Brian Rafalski officially enters U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

By @MichaelCaples –

Brian Rafalski was officially welcomed into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last night at a ceremony held in Minnesota.

The Dearborn native, who spent his last four NHL seasons with his hometown Detroit Red Wings, was part of the 2014 induction class, along with Karyn Bye Dietz (River Falls, Wis.), Jeff Sauer (St. Paul, Minn.) and Lou Vairo (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Here is the tribute video played for one of the top players to ever come from Michigan:

“I’m very humbled and honored to be selected to the Hall of Fame…very rewarding for myself,” Rafalski said during a media teleconference call when it was announced he would be part of the class. “I wasn’t really expecting this.”

Here is Rafalski’s speech from the induction ceremony:

Rafalski, 40, played 15 seasons of professional hockey, 11 of which came with the National Hockey League. The University of Wisconsin alum captured three Stanley Cups – two with the New Jersey Devils (2000, 2003) and one with the Red Wings (2008).

The Dearborn native was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, capturing silver in two of them.

Rafalski attempted to make a return to professional hockey this past January, playing three games with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. He recorded one assist and a +1 rating before re-entering retirement.

Here’s a clip of his Little Caesars youth hockey days, which was played on the Joe Louis Arena jumbotron in 1988: