Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One", he has been called the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, the NHL itself, and by The Hockey News, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches. Gretzky is the leading goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history, and garnered more assists in his career than any other player scored total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.
The Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup. Founded in Kingston, Ontario, the Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943 under the leadership of James T. Sutherland. The first class of honoured members was inducted in 1945, before the Hall of Fame had a permanent location. It moved to Toronto in 1958 after the NHL withdrew its support for the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario, due to funding issues. Its first permanent building opened at Exhibition Place in 1961. The hall was relocated in 1993, and is now in Downtown Toronto, inside Brookfield Place, and a historic Bank of Montreal building. The Hockey Hall of Fame has hosted International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) exhibits and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 1998.
Gordon Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey", Howe is often considered the most complete player to ever play the game and one of the greatest of all time. At his retirement, his 801 goals, 1049 assists, and 1850 total points were all NHL records that stood until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky, who himself has been a major champion of Howe's legacy. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he still holds the NHL record for seasons played, and his all-time NHL games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau. In 2017, Howe was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".
Stephen Gregory Yzerman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he is a Detroit sports icon and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. After his retirement as a player, he served in the front office of the Red Wings, and then as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, while also being executive director for Team Canada in two Olympics.
Edward Walter Olczyk Jr. is an American professional ice hockey analyst, and a former player and coach. He was a center in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994. Olczyk was also the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from June 2003 to December 2005.
Cassie DawinCampbell-Pascall, is a former Canadian ice hockey player and broadcaster for Sportsnet. Born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Cassie grew up in Brampton, Ontario, playing for the Brampton Canadettes. She was the captain of the Canadian women's ice hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics and led the team to a gold medal. The left winger took on the role of captain again in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and again successfully led her team to the Gold Medal with a 4 – 1 win over Sweden.
Anatoly Vladimirovich Tarasov was a Russian ice hockey player and coach. Tarasov is considered "the father of Russian ice hockey" and established the Soviet Union national team as "the dominant force in international competition". He was one of the first Russians to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1974 in the builders category. Tarasov also played and managed in the sport of football, but is best known for his work in developing the USSR's ice hockey program.
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the history of ice hockey in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams. It is located in Eveleth, Minnesota, an iron mining town in northern Minnesota.
Fr. Lester John Thomas Costello was a Canadian ice hockey player and Catholic priest.
James Murray Costello is a Canadian retired ice hockey player, executive and administrator who dedicated a lifetime to the advancement of ice hockey in Canada. He played four seasons in the National Hockey League, and was the younger brother of Les Costello. He was a lawyer by trade, and was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1979 to 1994, then and its successor Hockey Canada from 1994 to 1998, when he facilitated the merger of the two organizations.
Emile Percival Francis, nicknamed "The Cat", is a former player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably with the New York Rangers. Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, and received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2015.
Ian "Scotty" Morrison is a former National Hockey League referee and vice-president, and the former president and chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Mike Morreale is a former award-winning receiver in the Canadian Football League.
Marty Gordon Howe is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Howe was drafted in the third round, 51st overall in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. From 2001 to 2006, he was an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, older brother of Mark Howe, and nephew of Vic Howe.
Colleen Janet Joffa Howe was a sports agent who founded Power Play International and Power Play Publications to manage the business interests of her husband, Hall of Fame hockey player Gordie Howe, as well as those of their sons Marty and Mark. She was married to Gordie for 55 years, until her death. As a civic leader, she brought the first Junior A hockey team to the United States, built the first indoor rink for public use in Michigan, and ran for Congress. In 2000, as "Mrs. Hockey", Howe received the Wayne Gretzky International Award, presented to individuals "who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States"—from the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, along with her husband and their two sons Mark and Marty.
