Initially a referee in the National Hockey League (who was assigned to referee some very important games), Clarence Campbell was moved to the office and was groomed to be the heir apparent to take over the Presidency of the NHL. The plan was temporarily derailed as Campbell joined the Canadian military to serve in World War II (in which he rose from Private to Lt. Colonel) but he returned in 1946 to serve under Red Dutton as the Vice President. Dutton (who never really wanted to be the President) swiftly resigned, and Campbell took over the job.

Although Emile “Butch” Bouchard was mostly a stay-at-home Defenceman, his well timed and accurate passing skills were often the catalyst for the Montreal Canadians expert offensive rushes. Bouchard brought a strong physical presence to the Habs defense which the squad desperately needed. His bodychecks became legendary in the NHL, and despite his immense strength and physical play, he rarely got into fights. Bouchard would help Montreal win four Stanley Cups and was a First Team All Star three times. Perhaps more importantly, as Bouchard came into his own, he would often serve as a mentor to many of the younger players, making that much more valuable to the team dynamic. The Hall of Fame induction was a nice finishing touch for a good man with a great career.

The winner of the 1944 Hart Trophy (albeit in a depleted NHL due to World War II) Babe Pratt was a offensive minded defenceman who was as tough on the ice as he was jovial off of it. Pratt was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams (New York in 1940 and Toronto in 1945) and was always considered one of the team leaders regardless of where he played.  

Inducted for his administrative work with Hockey in the United States,Tommy Lockhart organized the Eastern Amateur Hockey League in 1934 which promoted the sport in the New York City area. Three years later, Lockhart would help to organize the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States and was its first President. He would serve as the business manager for the New York Rangers for a six year stretch in the 1950’s and would have a spot the next decade in the U.S. Olympic Committee and on the IIHF.