Neely, Costello, Kharlamov off to the Hall of fame

[Esau]

Cheers to Cam & the rest. :thumbup:

Sports Ticker

11/7/2005 8:37:19 AM

Injuries may have derailed Cam Neely's playing career but they did nothing to stop the power forward from receiving hockey's highest honor.

Along with former Hockey Canada president Murray Costello and late Soviet great Valeri Kharlamov, Neely will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight.

"The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these three outstanding individuals as honored members," selection committee chairman Jim Gregory said. "Their contributions to the game of hockey are well-documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved."

After three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Neely recorded 344 goals and 590 points in 525 games with the Boston Bruins. He eclipsed the 50-goal plateau three times and surpassed 30 on three other occasions.

"To be honest, I never really concerned myself too much with the Hall of Fame, just like I never really concerned myself with numbers when I played," Neely said. "I just went out and did what I tried to do best, which the only thing I knew I could do was work hard. Whether I played well or not was another story, but I knew I could work hard, game in and game out.

"I'm just so proud of the fact that I was recognized for the way I played the game and kind of the impact that maybe I had for the style that I played. ... Numbers to me were never really an important factor of how I can help our team win. So to me, to have the recognition of the way I played and maybe have people kind of appreciate the fact of the way I played was a huge honor for me."

Neely's totals would have escalated had it not been for a hit on his left thigh by defenseman Ulf Samuelsson in a 1991 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The injury developed into myositis ossificans, where a part of his thigh muscle turned to bone. That caused Neely to develop a chronic hip condition that forced him into retirement in September 1996 and still ails him today.

"I feel pain in my hip every day, but it's something you learn to deal with," he said. "Fortunately, I can prolong any kind of replacement until down the road.

"Three years after I had to retire, I was feeling really, really good. (I) started getting some different treatment and started skating again and picked up my pace. (I) subsequently started to practice a couple of times with the Bruins at that time in 1999, but after a couple of really hard practices, realized that there was just no way to continue."

Over his first five seasons with the Bruins, Neely relentlessly drove to the net from his right wing position and scored 36, 42, 37, 55 and 51 goals.

The decline for Neely started with the injury. Over the remainder of his career, he appeared in nine, 13, 49, 42 and 49 games. But in 1993-94, Neely best exemplified his courage by netting 50 goals in just 44 games, a feat that earned him the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport.

A native of Comox, British Columbia, Neely was selected ninth overall by Vancouver in the 1983 draft and traded to Boston in June 1986. With the Bruins, he earned four NHL Second Team All-Star berths and led the team in goals seven times. In 1989-90, he set a club record for a right wing with 55 tallies.

The Bruins retired Neely's No. 8 in a pregame ceremony on January 12, 2004.

"Cam Neely was the hockey player the other hockey players wanted to be," Bruins general manager Harry Sinden said. "He was blessed with a rare blend of talent, strength and determination and inspired other players to play as he did - hard and unrelenting."

In his career, Neely had 395 goals, 299 assists and 1,241 penalty minutes in 726 regular-season games. In 93 playoff contests, he had 57 goals and 32 assists, helping the Bruins twice reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

"Getting to the Stanley Cup Finals twice with the Bruins was quite a highlight," Neely said. "But on the other hand, it was also disappointing to get that far and not win the championship."

Kharlamov was the left wing on one of the greatest lines in hockey history with right wing Boris Mikhailov and center Vladimir Petrov. He helped the Central Red Army win 11 Soviet league titles.

"His talents were God-given and he could practically do everything - a smart play, a tricky pass, a precise shot," Hall of Fame goaltender Vladislav Tretiak said. "Everything he did looked so easy, so elegant. His execution of hockey was aesthetic and he amazed millions."

Kharlamov recorded 293 goals and 214 assists in 436 games with CSKA Moscow Red Army. He participated in 11 consecutive IIHF World and European Championships and helped the Soviet Union win gold on eight occasions.

Kharlamov participated in three Olympic games, winning gold in 1972 and 1976. At 33 years old, he died in an automobile accident on August 17, 1981 before having a chance to play in North America.

"This is a very big day for my family," said Kharlamov's son, Alexander, a 1994 first-round pick of Washington who has not played in the NHL. "I am proud of my father's memory and proud that his contributions to the game of hockey have been recognized with this tremendous honor."

Costello, the president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association - now known as Hockey Canada - from 1979-1998, was elected in the builder category.

Costello began his hockey career playing parts of two seasons with the Bruins and Detroit Red Wings from 1954-55 to 1956-57. He left hockey for law school and later returned to work in several capacities in the Western Hockey League.

"I have been privileged to have the chance to live my life fulfilling my childhood passion," Costello said. "To be rewarded for doing it is really beyond anything that I ever expected."

Costello also was a member of the Hall of Fame's Selection Committee.

During a luncheon on Monday, long-time New York Rangers analyst Sal Messina will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his work as a broadcaster and Los Angeles Times columnist Helene Elliott will be given the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for distinguished hockey journalism.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/

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I was hoping it was Elvis Costello... But his fucked up ankles couldn't last in the 'New NHL'

Although they do play Pump it Up quite often at games...

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