‘Grateful’: Roenick’s emotional speech highlights Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Jeremy Roenick had tears in his eyes and sniffled as he sat behind the microphone, the last of the seven members of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 to speak during Monday night’s induction ceremony in Toronto.

JR was always the showman and delivered.

“Wow!” he said, grinning as he looked out over the crowd, before doling out “thank you’s” and “apologies” (to Tony Amonte and Bill Wirtz) and “I love you’s” (to “Iron Mike” Keenan) and stories about car rides to and from Hockey Field told games he spent battling his father’s cigarette smoke in the front seat and the “foul smell” in the back seat that stemmed from an earlier stop at Taco Bell.

An 18-year-old Roenick, who had just been drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, recalled standing at a urinal next to coach Mike Keenan with five different teams early in his 20-year NHL career. Roenick swears Keenan asked him, “You got guts, boy?” And he replied, “Enough to play for you.”

“Thank God he didn’t look over the partition,” Roenick added with a grin, causing the crowd to laugh. “I may not have been their first choice this year.”

Roenick, a nine-time NHL all-star who ranks third all-time among American scorers in NHL history, is joined in the 2024 class by fellow players Pavel Datsyuk, Natalie Darwitz, Shea Weber and Krissy Wendell, as well as Colin Campbell and David Poile – who joins his late father Bud at the Hall dedication – were installed as builders.

Roenick thanked fans in all five cities he played in and apologized to fans in L.A. because he said he was “terrible” while playing for the Kings. He praised teammates like Keith Tkachuk, whom he called “the most intimidating, confident, vocal person I’ve ever met — well, aside from myself, I guess.”

One of Roenick’s biggest thanks was reserved for Doug Wilson. In the summer of 2007, Roenick was four goals shy of his career .500, but no team wanted him. “Depression and heavy drinking had set in,” he said, when the call finally came from Wilson, then GM of the San Jose Sharks.

Wilson was Roenick’s first NHL roommate and asked Roenick to fly to him. A day later, on the golf course, Wilson asked Roenick if he wanted to play for the Sharks, but under three conditions: He would at least sign for the league, he would only do media when asked (“which was very difficult,” Roenick says) and he wasn’t allowed drink. Roenick swears he immediately threw the beer he had drunk onto the golf course.

“I reached number 500 three months later,” he said again through tears. “Thank you, Doug Wilson, for being a great friend, but more importantly, being a friend to me when I needed him most. Without you, I wouldn’t be up here – and I mean not up here. You really saved my life.”

Roenick began his speech by mentioning the tragic loss earlier this year and expressed his condolences to the families of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Weber, the first candidate to speak Monday, also began his speech by expressing his deepest condolences to the Gaudreau family. “Hockey is a brotherhood,” Weber said.

Hall of Fame Chairman Lanny McDonald remembered brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau later in the evening.

“Nobody loved the game or performed as hard in his weight class as Johnny Gaudreau,” McDonald said. “He was a joy to be with and everyone in the hockey world will miss him and his brother Matthew. Anyone who knows the game knows Johnny would have been here one day.”

Many who were unable to attend in person on Monday evening were honored. Datsyuk, the ice wizard who won two Stanley Cups during his 14-year career with the Detroit Red Wings, dedicated his induction to his late parents. “You taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice,” Datsyuk said. “You live in my heart.”

The 46-year-old Russian had a lot to thank his teammates, fans and opponents, whom he called “my nightmare,” but they were instrumental in making him the player he was. In 2012, Datsyuk was voted both the smartest and hardest player to play in a player poll. He is the only player to win the Lady Byng and Selke Trophies in two seasons – winning the Lady Byng in four consecutive seasons and the Selke Trophy in three consecutive seasons.

“Standing here today, I realize that being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor,” said Datsyuk, who represented Russia at the Olympics five times and won gold in 2018. “An honor I couldn’t even dream of.”

This happened sooner than Weber had dreamed of. The 39-year-old defenseman’s career spanned 16 NHL seasons, but was shortened due to injury. The former captain in Nashville and Montreal played his last game in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final after helping put Montreal ahead for the first time since 1993. Weber, a junior, world and Olympic champion with a booming shot from the point, called Montreal “The most passionate hockey city I’ve ever seen.”

Darwitz and Wendell are both from The Hockey State and played together for much of their careers. They are Minnesotans who played for the NCAA’s Golden Gophers and Team USA on the world and Olympic stages.

Darwitz, a three-time Olympic medalist, was just 15 when she was called up to her senior national team after playing with and against boys for much of her early career. She thanked her father, who was teary-eyed in the crowd, for giving her the best advice she could have asked for once hitting was introduced into the game: “They can’t hit you if they hit you.” can’t catch!”

Darwitz began playing girls hockey in high school, making his debut for Team USA. In eight World Cup games, she won three gold medals and led the tournament in goals twice, including in 2008, when she was named top striker and served as captain of her team. Her two young sons, Zak and Joseph, were in the crowd, and Joseph had tears in his eyes as he hugged his mother after her speech.

She also got a hug from Wendell, who witnessed many of Darwitz’s greatest moments live, and vice versa. In 2005, Wendell captained Team USA to its first World Championship gold medal and was named MVP of the tournament. She was also captain of Team USA at the 2006 Olympics. In 147 games for Team USA, Wendell scored an incredible 106 goals. She thanked her husband and three daughters, who were in the crowd along with her parents, and Wendell said she couldn’t look at her father without crying. He also had tears in his eyes.

Roenick ended his speech by thanking his children and his wife, Tracy, whom he called his family’s true hall of famer. Tracy placed her hand over her heart.

For Roenick, the call from the hall came in his 12th^Th year of eligibility, and he wasn’t sure it would ever come.

“This was a great way to end this chapter of my life, and I couldn’t be more humbled or grateful,” Roenick said with tears in his eyes. “Thank you very much.”