Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame Returns

Class of 2008 to be Inducted

Springfield, MA -- The Springfield Falcons announced today the three new members of the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame that will form the “Class of 2008”. The three new members were chosen by the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Committee and will be inducted during a pre-game, center ice ceremony on Saturday, March 8, 2008 when the Springfield Falcons host the Hershey Bears at 7pm.

Entering the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame will be former Indians players Albert “Abbie” Cox and Kent Douglas. In addition, the well known group of young men who volunteered their time at the Eastern States Coliseum, known as the “Rink Rats”, will be inducted into the Builders Category.

Cox, a London, England native and goaltender from the early days of Springfield hockey, played three seasons for the Indians teams of the Canadian American Hockey League (1926-27, 1927-28 and 1935-36), winning championships in his first two seasons. Cox became an integral part of bringing back professional hockey to Springfield during a short absence in the early 1930’s by persuading J. Lucien Garneau to move his Can-Am team from Quebec to Springfield in 1935-36. Cox enjoyed a professional career that spanned 11 seasons and one that saw him play a few games in the National Hockey League at the very beginning of its existence.

Douglas, the hard hitting defenseman from Cobalt, Ontario was a member of Eddie Shore’s three straight Calder Cup championship teams in 1959-60, 1960-61 and 1961-62. Douglas played in 203 games for the Springfield Indians over the course of five seasons and was the recipient of the Eddie Shore Award by the American Hockey League in 1961-62 as the league’s outstanding defenseman. A selection as a First Team All-Star was also given to Douglas that same year. Douglas went on to play seven NHL seasons, most notably winning three Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1963, 1964 and 1967. His NHL rookie season in 1962-63 was marked by his being named recipient of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

The “Rink Rats”, to which they have affectionately been referred over several generations in Springfield, were those young men, generally ranging in age from 12 to 20, who made the Eastern States Coliseum their second home. Volunteering their time by resurfacing the ice both before and after the inclusion of the Zamboni®, performing the duties of stickboys and waterboys during Indians home games, ushering public skating and refereeing on Saturday mornings for the Greater Springfield Junior Amateur Hockey League were just some of the duties performed by the Rink Rats. The primary benefit for all Rink Rats was the chance to skate for free on the Coliseum ice and receive personal instruction from Eddie Shore himself.

In making the announcement, Falcons’ Vice President of Business Operations Bob Oliver stated, “We extend our congratulations to both Mr. Douglas and the family of Mr. Cox on being recognized for their wonderful hockey accomplishments during their playing days here in Springfield. We are also very excited to honor the Rink Rats, this unique group of gentlemen who gave of their time many years ago, and who considered the game of hockey in Springfield to be an important part of their life. No doubt, this should be a very special night here at the MassMutual Center, as we’ll be able to pay tribute to the ‘Class of 2008’.”

In addition to having Kent Douglas and the family of Abbie Cox partake in the center-ice ceremony, the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame Committee is kindly requesting as many Rink Rats as possible to contact Chris Thompson at the Falcons office, by calling 413-739-3344. A complimentary ticket to the March 8th game will be provided to all Rink Rats with discounted tickets available for all family members. The evening will also include a post-game reception at McAffrey’s Public House on Main Street, near the corner of State Street immediately following the Falcons game.