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Ed Belfour didn't have to wait long to make the Hockey Hall of Fame. "The Eagle" got his phone call in his first year of eligibility.

Doug Gilmour, Mark Howe and Joe Nieuwendyk had to sweat it out, but like Belfour, they were also selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

No builders, females or officials were voted in by the Selection Committee. The induction ceremony for the Class of 2011 is Nov. 14 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

"Obviously it's a real honor and it's even more of an honor to be picked right away," said Belfour, who still lives in Dallas, where he won the Stanley Cup in 1999. "I was just flabbergasted when I heard about it."

Nieuwendyk, who is currently the GM of the Dallas Stars, has a championship link to two of his class members as he won the Stanley Cup with Gilmour in Calgary in 1989 and then with Belfour in 1999. He said the common bond with both players makes this an extra special honor.

"You always look back to what it took to go all the way and ultimately win the Cup, a lot of the pain and sweat you went through to get there, and I was fortunate to go through it with both of those guys," said Nieuwendyk, who also won the Stanley Jets Braylon Edwards Jersey Cup with New Jersey in 2003. "These two guys were ultimate competitors."

Nieuwendyk also said Tuesday was a big day for the Stars' organization with both him and Belfour getting the nod from the Hall.

"Mike Modano will be a first ballot Hall of Famer as well and who knows about Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen, but it's a reflection for the people in our market to realize how special it was for us in the late 1990s," Nieuwendyk said. "For the people around here in Dallas, with both Eddie and I going in, it's really special."

It's also a big day for the Toronto Maple Leafs considering Gilmour, Belfour and Nieuwendyk all wore the blue and white in their careers.

Gilmour is one of 15 former Leafs whose number is hanging in the rafters at Air Canada Centre. He spent five and a half seasons in Toronto, calling them the best of his career, and finally returned to retire as a Maple Leaf on Sept. 8, 2003.

"The opportunity to play in Toronto is something I'll never forget and never regret," Gilmour said. "Yes, the media is there, Premier Archie Manning Jersey but you accept that. You accept the role and compete each and every day.

"If you ever have a chance to play in Toronto, I'm the first to say go for it."

There was the sting of criticism for the Hockey Hall of Fame not selecting anyone in the builder's category for the first time since 1981. Many thought former Stanley Cup-winning coaches Pat Burns or Fred Shero would be inducted Replica Brent Celek Jersey posthumously, but that was not the case.

Hockey Hall of Fame CEO and Chairman Bill Hay would not discuss the reasons for why no builder was selected, citing the 18-member Selection Committee's Replica Ben Roethlisberger Jersey confidentiality bylaws. To get selected the eligible candidate has to find his or her way onto 75 percent of the Selection Committee ballots.

"We are not at liberty to discuss the process or who was or who was not involved," Hay said. "We as a Board have put the bylaws in place and they work very, very good. The discussion in the meeting is very strong and the debates are very strong mainly due to the confidentiality. What is said in the meeting room stays in the meeting room and it works for us."

Howe had to wait the longest of the four inductees. He has been eligible since 1998 after retiring in 1995 following 16 seasons in the NHL, which were preceded by six seasons in the World Hockey Association. He compiled 742 points in 929 NHL games with the Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

"Having my father be Gordie Howe, I just know what a tremendous day this is for my dad," Howe said. "It makes me very emotional and it brings a tear to my eye. I'm very grateful."

Howe, who is still a scout with the Red Wings, said he believes Scotty Bowman and Mike Emrick, two members of the Selection Committee, lobbied heavily on his behalf. Emrick was the broadcaster for the Flyers during Howe's days in Philadelphia in the 1980s.

"To get the phone call today took my breath away," Howe said. "I never expected that call. I don't consider myself in the class of the Gordie Howes, Wayne Gretzkys and Bobby Orrs. It means the world to me.

"When I was trying to call dad and I called my children, I began to tear up. It is just a tremendous honor."

Belfour is third all-time in career wins with 484 and he won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999, posting a 1.67 goals-against average in the playoffs. He played for Chicago, San Jose, Dallas, Toronto and Florida over his career, which included 963 appearances and 76 shutouts.

Belfour won the Vezina Trophy twice, the William M. Jennings Trophy four times and the Calder Trophy.

He said he still plays in two men's leagues in the Dallas area and was actually taking a pre-game nap when the phone call from the Hockey Hall of Fame came.

"It really surprised me actually," Belfour said. "There's a lot of mixed emotions. You always have it in your heart that you want to continue to play, but there is a point where it has to come to an end. But, it's a great honor to be amongst the Hockey Hall of Fame and be inducted."

Gilmour, who has been eligible for induction since 2009, won the Stanley Cup Replica Clay Matthews Jersey with Calgary in 1989 and the Selke Trophy with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993, when he was also a runner-up for the Hart Trophy. He finished the 1992-93 season with 127 points and finished his career with 1,414 points over 1,474 games. He also had 188 points in 182 playoff games.

"It's quite an honor," said Gilmour, who is the general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. "I'm Replica Austin Collie Jersey still shaking at this time."

Nieuwendyk got the phone call in his second year of Penguins Andre Fleury Jersey eligibility. He was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner when he helped the Stars win the Cup in 1999 and he finished his career with 564 goals and 562 assists for 1,126 points in 1,257 games. He also won the Blackhawks Bobby Hull Jersey Calder Trophy in 1988 and an Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2002.

"We play the game because we love it and we compete hard, and a few years later you get recognition like this," Nieuwendyk said. "It really is overwhelming."

Pitkanen, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, will earn $4.5 million per year in his new deal. The 27-year-old led all Hurricanes defensemen in assists (30) last season and was second in points (35).

"Joni has been a very important part of our defense as he plays in all situations," Hurricanes Premier Clay Matthews Jersey General Manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "He plays a lot of minutes, and is one of the top puck-movers in the league. We are very pleased that he wanted to return to the Hurricanes."

The Oulu, Finland native ranked 13th in the NHL in average ice time per game Premier Andre Fleury Jersey (25:01) last season and the Hurricanes earned points in 26 of the 30 games in which he had a point (21-4-5).

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman was originally drafted by the Philadelphya Flyers as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

In 483 career NHL regular-season games with Philadelphia, Edmonton and Carolina, he's accumulated 51 Premier Ben Roethlisberger Jersey goals, 205 assists and 456 penalty minutes. In 39 career Stanley Cup playoff games, he's recorded 13 assists.

Pitkanen was acquired by the Hurricanes on July 1, 2008 in Premier Bobby Hull Jersey exchange for Erik Cole -- who is now Replica Braylon Edwards Jersey a Premier Austin Collie Jersey Carolina teammate, but is set to become a UFA on Premier Archie Manning Jersey Friday. He won Premier Brent Celek Jersey a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with Finland.

When the chairs and name tags were set out on the dais in the Authentic Austin Collie Jersey Hall of Fame room at Wells Fargo Center prior to Tuesday's press conference, there was more than just a coincidence that Brayden Schenn was placed right in the middle.
 
Schenn, a 19-year-old center considered by many to be the top young prospect in the game, likely will be in the middle of any success the Philadelphia Flyers have during the next few seasons.
 
"At the time of the trade I publicly said in our opinion he's one of the top, if not the top, player outside the NHL," Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said in introducing Schenn, along with Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek, to the Philadelphia media, Tuesday. "We think a lot of Brayden as a young player."
 
Those are lofty words, but Schenn has done a lot to earn them.

Taken by the Los Angeles Kings with the fifth pick of the 2009 Entry Draft, he made the Kings' opening-night roster and played one game before being returned to his junior team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. That season he finished tied for fourth in the Western Hockey League with 99 points in 59 games, and had 6 points in five games to lead Brandon to the championship game of the Memorial Cup. He also had 8 points in six games to help Canada win the silver medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship.
 
Last season he had 2 assists in eight games with the Kings, but remained with the team until November, practicing with the team while also learning off the ice and spending time in the gym. He was a point-per-game player in seven games in the American Hockey League, and then in Authentic Clay Matthews Jersey December he was returned to the WHL, which he shredded to tune of 57 points in 22 games with the Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades. He also captained Canada to a second-straight silver medal at the 2011 World Juniors, along the way scoring a single-tournament Canadian Authentic Ben Roethlisberger Jersey record of 18 points in seven games.
 
So with that kind of resume, the only thing left for Schenn to do is begin life as a full-time NHL player.
 
"I feel ready," Schenn said. "I had experience at the Memorial Cup, 2 world juniors, last year played eight Authentic Bobby Hull Jersey games and kind of hung around there for 20 or 25. Just had the experience practicing and stuff like that. All the experience helps. This year coming into camp, I'll be ready to compete for a spot and just going to try to make the most of it."
 
He's helping himself by training with Gary Roberts this summer, working alongside Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner and All-Star Steven Stamkos.
 
"I trained with Skinner and James Neal and Stamkos," said Schenn. "There's a big list there. If you train with those guys, you see what they do and push yourself to the next level. That's a big step this summer."

However, he'd be working out the same regardless of what anyone said about him.
 
"That's a great compliment," Schenn told NHL.com. "For me, I want to turn that comment into a player playing in the NHL. For me I think it's going to be a good opportunity here. It's a big summer for me. I'm going to come into camp and compete for a spot and just be ready. I think there will be some Authentic Andre Fleury Jersey opportunities for me."
 
While lavish with his praise, Holmgren stopped short of saying anything would be handed to Schenn in September.
 
"As with any player, you get to training camp and you see," Holmgren said. "The players more than anybody answer those questions. Brayden is going to play in the NHL -- whether it's right at the start of this season, we'll see. That's what training camp is for. He'll be given every opportunity."
 
Living up to his GM's lofty praise is another big step, as is living up to the reputation of the player he was traded for. Mike Richards went to Los Angeles in the deal that brought Schenn and Simmonds to Philadelphia. Richards was the Flyers' captain, an NHL Premier Braylon Edwards Jersey All-Star and a member of Canada's 2010 Olympic gold-medal team.
 
It's ironic that Schenn and Richards were involved in the same trade, because when scouts have been asked for an NHL comparable to Schenn, Authentic Brent Celek Jersey many have pointed to Richards.
 
"That's one guy I tried to pattern myself after and I've heard people compare me to him," Schenn said. "Now to get traded for him is quite the compliment. He's a Canadian Olympian, he was close to winning the Stanley Cup and he's a great player. For me and Wayne to get traded for him, there might be a little more expectations, but at the same time you have to go out there and not change anything just because you got traded for Mike Richards.
 
"I'm not Mike Richards. I'm trying to be like him. ... I'm going to try to prove myself and play like Authentic Archie Manning Jersey him. That's a pretty good compliment from some people saying I do play like him because he is a great player."
 
In addition to watching Richards, Schenn kept a close eye on his older brother, Luke, a defenseman with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Just Jets Joe Namath Jersey because left wing Scott Oke of the Memorial Cup-winning Saint John Sea Dogs didn't hear his name called at the 2011 Entry Draft last weekend didn't mean scouts and general managers weren't paying attention.
 
While the Sea Dogs had five of nine players among the top 124 standouts rated on NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters drafted last weekend, Oke, the hard-working third-line forward wasn't one of them.
 
Shortly after the Draft, however, Oke, the No. 44-rated North American skater, received an invitation from the Dallas Stars to attend the team's rookie camp next week.
 
Oke, who probably didn't receive as much ice time because of so much talent ahead of him on the roster, had 5 goals and 10 points in 54 regular-season games. He is well-regarded for using his body effectively along the wall and in the corners. He chipped in with 1 goal and 6 points to complement a plus-4 rating in 18 QMJHL playoff games.

"The fact that he had to sit out every second game or so because he played for a team that had drafted players and older players needing to play kind of limited his development," Central Scouting's Chris Bordeleau told NHL.com. "But we could see he has potential as a very good skater with size, good puck skills and playmaking ability."
 
Forward Jonathan Huberdeau, the highest-rated Saint John player at No. 3 among North Americans, was the first Authentic Jamie Silva Jersey player taken off the board on Friday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., when Premier Patrick Kane Jersey he was chosen third overall by the Florida Panthers. He was followed by defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (Montreal Canadiens, 17th overall), center Zack Phillips (Minnesota Wild, 28th overall), right wing Tomas Authentic Garrett Hartley Jersey Jurco (Detroit Red Wings, 35th overall) and Ryan Tesink (St. Louis Blues, 162nd overall), who was rated No. 47 by Central Scouting.
 
In addition to the 18-year-old Oke, all three of Saint John's overage players are exercising pro options.
 
Michael Kirkpatrick, the team's all-time leading scorer, has agreed to a two-year deal with St. John's of the American Hockey League. St. John's, formerly the Manitoba Moose, will be the affiliate of the new Winnipeg Jets, and Kirkpatrick's deal includes an invitation to Jets rookie camp in September.
 
"I'm Replica LeSean McCoy Jersey pretty excited, it's what I've worked for," Kirkpatrick said. "It's the next step. I have a busy summer ahead of me, getting stronger and getting faster. I'm looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to making the best of this opportunity."
 
Kirkpatrick had 31 goals, 51 assists and 82 points in 2010-11, and finished with franchise standards of 108 goals, 143 assists and 251 points. His accomplishments include leading the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in playoff scoring with 31 points in 21 games in 2010, and being nominated for the Guy Carbonneau Trophy as the best defensive forward in the Premier Brooks Orpik Jersey QMJHL in 2011.
 
Meanwhile, goalie Jacob DeSerres will be attending a development camp with the Phoenix Coyotes next week. DeSerres set team records with a 2.22 goals-against average and four shutouts, winning the Jacques Plante Trophy as the league's best keeper.
 
"They want to meet me and get to know me and I'll work with Sean Burke a bit, the goaltending coach," said DeSerres. "There's lots of opportunity in the system. Hopefully something happens when I'm down there."
 
Two-year captain Mike Thomas, also Authentic B.J. Raji Jersey inked an AHL deal with the Springfield Falcons, the top affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thomas, who has played in the most games in franchise history (28 and accured the most penalty minutes (470), is attending Columbus development camp as an invitee this week.
 
Additionally, forwards Alexandre Beauregard and Danick Gauthier, both potential over-agers for the 2011-12 season, have received invitations steelers Hines Ward Jersey to Coyotes rookie camp in September. Defenseman Pierre Durepos, 19, will attend summer and fall camps with the Los Angeles Kings and defenseman Ian Saab, 19, has been invited to Vancouver Canucks camp in September.
 
Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant, named CHL Coach of the Year for the second straight season, saw his team score the most goals (324) while allowing the fewest (165) en route to recording a QMJHL record for wins this season with 58. The Sea Dogs were atop the CHL MasterCard Top 10 poll for the final 15 weeks of the season en route to capturing their first Memorial Cup.
 

Replacing two All-Stars on a team with Stanley Cup expectations could be a daunting task, but Jakub Voracek, one of the newest members of the Philadelphia Flyers, sees things a bit differently.
 
"I don't feel any extra pressure," Voracek, wearing his new orange No. 9 jersey, said Tuesday during his first press conference as a member of the Flyers. "It's still the same game -- a hockey Premier LeSean McCoy Jersey puck and the boards."
 
Voracek, along with Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, met the media at Wells Fargo Center, and said just because they were traded for big stars doesn't mean they need to change anything about their games.
 
The Flyers added Voracek from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of a deal for Jeff Carter, while Schenn and Simmonds were part of the return from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade for Mike Richards.

"I'm just going to come in and play my game," said Simmonds, who was wearing No. 17 -- Carter's Premier Joe Namath Jersey former number. "My game speaks for itself. I'm a rough and tumble winger, go up and down the wall, take pucks to the net. That's what I'm good at and that's what I'm going to stick to."
 
Simmonds had 14 goals and 16 assists in 80 games last season. Holmgren believes that with more ice time -- Simmonds averaged 13:27 per game last season -- he'll produce even more offense.
 
"We think Replica Hines Ward Jersey Wayne has some real upside in terms of offensive Colts Gary Brackett Jersey production," Holmgren said. "So we look for some good things from Wayne."
 
Simmonds said he expects to be more of the player fans saw in 2009-10, when he had 16 goals, 40 points and a plus-22 rating.
"I think last year I had a down year," Simmonds said. "I feel like I can Packers A.J. Hawk Jersey definitely reach that (second-season numbers) and beyond in this next year. I just want to get ready. I'm excited."
 
Voracek said he's also excited to get started. He had 14 goals and 32 assists in 80 games last season, and Holmgren said much like Simmonds, he believes there's more offense in Voracek.
 
"He just finished his third year in the Columbus organization, averaged 44 points in those three years, and we see tremendous upside with Jake," said Holmgren.
 
Voracek said the best part of coming to Philadelphia is getting a chance to return to the playoffs. He had just 1 assist in four games in the Blue Jackets' only postseason visit, in 2009.
 
"It's going to be awesome," Voracek said. "You get to battle for a Stanley Cup. That's the reason you play hockey, to win. It's going to be different than in Columbus. We were Authentic Brooks Orpik Jersey building something for three years, and now I'm here where basically everything is ready and everybody wants to win. It's going to be very exciting. I can't wait for the season to start."
 
Simmonds, who had 3 goals in 12 postseason games the last two seasons, said joining a team with Cup aspirations -- rather than just hoping to get into the postseason -- is a welcome change.
 
"This franchise is a storied franchise," he said. "There's not many years they haven't made the playoffs here and the majority of the Authentic Patrick Kane Jersey time they go deep into it. You have to live up to those expectations and I'm definitely ready for them."
 
The most expectations, however, seems to have been placed on Schenn. Holmgren is one of the many people who believe the 19-year-old center is the best prospect not currently playing in the NHL. Now it's up to him to change his status to full-time player.
 
"I think it's going to be a good opportunity here," said Schenn. "It's a big summer for me. I'm going to come into camp and compete for a spot and just be ready. I think there will be some opportunity for me."
 
The departures of Richards and Carter leave the Flyers open down the middle. Danny Briere, Claude Giroux and Blair Betts are on the roster, but Briere and Giroux have played the wing, and Betts will likely center the fourth line. That leaves at least one center spot open for Schenn to stake his claim to.
 
"We think a lot of Brayden as a young player," Holmgren said. "As with any player, you get to training camp and you see. The players more than anybody answer those questions. Brayden is going to play in the NHL, whether it's right at the start of this season, we'll see. That's what training camp is for. He'll be given every opportunity."
 
Schenn Women Drew Brees Jersey already has a few days circled on his calendar -- every Flyers game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he'll be able to go head-to-head with his brother, Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn. The pair hasn't met on the ice since the 2007-08 season -- Luke's final junior season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League, and Brayden's first with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
 
"We played one game in Western league and they beat us 8-1," Schenn told NHL.com. "The game was over in the first period."
 
Times are a little bit different now, and Schenn is ready to resume the sibling rivalry.
 
"Me and Luke are looking forward to it," he said. "I haven't played him in three or four years now. I'm sure the first one will be a little weird. After that it should be good."

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