Brian Rafalski among U.S. Hockey Hall inductees
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The proof of Brian Rafalski's greatness is that he retired in 2011 and the Detroit Red Wings haven't yet been able to find a defenseman quite like him.
Rafalski was a rarity in that he was a right-handed defenseman who was equally effective as a defender and a puck-mover.
"He had a major impact on our team winning the (Stanley) Cup in 2008 and going to the final in 2009 and he was a perfect partner at the right time for Nick Lidstrom," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said.
Rafalski's status as one of the top American-born defensemen in NHL history will be confirmed Thursday when he is inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Minneapolis. He'll be joined by Karyn Bye Dietz, a pioneer in women's hockey, plus former college coach Jeff Sauer and USA Hockey administrator and former U.S. Olympic coach Lou Vairo.
Former NHL player and current Philadelphia Flyers President Paul Holmgren and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly will receive the Lester Patrick Award for their significant contributions to hockey in the United States.
Minnesota native Holmgren was a highly respected physical forward in the 1970s when some NHL teams were still hesitant to give opportunities to American players.
Daly has been Commissioner Gary Bettman's right-hand man in the NHL's successful effort to expand the visibility of the sport in the United States.
Bob O'Connor will receive the U.S. Hall of Fame Builders Award for his many contributions to USA Hockey.
Rafalski, 5-10 on a tall day, didn't even play in the NHL until he was 26 because teams believed him to be too undersized to play defense. But after one stellar season in Sweden and three in Finland, the New Jersey Devils signed him.
He ended up playing 11 NHL seasons, winning two Stanley Cups with New Jersey and another with Detroit. He helped USA win silver medals at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and 2010 in Vancouver. He was named the top defenseman at the 2010 Olympics.
"He did it in such an assuming way," said USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson. "He was such a high percentage hockey player. To me, the most understated part of his game was how he defended."
Rafalski was such an agile skater that he always seemed to be able to get in the way of whoever he deemed to be the most dangerous offensive player. Rafalski finished his career at plus 178. He never had a minus season in the NHL.
"He was quick for short distances and fast for long distances," Holland said.
But it will be Rafalski's offensive flair that fans will remember. He registered 40 or more assists seven times in 11 seasons.
"When Father Time was doing his thing on both Nick Lidstrom and Raffy, they both helped each other stay at the top of their games," Holland said.
The other inductees
Karyn Bye Dietz: Generally considered one of the greatest players in women's hockey history, she was the leading goal scorer on USA's 1998 U.S. Olympic gold medal team in Nagano, Japan.
"She made an impact in every game she ever played," Johannson said.
Johannson said Bye Dietz, who was named to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2011, had keen understanding of how the game should be played.
"Karyn and Katie King were two of the smartest players that we had in terms of hockey sense and game awareness," Johannson said. "They did the little things you need to win hockey games."
Bye Dietz, who had to play on boys teams when she started, is the third women's player inducted by the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Cammi Granato and Cindy Curley were the first two.
Jeff Sauer: A coach for more than 40 years, Sauer ranks seventh all-time in college coaching wins with 655. He won two national championships while coaching at Wisconsin.
Most recently, Sauer coached the USA to the gold medal in sled hockey at the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia, earlier this year.
Sauer told Paste BN Sports that he learned as much from his sled hockey players as they learned from him.
"This has been very, very rewarding," Sauer said. "I can't say enough about how it's rejuvenated me from a coaching standpoint. I have coached (NHL players) Chris Chelios, Dany Heatley, Bruce Driver and Pat Flatley, etc. and these guys are no different. The just have a handicap they have to deal with."
Lou Vairo: A former U.S. Olympic and national team coach, Vairo has contributed to the sport in many, many ways.
He was USA Hockey's director of coaching in 1978 and he lobbied aggressively to invite players from non-traditional hockey states to national camps, even though their caliber of play didn't match the play of some players from hockey states.
"One of the most important aspects of national development is giving kids the chance," Vairo said.
Today, the NHL is drafting players from some of states that Vairo fought to include in national camps 36 years ago.
Vairo has coached several U.S. national teams, plus coached the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, a thankless job, given that he had to follow the Miracle on Ice 1980 team. Vairo has also worked with the diversity task force to get more minority players in the game.