In the midst of a tough season, Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic got some good news on Tuesday: he, along with former Avs Uwe Krupp and Teemu Selanne and three others, will be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, as the Class of 2017.
Already a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Sakic will now be recognized for his impact on the game internationally. He is part of the prestigious Triple Gold Club. Sakic has represented Canada on numerous occasions. He has played in three Olympics, earning tournament MVP honors en route to a gold medal in 2002. He also has a gold and a silver medal at the World Championship, a gold and runner up at the World Cup, a gold at the World Junior Championship. The 12-time NHL All-Star has won two Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe and a Hart Memorial Trophy.
Krupp might be most famous for scoring the triple-overtime goal that captured the Stanley Cup for the Avalanche in 1996, but he has also had a long and illustrious career for the German national team. As a player, he suited up in two World Championships and one Olympics. As a coach, he was behind the German bench for six World Championships and two Olympics. He was the first German player to ever lift the Stanley Cup.
With 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games, Selanne’s one-season stint with the Avalanche was one that most would rather forget. His international career (and the rest of his NHL career, for that matter), is one of the greatest of all-time. A record six-time Olympian, Selanne is the Olympics’ all-time leading scorer. In his final Olympics in 2014, he was named tournament MVP, guiding Finland to a bronze medal. Selanne has represented Finland in 16 tournaments as a player, and was a consultant on the team’s staff at last year’s World Cup. The “Finnish Flash” has also won a Stanley Cup, an SM-Liiga Championship and was named the Finnish Player of the Year 10 times.
Joining the aforementioned trio in the Class of 2017 will be: Saku Koivu, Angela Ruggiero and builder Dieter Kalt. The 2017 IIHF Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 21 in Cologne, Germany.