gold star for USAHOF

1985 Hockey Inductees

The 1985 Hockey Hall of Fame Class gave us a trip of solid inductees, though each member could be picked apart if needed. Bert Olmstead was never the top player in his team, Gerry Cheevers was never considered the NHL’s top Goalie, and Jean Ratelle never won a Cup. Still, it is far from a crime to have them in, and there are other classes we have bigger issues with than this one.
A star Left Wing with the Montreal Canadians, Bert Olmstead did not always receive a lot of the same accolades that his star teammates did, but within the locker room, his worth was well known. Olmstead was not necessarily a good goal scorer, but we was a brilliant passer (he led the NHL in assists twice) and was a very good checker and his tenacious…
The owner of the most iconic mask in Hockey history (the one with the famed stiches showing where a puck would have hit his face), Gerry Cheevers had his greatest success in the net with the Boston Bruins when they won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. He was not the best Goalie in the NHL, but he was decent enough to give his…
A class act on and off the ice, Jean Ratelle was on many good teams (though never won the Stanley Cup) and was a two time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy. He would twice top the 100 point mark and finished with a total of 1,267 career points. As good as he was at scoring and playmaking, he was also known for making very…
A five year veteran himself in the National Hockey League as a bruising Defenceman for the Chicago Blackhawks, John Mariucci entered the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder for his work in growing the game in the already hockey rich state of Minnesota. Born in Eveleth, Mariucci returned to Minnesota after his playing career ended and took over as the Head Coach of the…