Selanne, Kariya headline Hall of Fame class
Former Flyer Recchi gains induction
Paul Kariya always felt as if he knew where Teemu Selanne was on the ice when they had spectacular chemistry together as teammates.
On Monday, Selanne pulled a new trick, telling Kariya where he was going: the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Before Kariya got the call that he was being inducted, Selanne delivered the news that the dynamic duo that thrilled hockey in Anaheim for several years was going to be inducted together this fall.
The longtime Ducks teammates headline the Hall of Fame’s class of 2017, which includes the long-overdue additions of Mark Recchi, Dave Andreychuk and longtime Canadian university coach Clare Drake. Canadian star Danielle Goyette became the fifth women’s player elected, and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs got in as part of the builder category.
Selanne was the only player elected in his first year of eligibility after putting up 1,457 points in 1,451 games over 21 NHL seasons. The “Finnish Flash” was a 10-time All-Star, had 76 goals as a rookie with Winnipeg in 1992-93 that still stands as one of his 18 NHL records and won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007.
“When I look back, I shake
my head and say how lucky I was in so many different ways and so thankful that I was able to play for so many years,” Selanne said.
He and Kariya played together for parts of six seasons with the Ducks, helping hockey grow in Southern California in the 1990s, and then another with Colorado. Kariya had his career cut short by concussion problems, finishing with 989 points in as many games.
“I didn’t retire willingly,” said Kariya, who won an Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Olympics. “I would’ve loved to have kept playing. If there was any way of waving a magic wand and getting the opportunity to live through my entire career, the good and the bad, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Recchi’s election in his fourth year of eligibility ended a curious omission for a player who won the Cup three times — once each with Pittsburgh (1991), Carolina (2006) and Boston (2011) — and is 12th in NHL scoring with 1,533 points. Every other retired player in the top 28 in career scoring was already in the Hall of Fame.
“You can only do so much, and you’ve got to let your numbers and your play dictate where it gets you,” Recchi said. “It was just something where you hope it’s good enough at some point.”
Andreychuk had an even longer wait, finally getting the call in his ninth chance after putting up 1,338 points in 23 seasons and serving as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2004 Cup team. His 640 goals are 14th all-time.
“The years that I have waited make no difference to me,” Andreychuk said. “When I started (in Buffalo) in ‘82, I got the privilege of watching Gilbert Perreault score 500 goals and to think that I went by him, it’s mind-boggling.”
Goyette won two Olympic gold medals and one silver medal for Canada and had 113 goals and 105 assists in 171 international games. Growing up in Quebec, she was asked why she played a men’s sport and said, “When you love something that much, it doesn’t matter what people say: You just do what you love.”
Drake, who said he was humbled to learn he was in the Hall of Fame, has the most victories of any Canadian college coach during a legendary 28-year career at the University of Alberta that included six University Cup titles. Along the way Drake revolutionized puck pressure and penaltykilling techniques and influenced the likes of NHL coaches Mike Babcock, Ken Hitchcock and Barry Trotz.
Hitchcock said he was relieved Drake is being honored at age 88 and said of his mentor, “There’s never been a person that’s done more for hockey and more for coaches and more for his players than Clare.” Babcock called Drake the John Wooden of Canadian hockey.
“You’re a great man, you did things right, treated people right, won championships and made an impact,” Babcock said. “What more can you ask?”
Jacobs has owned the Bruins since 1975 and served as chairman of the NHL Board of Governors since 2007. He said it was “a total surprise” to be elected and credited his time working at the league level for the honor.
“While our league has changed and grown over the 42-plus years Jeremy has owned the Bruins, he always has focused on further growing our game and strengthening our league,” commissioner Gary Bettman said. “As chairman of our board of governors for the past decade, his priority has been to serve our fans and to make sure our league and its teams are strong.” WASHINGTON » Dusty Baker would love for his Washington Nationals to add reliever Francisco Rodriguez — so long as KRod can replicate the form that made him a six-time All-Star.
Amid reports Monday that the Nationals may sign the veteran righthander to a minor league deal, Baker said only that he had taken “calls from various people” about him and that nothing was official.
Does Washington’s manager want the 35-yearold for his struggling bullpen?
“It depends if he’s still K-Rod,” Baker said. “That’s what it boils down to. I’ll take Sandy Koufax, but he may not be the same Sandy Koufax.”
The Nationals could use a steadying presence among their relievers, who entered a game against the Chicago Cubs on Monday with the NL’s third-worst ERA at 4.88.
Marlins trade Hechavarria for 2 minor leaguers
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. » The Miami Marlins sent shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to the Tampa Bay Rays for two minor leaguers Monday in a deal that came more than a month before the trade deadline.
The Marlins got righthanded pitcher Ethan Clark and outfielder Braxton Lee in the swap.
Tampa Bay is contending for the AL East lead. Tim Beckham has been playing shortstop for the Rays — he’s hitting .278 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs, and recently has been slowed by a sore hand.
Hechavarria has been on the disabled list since May 10 because of a strained left oblique. He has played nine minor league rehab games in the last 10 days.
The 28-year-old Hechavarria is hitting .277 with one homer and six RBIs in 20 games for the below-.500 Marlins. He hasn’t made an error this year.
Hechavarria is a career .255 hitter in six seasons in the majors.
Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said rookie JT Riddle will be the everyday shortstop moving forward.
Yankees activate OF Ellsbury, Castro injured
CHICAGO » The slumping New York Yankees have activated outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the disabled list and put him back in the starting lineup. But the Yankees later lost second baseman Starlin Castro to a strained right hamstring.
Ellsbury played center field and batted sixth against the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. He has been out since May 24 with a concussion, and played two rehab game in Triple-A over the weekend.
Castro returned to the lineup after getting a shot in his wrist Saturday. But he had trouble getting down the line after grounding out in the third inning, and left the game.
The Yankees have lost 10 of 12. They began the day in a virtual tie with Boston for the AL East lead.
New York put outfielder Aaron Hicks on the DL with a strained right oblique.
He injured his ribcage during a check swing Sunday and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
The Yankees also recalled infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder and righthanded pitcher Ronald Herrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.