2013 HHOF Profile: Scott Niedermayer

Posted by thesportsjunky on November 9, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

There are plenty of different styles of player in the NHL but one is valued more than any other and has been for a long time. The leader is a player that is hard to find but something that teams need to win a championship. It is so rare to find a leader because they are not made with great leaders just having that quality in them. They are the type of players that walk into a room and immediately take the focus of everyone. They are the type of players that everyone will listen to whether they are talking to rookies or 15 year veterans. These players are the players that a championship team needs to make sure that they can get through the down times in a season. They can bring a team up whether they do it through their play on the ice or a speech in the locker room. These type of players may not necessarily be the all-stars on a team either as they simply need to have that presence in the team. When a team can find a player like this they tend to hold on to them as long as they can and that immediately makes them a crowd favorite. They are the reliable players that fans love to come watch and love to cheer for as they are the ones that they can rely on to be there. These teams that find their leaders and can surround them with some good players have a very good chance of winning championships. This is true every year as the Stanley Cup Champions all have these leaders on their teams. So naturally if a team with a leader can help win a Stanley cup than in turn a leader is more likely to win a championship. Leaders can also be considered winners and have a number of great accomplishments. Then there are those players who find themselves winning a number of awards and championships. One such man will enter the Hall of fame this year as Scott Niedermayer will join the Class of 2013 as one of the few men who rarely lost anything. Niedermayer was a true leader that would win championships at every level and would become a hired gun near the end of his career when teams brought him in to provide that leadership on their team. Now he enters the hall with a legend that includes being one of the biggest winners in hockey and one of the greatest leaders in NHL history.

Niedermayer would be a winner early in his career as he would win the Memorial Cup as a member of the Kamloops Blazers. Little did he know that the junior championship would set a tone for what would be his legendary career. Niedermayer will go into the hall of fame as one of the only players to win every major championship in North America and International hockey. The Memorial Cup would just be the start as he would also help to bring Canada to the 1991 World Juniors title. With the gold and the Memorial Cup under his belt Niedermayer would be drafted third overall in the 1991 draft by the New Jersey Devils. Then in 1994 Niedermayer would get his third piece of hardware when he would help the Devils to the Stanley Cup Championship. He would add another two Stanley Cups with the Devils as one of the best defenceman on one of the most dominant teams of the era. In 2005 Niedermayer would enter the free agent market for the first time and would become a hired gun that Anaheim would sign. In 2007 Niedermayer would win his fourth Stanley Cup championship with the Ducks solidifying his legend as a true leader and a winner. The accomplishments were not limited to the NHL ice though as Niedermayer would be one of the key pieces to multiple Canadian International teams. He would already have the World Juniors title under his belt but in 2004 he would add a World Cup and a World Championship title as well. Add this to two Olympic Gold Medals in 2002 and 2010 and Niedermayer would complete his trip around every major title in North American and International Hockey. The tradition of winning and the leadership would earn Niedermayer a spot in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest defenceman of all time.

 

Scott Neidermayer, D (1991-2010)
New Jersey Devils (1991-2004)
1,263 GP
172 G
568 A
740 PTS
784 PIM
4-Time Stanley Cup Champion (1995, 2000, 2003, 2007)
5-Time NHL All-Star (1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009)
James Norris Memorial Award [NHL’s Best Defenceman] Winner (2003-04)
Conn Smythe Award [Playoff MVP] Winner (2007)
2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist (2002, 2010)
Also played for Anaheim Ducks

Filed under Hockey · Tagged with 2013 HHOF, 2013 Hockey Hall of Fame, HHOF, HHOF Class of 2013, Hockey Hall of Fame, Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2013, NHL, NHL Hockey, Scott Niedermayer