2009 Red Wings team that made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, will also be enshrined in the Player Category.

Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 12th overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Hossa also played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Red Wings before finishing his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.

"This is an amazing day I'm sure for everybody and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to start playing in 1997-98 in the National Hockey League and I never thought I'm going to have an amazing career," Hossa said on the conference call. "My dream came true when I won the first Stanley Cup, and this is definitely something special to be (included with) the top hockey players and people in the National Hockey League. This day means so much to me. I'm humbled and really grateful."

In the 2008-09 season, Hossa led the Wings with 40 goals. Hossa won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

"Being in the Finals three times in a row, it was so much pressure," Hossa said. "I learned from the Finals before not to put too much pressure on myself and I think that helped, going through the failures makes you stronger and I believe it did for me. I learned from my previous mistakes maybe. So what I did, I just tried to take the Game 6 or Game 7s a little bit easier, tried to prepare for the game like it was a regular game but bring my best to the game and don't think too much about different things.

"Obviously when Patrick Kane scored the overtime goal in Game 6 in Philadelphia, huge relief. I think I was one of the players jumping off the bench, not going to celebrate but going to the referees and ask them if it crossed the line. Even Patrick Kane saw from his angle, it really did and a few players saw that but everybody from the bench was hesitating and wasn't sure. When the referee told us yes, it was in, it was a huge relief, monkey off my back. Unbelievable moment of my career and finally being three times in the Stanley Cup Finals, I was able to lift the Stanley Cup above my head when Jonathan give me the Cup right after him. What a great memory and I still got a picture in my office of the first time I touched the Stanley Cup."

Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre and Doug Wilson make up the rest of the class of 2020.

The 2020 Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, preceded by induction weekend events.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the induction events are not set in stone. A final decision on whether it is safe to hold the events will be made by late August.