Son - Dad Reunion Is Set At Hall Of Fame

Brett Hull couldn't wait for the NHL to announce his name as part of the 2009 Hall of Fame class.


BRETT HULL AND DON CHERRY

The former sniper confirmed to the Dallas Morning News that he will be one of the four honoured members when the NHL announces the Hall of Fame class during a conference call at 3:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.

"It's a great honour, it's really unfathomable," said Hull, now the Dallas Stars executive vice-president and alternate governor. "I mean, when you're a kid, you dream about someday playing in the NHL or someday winning the Stanley Cup, but you just don't think about this, so it's hard to prepare yourself."

Hull is expected to be joined by Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman. Former New York Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch is also a strong candidate for the NHL's exclusive club.

Hull won two Stanley Cups during his career, but his most memorable moment came during the 1999 final against the Buffalo Sabres.

The ceremony will take place at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 9.

Hull finished with 741 career goals, third only to Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. He added 650 assists for 1,391 points, currently 21st overall. He best individual season came during 1990-91, when he scored 86 goals, a feat surpassed only by Gretzky's 92-goal mark.

Hull will join his father, Bobby, in the Hall of Fame — the top father-son duo in league history.

"I'm really not sure how I will feel," Hull said. "I do know that when you look at the names and look at the people who are in there, including my dad, you are really impressed."

MIKE KOMISAREK IS WELCOMED IN TORONTO

If defenseman Mike Komisarek was going to leave Montreal, a place he called home for his first six NHL seasons, the next destination on his career path was a logical choice.


MIKE KOMISAREK

Komisarek agreed to a five-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, the first day of the NHL's free-agent signing period, and in a conference call with the media on Thursday explained what made his decision an easy one.

"Being in a hockey mecca [in Montreal] and going into another Original Six city, the fans are really passionate and that's important," Komisarek said. "I never saw myself playing in a non-traditional market. I've always had a vision of playing in a traditional hockey environment where there's electricity in the building."

Komisarek, who has 12 goals and 58 points in 361 career regular-season games, fits perfectly into Toronto General Manager Brian Burke's plan to add size and snarl. Despite playing just 66 games due to injuries, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder finished fourth among defensemen this past season with 207 blocked shots and ninth with 191 hits.

"I was pumped to see Brian Burke's approach, his vision for the team, having a physical, aggressive team that's tough to play against," Komisarek said. "Being a physical player is my style, and I can use my game to help the team win.

Born 27 years ago in West Islip, NY, the son of Polish immigrants, Komisarek and his sister were taught from an early age that "nothing was going to be given to you." His mother died a few years ago, but his father, who continues to live and work in the area, was "thrilled by the news," Komisarek said from Long Island, where he spends time during the offseason.

Predictably, Komisarek was asked about what his emotions might be the first time he takes the ice on the opposite side of the Montreal-Toronto rivalry.

"I'm definitely going to be looking forward to my first game putting on a Maple Leafs uniform," he said. "I'm sure it will be quite the experience when we do play Montreal. I'm sure you guys won't forget the date."

VETERAN KHABIBULIN JOINS OILERS

Nikolai Khabibulin didn't spend a lot of time making up his mind to become an Edmonton Oiler.


NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN

"It happened very quickly -- an hour, hour and a half," the 36-year-old goaltender said during a conference call with the media on Thursday, one day after agreeing to a four-year contract with the Oilers. "My agent called after Edmonton offered the deal. We thought about it a little bit and decided to go with it.

"Edmonton made such a big commitment. There weren't too many opportunities out there for such a long term."
Khabibulin spent the past four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. His best season was the most recent -- in 2008-09, he won back the starting job after the Hawks signed Cristobal Huet during the summer, led Chicago to its first playoff berth since 2002 and was a key to the Blackhawks' run to the Western Conference Finals. Khabibulin finished the regular season with a 25-8-7 record, a 2.33 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in Chicago.

Khabibulin will fill the No. 1 goaltending job that was vacated when 39-year-old Khabibulin excelled in Chicago in 2008-09 after being put on waivers at the start of the season and going unclaimed. He said the season was a learning experience.
"I feel really good," Khabibulin said. "The last seven or eight years, I really started to take good care of my body -- a lot of workouts in the summer. I think a lot of goalies, especially lately, have been playing into their 40s." -- Nikolai Khabibulin

"I learned quite a bit," he said. "I learned you have to fight no matter what. I think the guys in the locker room respect that. I think I developed more character this year because I was constantly fighting for playing time."

Khabibulin won't have to fight for playing time in Edmonton -- his backup figures to be rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, who played only a handful of games this past season.
Asked how many games he'd be comfortable playing, he replied: "I think if I can play 60 games at a high level, that would be pretty good. I like to feel that the more I play, the better I play."