The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today, that Stanley Cup winning Captain Dave Andreychuk will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A legend to us, and now to all.
Major congrats to our very own Dave Andreychuk, 2017 @HockeyHallFame inductee. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/8YsWF0JiA2
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 26, 2017
In the NHL there is one thing that’s never quite made sense. Dave Andreychuk who played 12 years in the NHL for eight different teams had not been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Granted he won a single Stanley Cup in 2004 as the Captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he is also ranked number one all time in power play goals.
A few players without Andreychuk’s resume had made it in before him, but his name was never called when the new inductions were made each year.
That was one of the true great mysteries in the hockey world since the end of the 2005-2006 season, Andreychuk’s last in the league. Once retired everyone waited the three years to hear Andreychuk’s name, but it didn’t. Year after year fans and media would see the list of newest inductees, but not once was Andreychuk’s name on it.
It took almost a decade, but Dave Andreychuk will finally hear his name called in Toronto. The time has finally come to officially say one on the great hockey wrongs, will finally be corrected.
Andreychuk’s 274 career power play goals is 10 more than Brett Hull and 57 more than Jaromir Jagr who is still active. The next closest active player is Alex Ovechkin and he’s 52 behind Andreychuk. Jarome Iginla is the next highest, but no where close to taking over the record, let alone getting into the top five.
So why has it taken nearly a decade for Toronto to call Dave Andreychuk’s name? That in itself is a mystery that none of us may ever truly know the answer to, but one thing is for sure…Dave Andreychuk is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
