Ten greats became the newest honored members of the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame during formal enshrinement ceremonies on Friday, September 6th at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln. Also honored was Larry Reid, recipient of the annual Malcolm Greene Chace Trophy awarded for “Lifetime contribution of a Rhode Islander to the Game of Ice Hockey”. The trophy is named after the Rhode Island native widely regarded as the “father” of ice hockey in the United States.
In his opening greeting, Hall of Fame chairman, Vincent Cimini, proudly noted, “This year’s class is a diverse group that spans the entire history of the game in Rhode Island. Among them are pioneers, visionaries, and innovators. In some cases, all of the above wrapped into one. “
The “Class of 2019” inductees, in alphabetical order, are Brother Adelard Beaudet, SC, Brian Boucher, Brian Burke, Jack Capuano, Malcolm Greene Chace, Judge James E. Dooley, Pete Demers, Tom Eccleston, David Emma, and Margaret “Digit” Murphy.
Cimini proudly noted, “We have a Hobey Baker winner, the architect of a Stanley Cup-winning team, an admired Hall of Fame trainer, an NHL record holder, decorated coaches, and some of the hockey community’s most highly-recognized and respected voices – dedicated to the game, as well as to promoting human dignity and equal rights.
“As players and as pillars of the game, they represent the very best of our state’s rich and illustrious 121-year hockey heritage.”
Master of ceremonies, Dale Arnold, expanded on the significance of their achievements to the more than 300 attendees at the event. Warwick’s Todd Angilly, new singing voice of the Boston Bruins, opened the ceremonies with a rousing rendition of our national anthem.
Video profiles preceded the enshrinements of the honorees, each of whom then delivered heartfelt speeches thanking those who made their hockey journey possible. Jack Capuano, unable to attend due to his new responsibilities as associate head coach of the Ottawa Senators, delivered a warm video acceptance.
Inductees were each presented their bronze Hall of Fame medallions showcased in their own mahogany box. They were escorted to the stage by players from the Brown University and Providence College women’s hockey teams, who wore Hall of Fame jerseys personalized with the name of each respective inductee and the year of their class emblazoned on the back.