A Hall of a Time

Since 1973 the finest coaches and players affiliated with USA Hockey have been inducted annually into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Until 2007 that meant a black tie dinner and ceremony in Eveleth, Minnesota, the home to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Museum.
           
Everything changed however when USA Hockey, which is of course headquartered in Colorado Springs, assumed the responsibility for the selection process and the induction event last year. The result was the idea turned reality that in order to help promote the game the induction ceremony should hit the road, tour the country and take the college Hall of Fame Game with it.
           
In just the second year of doing just that, Denver became the proud host of what many people are calling the greatest class ever inducted into the Hall, one that is made up of NHL legends Brett Hull, Mike Richter and Brian Leetch, along with the first female ever inducted into the Hall, and the sister of Colorado Avalanche head coach, Cammi Granato.
           
“It’s really hard to put into words,” Granato remarked. “I’m not sure it’s exactly sunk in yet. When I heard I was getting inducted, that I was the first woman, I was blown away. I guess it’s nothing I’d ever thought about so it just sort of came out of left field for me.”
           
Granato, who doesn’t ever remember hockey not being a part of her life and cited winning the Olympic gold in ’98 and carrying the torch in Salt Lake in ’02 as the two proudest moments of her esteemed career, was happy she was able to be inducted with family close by.
           
“For it to happen like this, where it was in Denver and I got to see my brother’s opening game and my whole family got to be a part of that and then everyone is coming here tonight, it’s just incredibly special and I feel really lucky and fortunate that it worked out this way.”
           
Hockey people of Colorado should feel lucky as well. In the past year alone, fans have been treated to an NCAA regional at World Arena in Colorado Springs, The Frozen Four at the Pepsi Center and now the Hall of Fame Ceremony and game.
“I think Colorado has really been at the center of the hockey world these last few years,” Denver University Sports Information Director Erich Bacher said. “This sport has grown all the way from the youth leagues right up to the Avalanche due to their arrival back in ’95.”
           
DU alone has played a big part in that, hosting the Frozen Four and the induction ceremony, as well as the Hall of Fame game. And the Pioneers did not disappoint either, treating a sold-out crowd at Magness Arena to a 5-2 win over last year’s NCAA runner-up Notre Dame.

“It was a real honor to have, not only the Hall of Fame game, but the induction ceremony right here at Magness Arena,” Pioneer coach George Gwozdecky said. “That might be the best class ever to go into the Hall of Fame.”