gold star for USAHOF

2010 Hockey Inductees

The Hockey Hall of Fame changed forever in 2010, as for the first time ever, it inducted female players. Those two (Angela James and Cammi Granato) were certainly pioneers in the sport, but had the women’s game progressed enough to where this was a barrier worth breaching? Based on the attendance to women’s professional games; probably not.

Angela James was considered to be the first great player in women’s hockey. She dominated every level she competed in and was easily the top female in the sport for years. Once the sport had a sanctioned tournament in the IIHF, James again was the dominant player, leading Canada to Gold in the first four World Championships; all of which were finals against the United…
Angela James justifiably was the first Canadian woman to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame and IIHF Hall of Fame. Cammi Granato entered at the same time in both Halls at James, and deserved to be the first American woman to do so.
Why does this seem like a duplicate induction? Daryl Seaman was one of the Calgary businessmen who helped to bring the Atlanta Flames to Calgary and was a part of the group that helped bring the Olympics (and the Saddledome) to Calgary. However, wasn’t the induction of Harley Hotchkiss sufficient already? Just saying.
A four time All Star Game selection, Dino Ciccarelli was an excellent goal scorer with the Minnesota North Stars who proved many scouts wrong as he went undrafted in 1979. Minnesota was not always a great team, but Dino gave fans hope and a reason to come to the games. He was a feisty (though occasionally controversial) player who would finish his career with an…
Starting off as the Eastern Scout for the New York Islanders in 1972, Jim Devellano gradually worked his way up the ladder in Long Island and with his help the Islanders became a powerhouse and a dynasty in the National Hockey League. Jim would bolt for Detroit and would become their General Manager in 1982, and would remain in the Motown front office for decades…