Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2021: Recap, Speech Highlights for Jarome Iginla, More
The Hockey Hall of Fame officially welcomed six new members.
As with other sports, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Hall officials to delay the 2020 ceremony, thus making the inductees wait an extra year for the opportunity to take center stage in Toronto.
Jarome Iginla brought the proceedings to a close.
The four-time All-Star is tied for 16th all time in goals (625) and owns almost every major offensive record in Calgary Flames history.
Beyond the stats he piled up on the ice, Iginla served as an inspiration for younger generations of Black players, much as his predecessors did for him.
Marian Hossa was one of two longtime Chicago Blackhawks players enshrined Monday. He scored 186 goals and assisted on 229 more in eight seasons with Chicago. He lifted the Stanley Cup three times over that span as well.
Hossa praised the collective effort required to get him to this point:
For Doug Wilson and Kevin Lowe, having to stand by until the Hall of Fame could hold a formal ceremony was nothing. They were in their 24th and 20th years of eligibility, respectively, when they were selected.
Wilson had 779 points over 16 years with the Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. For the three-time All-Star, Monday's ceremony brought his career full circle since legendary junior coach Brian Kilrea presented him with his plaque.
"He was more than a coach. He was a teacher of life," Wilson said of Kilrea in his speech.
Lowe was a five-time champion with the Edmonton Oilers during their run of dominance across the 1980s, and he reunited with Mark Messier to help the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994.
The 62-year-old couldn't help himself from using his speech to have some fun with the Toronto Maple Leafs' lengthy Cup drought:
Ken Holland was the lone inductee not in the player category.
Holland was the Detroit Red Wings' assistant general manager in 1996-97 when they swept the Philadelphia Flyers. He took over as GM almost immediately after that series and was the architect of three more title-winning squads.
"Hockey has been very good to me after I stopped trying to play it," he quipped in reference to a playing career that saw him make four appearances in the NHL.
Kim St-Pierre achieved everything one can at the national team level. The Quebec native won three Olympic gold medals and five golds at the World Championships with Canada. She also collected the Clarkson Cup with the Montreal Stars in 2009 and 2011.
Beyond reflecting on her decorated career, St-Pierre used her speech to emphasize the importance of growing the women's game.
Looking ahead to the class of 2022, the potential headliners include St-Pierre's former teammate, Caroline Ouellette, along with retired NHL stars Roberto Luongo, Henrik Zetterberg and the Sedin brothers (Daniel and Henrik).
