Four former players inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

From Steve Zipay of Newsday:

Brian Leetch and Mike Richter won’t be at the Garden watching the Rangers home opener against the Blackhawks.

Instead, on Oct. 10, the two former Rangers will be in Denver for the induction ceremonies of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, along with the rest of the ’08 quartet, Brett Hull and Cammi Granato, who will be the first woman enshrined.

Read the short entry from Blue Notes here.

To be honest, I can’t think of four more deserving candidates to be elected into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.  In fact, all four of these players should eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

Aside from Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr, was there a more exciting player to watch carry the puck up the ice than Brian Leetch?

Has there ever been a quickler side-to-side netminder in the NHL than Mike Richter?  The man was largely responsible for the 1994 Cup victory for the Rangers and the United States victory over Canada in the 1996 World Cup. 

As for Hull, well, aside from the fact that he was born in Canada, he was probably the best pure goal-scorer that has ever dawned a Team USA jersey. 

Finally, Cammi Granato is arguably the best women’s hockey player to have ever played the game.  Granato and Hailey Wickenheiser pioneered the women’s game and took it to levels it hadn’t seen before.