1982 Hockey Inductees
The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 1982 stands as a legendary induction year, bringing together three of the most beloved and skilled forward icons of the Original Six era alongside a master franchise builder.
Cournoyer was a central pillar of the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty, amassing an incredible ten Stanley Cup championships over his illustrious career. The player class was rounded out by Norm Ullman, one of the most consistent and underappreciated centers in hockey history, who starred for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, retiring with nearly 500 goals and over 1,200 career points.
Together, the Class of 1982 represents a masterclass in elite speed, scoring durability, and masterful team construction.
A former backup NHL Goaltender (he played in 95 games), Emile Francis played in the minors before moving on to coaching. Francis would work his way to the New York Rangers system and eventually took over the helm for New York and coached that team to their best record in decades. He would also take over as the team’s General Manager and would follow suit with…
Although Norm Ullman never won a Stanley Cup, it was not because he didn’t give everything he had as shown by him being the leading scorer in the playoffs twice. That was no surprise as Ullman was always a good scorer and had sixteen seasons where he at least put the puck in the net twenty times, and he did win the goal scoring title in…
One of the best New York Rangers of all time, Rod Gilbert may never have drank from the Stanley Cup, but the career long Ranger was a consistent producer on Broadway and a regular at the annual All Star game. Gilbert’s best seasons came in the early 70’s, when New York was icing a good team (the teams in the mid 60’s were not particularly good)…
Dubbed the “Roadrunner” for his small frame and blazing speed, Yvan Cournoyer played his entire career with the Montreal Canadians and won a whopping eight Stanley Cups. Cournoyer was not just a participant in those excellent Habs teams but was one of its stars.