North Vancouver’s Paul Kariya headed to Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame could probably see Teemu Selanne coming 24 years ago.

Also getting the call were Paul Kariya, Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi and Danielle Goyette, who becomes the fifth woman inducted into the hockey shrine. He received the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2014 and was the inspiration for many current NHL coaches, including Ken Hitchcock, Barry Trotz and Mike Babcock.

“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.

Kariya’s career was cut short because of concussions, but he had 989 points over his 15-year career and was a seven-time NHL All-Star.

Recchi was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1988.

Goyette won two Olympic golds for Canada and eight world championship crowns.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was possible”, Kariya said. “It’s just an incredible honor”. He’s 15th all-time in points with 1,457.

Other candidates have waited a considerable length of time for a call to the Hall: Mark Recchi (four years), Dave Andreychuk (nine years), Alexander Mogilny (nine years) and goaltenders Chris Osgood (four years) and Curtis Joseph (five years).

Daniel Alfredsson was another strong candidate for induction this year, but he wasn’t a lock. By his retirement in 2006, he had scored 640 regular-season goals while adding 698 assists. He was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player) in 1997.

But it didn’t happen, despite having the 10th most victories (401), the three Stanley Cups, and possessing a 2.49 goal-against average and.905 save percentage over 16 seasons with the Red Wings, New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.

“I don’t buy into the (theory) you have to be the best player at your position, you have to be one of the best 10 players in the National Hockey League”. He won his first Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1991, then came over to the Flyers in 1992 via a trade that saw Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson go to Pittsburgh. He ranks fourth all-time in National Hockey League wins (454) and sixth in games played (943), along with 51 shutouts and seven 30-plus win seasons. Andreychuk led the Lightning to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title in 2004. With the Ducks, Kariya recorded over 100 points twice (1996 and 1999) and scored 50 goals in 1995-96.

“Growing up in peewee hockey, when we started contact hockey, the coaches didn’t tell you, ‘When Joey’s not looking, elbow him in the head and that’s a hockey play.’ To me, it’s not a part of the game”.

The Bruins did give qualifying offers to their other restricted free agents, a list that includes Ryan Spooner, Malcolm Subban, Tim Schaller, David Pastrnak, Noel Acciari, Austin Czarnik and Zane McIntyre.