Aug 15, 2007, 18:50 GMT
Colorado Springs, CO - Former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck will headline the Class of 2007 for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
Vanbiesbrouck, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 1986 with the New York Rangers, will be joined in this year's class by Bobby Carpenter, Aaron Broten and John MacInnes.
Induction ceremonies are set for October 12 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Vanbiesbrouck was among the most-successful American-born goaltenders in NHL history. His 20-year career began in 1981 and included stints with the Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
In addition to winning the Vezina Trophy in 1986, he was also the runner-up for the honor in 1994 and was selected for three All-Star Games. He recorded 374 wins, most-ever for an American-born netminder, notched 40 shutouts and registered a 2.98 goals-against average in 882 games.
Carpenter was the first player to make the jump straight from high school to the NHL in 1981 and became the first American to score 50 goals in an NHL season when he tallied 53 for the Washington Capitals in 1984-85.
In 19 NHL seasons with the Capitals, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, Carpenter compiled 320 goals with 408 assists for 728 points in 1,178 games. He played in the 1985 NHL All-Star Game with Washington and won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995, then added Cup titles as an assistant coach with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003.
Broten was first a star at the University of Minnesota, leading the school to the NCAA championship game in his second and last season of 1980-81. He then played 748 career NHL games in 12 seasons for the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils, Minnesota North Stars, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets.
MacInnes is best known for a 26-year run as head coach at Michigan Tech University, where he led the school to three NCAA championships and seven Western Collegiate Hockey Association crowns between 1956 and '82.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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