Brendan Shanahan elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

By Michael Caples –

It took a year longer than it maybe should have, but Brendan Shanahan is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

The Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee announced today that the former Red Wings star – currently NHL’s vice president of hockey and business development and director of player safety – will be one of three NHL alums to be inducted as the class of 2013.

Shanahan joins Scott Neidermayer and former Red Wings teammate Chris Chelios as the latest class of NHLers to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The trio will be joined by women’s hockey star Geraldine Heaney and former Flyers GM Ray Shero during an official induction ceremony in November.

I’ve always been fortunate to have great teammates and coaches throughout my career,” said Shanahan in a prepared statement. “At every level I have tried to learn and my key to success was having people around me that helped me improve my game.”

Shanahan, a Mimico, Ontario native, was the definition of ‘power forward’ in his NHL career. The former member of the Devils, Blues, Whalers, Red Wings and Rangers scored 656 goals and 698 assists in 1,524 NHL games, while adding in 2,489 penalty minutes along the way.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 1987 NHL Draft won three Stanley Cups during his 21-year professional career (all with Detroit), and he played in eight NHL All-Star Games.

Shanahan was traded to the Red Wings in 1996 – Detroit sent Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau and a first-round pick to Hartford in exchange for the future hall-of-famer and Brian Glynn. Shanahan is considered by many to be the final piece needed for the Red Wings to end a 42-year Stanley Cup drought, playing an important part in the team’s 1997 and 1998 championship seasons.