Yzerman, Robitaille, Hull and Leetch Hall Bound
Decorated Foursome Make Up Hall of Fame Class of 2009
Jun 24, 2009
Just a few days before the NHL’s 30 teams welcome some of the world’s top prospects to their organizations, the Hockey Hall of Fame revealed the names included in its own Class of 2009.
All first-ballot eligible nominees, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Brian Leetch have earned their rightful places among the greatest in hockey history. The quartet suited up for an incredible 5,419 games over a combined 77 seasons. They all boast Stanley Cups on their resumes, with Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille joining forces in Detroit’s 2002 championship. They all thrived offensively despite playing their entire careers - minus their final campaigns - in a clutch-and-grab NHL.
And now, after carving out incredible careers, they are all officially Hall of Famers.
Steve Yzerman Career Highlights
Even before he hung up his skates for good at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, Steve Yzerman’s Hall of Fame ticket had already been punched. Over the course of a 22-year career spent entirely with the Red Wings, “Stevie Y” worked his way up the franchise and NHL ranks, to currently sit first in all-time club assists (1,063), second in goals (692) and points (1,755), and sixth on the league’s all-time points list.
Some other notes on Yzerman:
• Drafted fourth overall in 1983
• Named Red Wings captain in 1986 at age 21
• Won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings
• Conn Smythe Trophy recipient in 1998
• Gold medal with Team Canada at the 2002 Olympics
Brett Hull Career Highlights
Scoring goals was what Brett Hull did best during his 19-year NHL career, many of them game-changers and some controversial (see Dallas Stars’ 1999 Cup win). While many argued on what could have been in 1999, none will discredit his statistics that have earned him a place in hockey’s shrine. The son of Hall of Famer Bobby Hull scored a league-leading 86 goals in 1991 to earn end-of-season MVP honors; he would go on to light the lamp 741 times over the course of his career, third on the NHL’s all-time list.
More on Hull:
• Drafted in the sixth round (117th overall) by Calgary in 1983
• Made his debut with the Flames in the 1986 playoffs
• He and his dad are the first father-son duo in the Hall of Fame
• Two Stanley Cups – Dallas (1999) and Detroit (2002)
Luc Robitaille Career Highlights
Drafted in the ninth round (171st overall) in 1984, Luc Robitaille could have easily been forgotten. After all, he was near the bottom of the Los Angeles Kings’ draft barrel that year, one that included a fourth-rounder who had also been selected in the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft – Tom Glavine. Nicknamed “Lucky Luc”, the Montreal native skated his way to NHL history, finishing his 18 seasons as the top scoring left-winger in league history, with 668 goals (10th all-time) and 1,394 points.
Extra info on Robitaille:
• Calder Trophy winner in 1987
• Eight straight 44-plus goal seasons
• Stanley Cup in 2002 with Detroit
• Eight-time NHL All-Star
• Gold medal-winning shootout goal at 1994 World Championship
Brian Leetch Career Highlights
He may be the only defenseman in the group but Brian Leetch was just as potent on the attack. Leetch got right down to business in his NHL debut in 1988-89, amassing 71 points. Three years later he would rack up a whopping 102 points, a career-best on the strength of 80 assists; that total would mark just the fifth time in NHL history a blue-liner would surpass the century mark in points.
More notes on Brian Leetch:
• Drafted ninth overall in 1986
• Two-time Norris Trophy winner
• Stanley Cup in 1994 with the Rangers
• First American to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy (1994)
• Five 20-goal seasons in 18-year career
