Today in hockey history, a couple of new Hall of Fame classes are announced, and a legendary player retires from the NHL so he can pursue his life-long dream of playing in the NHL.
September 9, 1960 – The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its newest members: Buck Boucher, Sylvio Mantha, and Jack Walker as players, and Charles Adams and Frank Selke as builders. You probably recognize that last one, his last name at least, as Selke has a yearly award named after him for the best defensive forward. Ironically, he was not a very defensive player, nor did he actually play a single NHL game. Instead, he had a long career of coaching, which he began at age 14, and being an executive.
September 9, 1971 – Gordie Howe announced his first retirement as an NHL player, but unretired two years later to play in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for six seasons. He also became the vice president of the Red Wings after retiring. He would join the NHL once again in the 1979-80 season as a member of the Hall of Fame, the second player in history to play an NHL game as an inducted member, to play on the Hartford Whalers with his two sons, Mark and Marty, and retired for a second time following that season.
September 9, 1997 – Mario Lemieux, Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather, and Flyers’ announcer Gene Hart were the newest members named to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lemieux became just the eighth player to have the standard three-year waiting period waived, as he was inducted immediately after retiring. Three years later, he became the third person in history to play an NHL game as a member of the Hall of Fame, as he unretired to play another six abbreviated seasons.
Source: Hockey Hall of Fame
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