If you’ve been involved in a discussion about the Hockey Hall of Fame in the last decade, chances are that Dave Andreychuk’s name has been brought up. For years, Tampa Bay Lightning fans wondered whether or not the captain of the Bolts’ 2004 Stanley Cup team would ever get inducted. Earlier this year, he finally got the call.
On Tuesday afternoon, exactly one month before he’s set to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 10th, Andreychuk received a visit from Hall of Fame officials. The purpose of their visit? Getting the NHL’s all-time leader in power play goals fitted for both the ring and jacket he’ll proudly sport on the day he takes his place among hockey’s immortals.
While he was being fitted for his blazer, his family sat in the back of the room and proudly watched him go through the process. He spoke of how this isn’t just about him, it’s also about them and the love and support they’ve provided over the years.
“As I’ve always said, this is not just about me. It’s about my family. My wife, my kids, my mom and dad, we’re all part of it. So we’re all gonna celebrate,” said Andreychuk.
To Andreychuk’s right sat a table full of memorabilia. Items such as the puck from his 250th power play goal, the only white helmet he wore throughout his career, and the sweater he wore when he scored his 600th goal were on full display. A table full of hockey history and memorable moments.
Now that Andreychuk is about to become one of the Hall of Fame’s newest members, he’s donating all of those artifacts and more to the Hall. He admitted that when he got the call and started going through his memorabilia, the memories came flooding back.
“It definitely brings up a lot of memories. What it really did, right from the first phone call and then all of the text messages and emails, is it really brought me through my whole career,” said Andreychuk. “From all the guys I played with, the coaches, the trainers, that reached out to me, it did bring back full circle where I came from and where I ended up.”
Although his items such as his helmet, his pants, and sticks he used at key moments in his career are going to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Andreychuk feels like they’ll get more use there than they would sitting in his house.
“I don’t really see it very much at home, so I think this is great that people will be able to look at it going into the Hall of Fame,” Andreychuk said. “I did that as a kid myself, I can relate back to looking at different articles, what guys had wore, what was special to them. This means a lot to me that our next generation of fans are gonna be able to see it.”
