It’s a shame Fred Shero isn’t alive to see his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame this evening, but the coach who brought two Stanley Cups to the City of Philadelphia finally gets his day today. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s more than deserved.
As we wrote back in July when the committee voted to induct him into the Hall:
He didn’t just win the Stanley Cup twice. He did it using methods that nobody else had ever tried. And think about the teams he won with. He was given a roster by management spotted with tough guys at the mandate of Ed Snider, and while he certainly utilized that toughness in a way that infuriated the rest of the league, he also molded those teams into scoring machines. Dave Schultz had 348 penalty minutes and 20 goals in 1973-74. That doesn’t happen without great coaching, and the Flyers dont win those Cups in the 70s without great coaching.
Shero was a true innovator and he literally changed the face of ice hockey, and this day is a long time coming for both him and the Flyers organization.
Shero deserves this day, and we should be proud to watch his induction this evening. NHL Network will broadcast the event from Toronto at 7:30 p.m. ET. Canadians can watch on TSN 2. Chris Chelios, Geraldine Heaney, Brendan Shanahan and Scott Niedermayer will join Shero this evening.
Shero’s son, Ray, the general manager of the Penguins, will accept the induction on behalf of his father.
