gold star for USAHOF

1972 Hockey Inductees

With two early inductions (Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau) and another superstar in Bernie Geoffrion, this was a class we wish we had the DeLorean from Back to the Future so that we could have attended the ceremony. Howe would end his retirement and join his sons in the newly formed World Hockey Association and would play for another eight years. As amazing an accomplishment as that was, it certainly speaks against, early induction as truthfully no Hall of Famer in any sport should still be active.
Named “Boom Boom” for his powerful shot and feisty temperament, Bernie Geoffrion, was a Hall of Fame Right Winger who always seemed to be in the shadow of others while playing for the Montreal Canadians. Nowhere could that statement be more accurate when looking at one of Geoffrion’s first scoring title, whereby his own fans booed him when he passed teammate Maurice “Rocket” Richard when…
What can you say about Mr. Hockey? Incidentally, Howe would return to professional Hockey with the WHA’s New England Whalers and eventually the NHL in 1980 when WHA merged. Howe actually played in the NHL eight years after he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame!
The first Goalie to win the Stanley Cup with four different teams, Hap Holmes seems to be forgotten player in Hockey lore. His career may look like that of a journeyman, but wherever he went, wins followed as did Stanley Cups. His stand up goaltending style and seemingly effortless play erroneously made many fans and pundits thing that he was ‘lazy’. Holmes was not that, and…
The last surviving member of the famed “S’ line for the Montreal Maroons, Hooley Smith was the captain for the Maroons last Stanley Cup in 1935. Smith was considered one of the more complete players in the NHL, as his goal scoring acumen as matched by his ability to deliver devastating checks. This overall skill made Smith a legitimate two way star and it elongated his…
One of the finest players of all time, the Montreal Canadians was fortunate to have Jean Beliveau for his entire professional career. Beliveau was a vital part of ten Stanley Cup wins, and just seemed to excel in all facets of the game. “Le Gros Bill” retired with two Hart Trophies, and as the leading scorer in NHL playoff history.
The son of Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Charles Adams, Weston Adams took over from his father as the President of the Boston Bruins in 1936 and oversaw the team’s two Stanley Cup wins in 1939 and 1941. Adams served his country in World War II, and his franchise’s fortunes were not the same without Adams at the helm. He would reclaim his spot as team…