Hall of Fame: New Jersey GM made team a perennial Cup contender

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THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Lou Lamoriello doesn't waver when asked what it takes to turn an NHL franchise into a winner.

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The Canadian Press

Lou Lamoriello

After spending two-plus decades building the New Jersey Devils into a first-class organization, Lamoriello has developed a pretty good idea of how to get it done.

"I think first of all there has to be a philosophy which you believe in yourself and not only preach, but practice," Lamiorello said Friday. "I think what we have tried to do is put a foundation together and stay on track with it. Competency has to be there, loyalty, and I believe you have to have a work ethic to go along with those three things.

"Then just get people who want to do the things that are necessary to have success unselfishly."

Lamoriello is one of hockey's top executives and will be recognized for his achievements on Monday, when he's enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He's being inducted as a builder in one of the strongest classes the Hall has ever seen - it also includes Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull and Brian Leetch.

Those four former players are entering the Hall in their first year of eligibility and probably expected a call when the selection committee made its choices back in June.

That wasn't the case for Lamoriello, who was in a meeting with former player Slava Fetisov and found it strange when he noticed he'd missed a call from Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Bill Hay.

"It was something I wasn't even thinking of in any way," said Lamoriello. "I wasn't even aware that the selection committee was in process at that time."

A look at his resume indicates it was only a matter of time before he received a call from the Hall.

Lamoriello successfully ran the hockey program at Providence College - coaching such players as Ron Wilson, Brian Burke and Bob Nicholson - before joining the Devils as president in 1987. He took over the GM duties a year later and has seen the team make the playoffs in all but two seasons since.

New Jersey has won three Stanley Cups during Lamoriello's tenure, losing another in the seventh game. He was also the architect of the 1996 American team that upset Canada to win the World Cup of Hockey.