Tonight was a special night as the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted a star-studded Class of 2009 into the record books. Forwards Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and defenceman Brian Leetch were inducted as Honoured Members on Monday in the players category, while New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello was enshrined as a builder.

Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille accounted for 2,101 goals over the course of their careers. They all won a Stanley Cup together, too, in Detroit in 2002. And Leetch was certainly no slouch, helping lift the Rangers to their own Cup in 1994.

There’s really no questioning any of these selections for the Hall of Fame, as each has left an indelible mark on the game of hockey.

Yzerman helped transform the Red Wings franchise into a modern juggernaut, joining the team as Detroit’s fourth overall selection in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and never looking back. After scoring 87 points in his rookie campaign, Stevie Y spent his entire 22-year career with the Wings. During his tenure, the Red Wings won three Stanley Cups, with Yzerman winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1998.

Brett Hull ranks third on the all-time list with 741 goals over his 19-year career. He first got his break with the Calgary Flames in the 1986 playoffs and has since been known as one of the league’s most potent offensive threats. Hull was one of the most consistent players in the league, usually good for over 30 goals a season. He laid out three consecutive 70-goal seasons with the St. Louis Blues and won Stanley Cups with Dallas and Detroit.

“Lucky” Luc Robitaille retired as the highest scoring player at his position in league history, ranking 10th on the all-time list with 668 goals. Not drafted until the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Robitaille won the Calder Trophy in his debut season with the Los Angeles Kings and followed that up with seven straight seasons of 44 goals or more. His career best season came in the 1992-1993 season where he posted a total of 63 goals.

Brian Leetch was drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in the 1986 Entry Draft and would go on to become one of the club’s most popular players in its storied history. He enjoyed his career best season in 1991-1992 when he potted 100 points and won the first of two Norris trophies for his career. Leetch also won the Conn Smythe Trophy with the Rangers after helping them end a 54-year Stanley Cup drought in ‘94.

As for Lou Lamoriello, his contributions to the game of hockey over 40 years go without saying. He is one of the icons of organization, setting up the New Jersey Devils for three Stanley Cup victories during his time with the club and making an impact at the professional and collegiate levels of hockey.

It’s hard to argue with this list of inductees for 2009, as each has made an impact and impression on the game that will be felt for countless generations.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Tags: 2009 class of, class of 2009, hockey hall of fame, inductees, NHL

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 12:38 am and is filed under Awards, Hockey History, NHL, NHL Notes, Players. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.