The 2016 US Hockey Hall of Fame Class was announced on Monday night, and there was a strong connection to the class and the Boston Bruins.
The Boston Bruins were well represented in this Hall of Fame Class. Former Boston Bruins forward Craig Janney was selected to be part of this year’s class. Janney spent five seasons with the Black and Gold, and played with current Bruins president Cam Neely. He was part of the Bruins team that made deep Cup runs in 1988 and 1990.
“Just a really thrilling moment finding out about this great honor,” shared Janney during a conference call to the media Tuesday. “I thought it might have passed me by. A lot of those guys on the ’96 World Cup team were kind of my generation and a lot of them have gone .
“To get that phone call was just an unbelievable honor and thrill,” continued Janney according to the Boston Bruins website. “And to be able to take part in this celebration with a lot of the guys that I played with and against with USA hockey is really, truly a thrill.”
“A playmaker’s only as good as his finishers,” said Janney. “I played with some of the best of our generation. They’re just great goal scorers and my thought process was, playing with guys of that caliber, if you can make them have three or four quality chances a game in the place where they like to get the puck, they’re going to score one or two goals.
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Janney had plenty of New England connections as well. Janney is a native of Hartford, Connecticut. Janney spent two seasons as a member of the Boston College Terriers. He was a Hober Baker finalist in 1987, after setting Hockey East records in points and assists. He was drafted by the Black and Gold in the first round (13th overall) of the 1986 draft.
“I went into every game thinking of that…get it in their comfortable spots, they’re going to get some goals and we’re going to win hockey games. I was fortunate – very fortunate – to play with some tremendous goal scorers.”
Janney is among the top twenty NHL players for all-time assists (11th, with 563).
The 1996 US World Cup of Hockey team was also selected to be part of the this year’s class. Six former members of the Boston Bruins were part of that team (Jim Carey, Shawn McEachern, Bill Guerin, Brian Leetch, Brian Rolston, and Bryan Smolinski).