Order of Hockey Canada Announced

Hockey Canada is set to honour the greatest players and contributors to hockey in Canada.

They call it the Order of Hockey Canada. It is essentially the Hockey Canada Hall of Fame.

“The Order of Hockey in Canada is being established to recognize those individuals that have played prominent roles in developing and growing the game in our country. At this time, I would also like to thank the members of the executive and selection committee who have committed themselves to this project," says Bob Nicholson.

Candidates are eligible as long as they have concluded their career as an active player or official for a minimum of five playing seasons before their election. No posthumous appointments to the Order of Hockey in Canada will be made.

The honourees will be chosen by a 12 person board that includes Pat Quinn, Glen Sather, Daniele Sauvageau, Pierre LeBrun, Roy MacGregor and Bob MacKenzie.

Of course, the selection committee needs to look no further than my 2004 book release, The Legends of Team Canada. I profiled the greatest players in Canada's long international history.

The first class of the Order of Hockey in Canada will be announced in April and honoured at the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala on June 25 in Toronto.

There will be as many as five inaugural honourees, with a maximum of three every year after that. Expect to see Wayne Gretzky, Paul Henderson, Phil Esposito, Mario Lemieux and Angela James to get serious consideration for 2012.