Olympic champion Decker highlights 2024 class; veteran Wing Staal retires

News staff and news agencies

Olympic champion Brianna Decker, former NHL players Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen, former Chicago Blackhawks founder Frederic McLaughlin and the sled hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2002 Paralympics are being inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame.

The United States Hockey Federation announced the class at a ceremony to be held in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4.

“The impact of the Class of 2024 spans every aspect of the sport, and each honoree reflects the extraordinary contributions it takes to earn the highest honor in American hockey,” said USA Hockey president Mike Trimboli. “They are all unique stories and have positively impacted so many.”

Decker helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in South Korea in 2018 and was part of silver-medal teams in 2014 and 2022 before a broken leg and torn ligaments in her ankle knocked her out of the tournament in Beijing two years ago. She also has six world championship titles, was named MVP and leading scorer once and led the University of Wisconsin team to a national championship in 2011.

Decker, now retired at 33 and coaching the girls’ prep team at Shattuck St. Mary’s School, had 81 goals and 89 assists for 170 points in 147 international games during her 15-year career. She credited Angela Ruggiero and Julie Chu as major early influences in shaping her perspective on the game.

“Our generation of players made a pact that we were going to try to raise the bar and continue to do the same thing and impact the game as much as possible,” Decker said on a video call with reporters. “To be a part of that was obviously very special.”

Stevens played a key role in the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup in 1991 and ’92, scoring a playoff-best 17 goals in the former and becoming a first-team NHL All-Star the following season. He overcame substance abuse and became an advocate for addiction awareness and support, and has also worked as the Penguins’ special assignment scout for the past seven years.

“Everything off the ice, it’s really just me now,” Stevens said. “I think I’ve been through a rough patch and come out the other side. I’m just trying to help people and do the best I can every day, if I can help one person a day out there, then I’m doing my job.”

Cullen won the Cup three times, in 2006 with Carolina and back-to-back with Pittsburgh in 2016 and ’17. He played 21 seasons for eight different teams and is one of only two U.S.-born players to play in more than 1,500 games in the league.

McLaughlin led a group that started the Blackhawks franchise in the 1920s, growing hockey in Chicago while trying to fill the roster with as many American players as possible. He died in 1944 and was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.

In 2002, held in Salt Lake City, the United States became the first country to win a gold medal in sledge hockey at the Paralympic Games since the sport’s debut in 1994. The Rick Middleton-coached team went undefeated, outscoring their opponents 26–6, led by tournament MVP Sylvester Flis. His 11 goals and 18 points led the tournament, which are still Paralympic records.

Former Wing Staal announces retirement

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal announced his retirement on Thursday after 17 seasons in the NHL.

Staal is joining the New York Rangers as a player development assistant.

The 37-year-old player played in 35 games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, scoring 1 goal and 5 points.

Staal, selected 12th overall by the Rangers in the 2005 draft, appeared in 1,136 games during his career, scoring 53 goals and 234 points while playing for the Rangers, Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Flyers.

Staal had 6 goals and 20 assists in 127 games in his two years with the Red Wings.

Former Wing Trader dies at 61

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Larry Trader died Thursday at the age of 61, the National Hockey League announced.

Trader was originally selected in the fifth round by the Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft and played in 55 games for Detroit in the 1982–83 and 1984–85 seasons.

In 1985-86, the former London Knight won the Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings. He led AHL playoff scorers with 22 points in 17 games and scored the Calder Cup-winning goal against Hersey in Game 6.

After leaving the Red Wings, he moved to the St. Louis Blues, where he played in six games over two seasons before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens during the 1987–88 season.

Former Wing Hutchinson joins Devils

Former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Michael Hutchinson and defenseman Jakub Zboril will join the New Jersey Devils for a professional tryout, the team announced Thursday.

Hutchinson, 34, has a 57-62-18 record, a 2.94 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in 154 regular-season games.

The player, who played in one game for Detroit in the 2023-24 season and spent two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018-2020 and 2020-2022 seasons, played in 30 games for Toronto.

Zubril, 27, has played all four of his NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins since making his debut in 2018-19.

The player from Brno, Czech Republic, has scored 1 goal and made 15 assists in 76 matches in his career.

Kulemin and Addison sign with Senators

Forward Nikolay Kulemin and defenseman Calen Addison signed professional tryout agreements with the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

Kulemin, 38, spent the last six seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, scoring 121 goals in 669 NHL games over 10 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders.

Addison, 24, split last season between the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild, appearing in 72 games, scoring one goal and adding 16 assists.