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The Hockey Hall of Fame's media day, the only opportunity to hear from the Class of 2025 before Monday's induction speeches, was a chance to try to settle a few issues.
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Where is Alex Mogilny?
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After many of his friends and members of the media had lobbied him for years as a worthy candidate, Mogilny, the first known Russian defector in 1989, will not show up. He has pre-recorded comments for Monday's ceremony and telecast, but his bejeweled ring and Hall crest blazer went unclaimed on Saturday.
Mogilny has always been a clumsy guy (he skipped the 2003 NHL awards with little thought of winning the Lady Byng Trophy for good behavior), and no one is sure whether his absence is a problem of traveling to Russia, political difficulties in these difficult times, whether he is helping coach the team at home or just his unique sense of mischief.
“We don't know the exact reason other than he said he couldn't make it,” Hall Chairman Mike Gartner said. “There's a lot of moving parts in his life right now. We didn't put much pressure on him; people talked to him, he said he couldn't come. But he's very grateful to make the team.”
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“It happens very rarely (in 2022, Riikka Sallinen, the Finnish star, also missed the visit to Toronto), but we saw Alex’s performance, it’s actually very good, it’s very respectful of how he got to where he is.”
Did working as a police officer in Quebec help prepare Daniele Sauvageau for his work as a club coach, Olympic coach and general manager in the PWHL?
We asked her because the late Hall of Fame coach Pat Burns said his experience as a veteran cop gave him insight into who is a true competitor and who is a floater, especially in a one-on-one matchup.
“The combination of these two (professions) gave me a great opportunity to learn about the human world,” Sauvageau agreed. “You see great things, you see things you want to change. But the reality is the same. You serve the population and you serve the game.”
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Like Burns, her dedication to her work often blurred the lines between job responsibilities.
“In the police they called me “coach,” and in hockey they called me “chief.” »
Did Jack Parker really refuse to coach America's “Miracle on Ice” team at the 1980 Olympics?
The Boston University coach had 897 wins before 2013, and between 1973 and 1979 that was enough to earn an interview with the USA Hockey program. But the fame went to the late Herb Brooks, and Karl Malden and Kurt Russell portrayed him in two films about unhinged Lake Placid.
“It’s not true, I refused,” Parker explained. “The commission interviewed Herb, myself and John McInnes of Michigan Tech. I was the youngest, Herbie was the middle one, John was the oldest.
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“But before the interview, I was told that John had already left. That's when I walked into the room and found out that eight of the 10 people on the committee were from Minnesota. I kind of knew then that I wasn't going to get the job.”
Brooks was born in St. Paul and coached the University of Minnesota team.
“But Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts didn't matter. They certainly made the right decision in drafting Brooks. I don't think anyone could have completely changed what he did as a coach in 1980.”
Will national team veteran Joe Thornton coach Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland in December?
His wife Thabsa is Swiss and Jumbo Joe met her in Davos when he played there during the 2004 lockout, so people are connecting the dots. The family will visit the area during the Christmas holidays.
“I don’t know, I like skiing better when I’m on vacation,” Thornton teased. “I could go watch the boys play, watch the game. But if they really want me, I'll be in the Swiss Alps.”
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