Jari Kurri was not the first player from Finland to grace a National Hockey rink, but he did become the first superstar from his Scandinavian country. Kurri had the fortune of being selected by the Edmonton Oilers and he was immediately paired with Wayne Gretzky; where they helped each other dominate the stat sheet. The original “Finnish Flash” hit the 100 point mark six times and finished two shy of 1,400 in his career. Kurri also captured the Goals title in 1986, an incredible feat considering the loaded offensive talent in the 1980’s. What Kurri did not always get credit for was his defensive ability. Which was naturally overlooked on those powerhouse Oilers teams. This two dimensional player also won the Lady Byng in 1985. Jari Kurri became the first Finnish player into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

We imagine that in the 1980’s that Dale Hawerchuk pretty much owned the Province of Manitoba in the 1980’s. Coming off a spectacular junior career, Hawerchuk was selected by the Winnipeg Jets and promptly won the Calder Trophy and set (since broken) the record for the youngest player to get 100 points. He would go on to hit that 100 point plateau five more times and hit 1,409 for his career. As he played in a small market and in an era with many other good Centres, he still made a mark in the NHL and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility.

Although Craig Patrick had a healthy playing career in the 1970’s, it was in the builder’s category that he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame. Patrick first became known for his behind the bench work as the Assistant Coach for the United States Miracle on Ice Team that won the 1980 Olympics. Patrick would later become the Director of Hockey Operations for the New York Rangers, and would also coach them for two separate stints; however it was his work in Pittsburgh that got him into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Walter Bush was one of the great administrators in American Hockey history.  Bush was part of a group that formed the Central Hockey League and was instrumental in helping to bring the NHL (in the form of the Minnesota North Stars) to his home state.  Bush would also become the President of U.S.A. Hockey for nearly two decades and was a key figure in bringing women’s hockey to the Olympics.   We will forgive him for that last achievement.