The 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame class was announced today, and Dave Andreychuk will be the Toronto Maple Leafs representative this year, along side Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Mark Recchi, Danielle Goyette, Clare Drake, and Jeremy Jacobs.

Andreychuk came over to the Maple Leafs after spending nine and a half seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, along with Darren Puppa and the Sabres 1993 first round pick (Kenny Jonsson), in exchange for Grant Fuhr and a 1995 5th round pick (Kevin Popp).

He would be join the Maple Leafs at their highest point since the 1967 team, as the Leafs would make a never forgotten run to the 1993 Western Conference Finals (Campbell Conference for you diehards). He would end up scoring 99 points that year and the following season, career high in points in back to back season.

His time in Toronto ended about the same time as most of those big players from the ‘93/’94 runs did. New owner Steve Stavro was cutting the budgets everywhere (leading to the team passing on Wayne Gretzky) and 1996 & 1997 saw Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Andreychuk, and others being traded away.

Andreychuk would go on to play for the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins (where he would be a part of the Ray Bourqe trade), Colorado Avalanche, and he would end his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where after 21 NHL seasons he would captain the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

He played one more year after the lost season with Tampa Bay before retiring. In retirement he would join the Tampa Bay Lightning front office, first as a community representative, and then in 2011 he was named Vice President of Corporate & Community Affairs.

In 2005 his hometown of Hamilton, ON renamed Mountain Arena “Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena & Skating Centre” and was added to the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2008.

Andreychuk also started the Dave Andreychuk Foundation which states three goals:

1.  Assist children in need
2.  Support causes for children and families enduring chronic and/or life threatening illness
3.  Encourage the investment of youth and amateur sports.

There are two locations the charity works: Hamilton, Ontario and Tampa Bay, Florida.

After eight years of eligibility, Dave Andreychuk has finally entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Maple Leafs Alumni