U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces 2024 Class

The USA Hockey Hall of Fame has announced that they’ll be enshrining NHL veterans Matt Cullen and Kevin Stevens, Women’s Hockey legend Brianna Decker, original Chicago Blackhawks owner Frederic McLaughlin, and the entirety of the gold medal-winning 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey team.

Cullen played in parts of 21 NHL seasons between 1997 and 2019. His career kicked off with six years in Anaheim, where he planted his feet as a routine, middle-six centerman and scored 200 points across 427 games. He was traded to Florida in 2003, serving as the main return in a deal that delivered Sandis Ozolinsh and Lance Ward to Anaheim. That move kicked off  the journeyman style that Cullen quickly became known for. He moved teams five more times before 2010 – including a brief stint with the Stanley Cup-winning 2006 Carolina Hurricanes. That was the first of three Stanley Cups that Cullen would hoist; earning the latter two as part of Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. He played in two more seasons after that final Cup win, but ultimately decided to hang up the skates in 2019, after recording 1,516 games and 731 points in the NHL. Cullen has served as a development coach for the Penguins ever since.

Stevens was a part of Pittsburgh’s other back-to-back Cup wins, serving as an instrumental scorer on the 1991 and 1992 Cup-winning teams. He scored a career-high 54 goals and 123 points in the latter season, adding 28 points in 21 postseason games during the Cup run. It was the headlining year in Stevens’ decade-long tenure with the Penguins, ended by a 1995 trade to the Boston Bruins. Like Cullen, the trade kicked off a journeyman stage of Stevens’ career – leading him through one year in Boston, two in Los Angeles, three with the Rangers, and even 23 games with the Philadelphia Flyers. But Stevens returned home in midway through the 2000-01 season, playing in 32 more games with Pittsburgh before retiring at the age of 36. He ended his career with 726 points in 874 games – including two 100-point and two 80-point seasons. Stevens was hired into a scouting position with Pittsburgh in 2005. He maintains the role to this day.

Decker has built a resume that might rival the multiple Cup wins of Cullen and Stevens. She’s won gold on every stage, including twice at the World-U18 Championship, once at the Olympics, and six different times at the Women’s World Championship. Decker’s first taste of international play came at the 2008…