Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Mike Gartner will succeed Leafs legend Lanny McDonald as chairman of the board for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
On March 25th, 2015, McDonald replaced former Toronto Maple Leafs player, coach, and general manager Pat Quinn as HHOF chairman. The succession of former Leafs holding the role continues with Gartner.
McDonald announced Monday that Gartner will take over when his 10-year term expires in June.
Gartner will become chair-elect on October 1st to support the transition and serve on the search committee for a new president and CEO to fill the void when longtime executive Jeff Denomme plans to retire in the spring.
Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Mike Gartner taking over at HHOF
"I am thrilled to pass the torch to Mike, whose stature as an honored member will bring continuity and strong leadership during this transitional period for the Hockey Hall of Fame," said McDonald via NHL.com, who was inducted as a player in 1992. Gartner's experience and perspective in the business of hockey and longtime service on the selection committee is what McDonald says will be a tremendous asset to the board.
Gartner, inducted into the HHOF in 2001, has been on the selection committee since 2009 and served as the head of the committee over the past three years. He spent 19 seasons in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes, putting up 708 goals and 627 assists for 1,335 points in 1,432 regular-season games. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Speaking about McDonald, Gartner acknowledged him as being an incredible leader for everyone involved with the Hockey Hall of Fame over the past ten years. Gartner says he is looking forward to continuing McDonald's excellent work carrying out the Hall's mission of honoring individuals who have brought special distinction to the game while also preserving and telling the story of hockey's rich history.
No word on if this will help correct the Hall's biggest oversite, which is not inducting former Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Alex Mogilny, but we can only hope.
As someone who always attends the HHOF Legends Classic in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena, one of the best parts of that game is when Lanny McDonald presents the newest HHOF inductees with their Hall of Fame jacket. I look forward to seeing Gartner continue that tradition in his new role as HHOF chairman.