March 12, 2012

Four legends of differing backgrounds who all provided great contributions to the growth and expansion of hockey in the region will be inducted into the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame presented by Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company.

Congratulations to Dave Casey, Murray Eaves, Peter Mahovlich and Dave Strader who will comprise the 2012 class as they are recognized for their outstanding hockey success in the area.

The Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame Banquet and Reception will take place on Saturday, April 14 at 4:30pm in Heritage Hall prior to that evening's Adirondack Phantoms game against the Worcester Sharks. Tickets for the Banquet and Reception are available for $35 each or a table of 10 for $250. Reservations can be made to Anne Porreca at (518) 791-4248 or anneporreca@msn.com

It will be a special night for all as the fans welcome the third class of the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame. The inductees were selected by the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame Committee which is comprised of area hockey historians, former professional players, hockey executives and media members. Area fans also were able to submit their ballots and comprise one of the votes in the selection process. Hundreds of votes were accepted from the enthusiastic fans who were excited to be a part of the voting.


Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame Presented by Glens Falls National Bank and Trust

Dave Casey was the long-time athletic trainer for the Adirondack Red Wings serving the team for 1,253 regular season games and 135 playoff games missing just two games for the first 14 years of the franchise. He is the only person to have won rings for all four Adirondack Calder Cup Championships in 1981, 1986, 1989 and 1992. He almost certainly has seen more Adirondack Red Wings hockey games than anyone. He has continued to serve the community actively in athletics for youths including coaching stints in high school football, basketball and baseball.

Murray Eaves is a Calgary, Alberta native who played with the Adirondack Red Wings from 1987-90 including a career-high 46 goals in 1988-89 to lead the team to their third Calder Cup Championship while finishing second in the AHL in assists (72) and points (118) that season. He won the AHL's Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award twice as the player most exemplifying sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey. Eaves also played on the Canadian national team in 1992 and 1994 and played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and WInnipeg Jets.

Peter Mahovlich stayed in the North Country after the completion of his great career and currently resides in Queensbury. After winning four Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, Mahovlich arrived to Glens Falls as a veteran and provided steady leadership and some big goals with the Adirondack Red Wings from 1980-82 in helping the team to their first Calder Cup Championship in 1981. He scored 288 goals and 773 points in his 16-year NHL career. He also scored a key shorthanded goal for Team Canada in Game 2 of the famous Summit Series against the Soviet Union.

Dave Strader is a Glens Falls native who was the first radio broadcaster for the Adirondack Red Wings from 1979-84 including the team's first Calder Cup Championship in 1981. From there he went on to broadcast for the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes as well as his national assignments for hockey and basketball on ESPN, NBC, NBC Sports Network and Versus. Strader is also the voice of the Stanley Cup Championships on the NHL International feed television broadcast. He now broadcasts exclusively for NBC's national coverage and thus is able to reside year-round again in Glens Falls. He can frequently be heard on his national broadcasts speaking with great pride about Glens Falls when making references to current and former Adirondack players and coaches


All four will be in exclusive company as they join the seven current members of the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame presented by Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company:

Hugo Belanger, Bill Dineen, Jody Gage, Ned Harkness, Greg Joly, Glenn Merkosky and Barry Melrose.