The new “Class of 2026” is represented by two legendary Players who starred for their country on a combined total of five USA National Teams during their respective eras. Joining them are three Pillar honorees who served as major influences to the growth and expanded popularity of the game in Rhode Island over the years with their many off-ice contributions. They were represented by their children – Sheila Duffy-Lapati, Jim Sage and Andy Boss.
The Enshrinement Celebration & Dinner for the 2026 Class will be held on Saturday, August 15th at Rhodes–on–the–Pawtuxet in Cranston, RI. Tickets are now on sale on the INDUCTION EVENT tab on this website.
In alphabetical order, the “Class of 2026” inductees-elect are:
Brad was enshrined in the URI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978 in recognition for establishing URI’s very first club hockey team in 1951. In 2002, his decades-long advocacy for his alma mater led to his donation of the Boss Arena on the URI campus. Today, URI maintains one of the most successful club teams in the nation, while Boss Arena has opened up new opportunities for youth and high school programs and the growth of the game throughout southern Rhode Island.
George is the former publicity director and radio voice of the American Hockey League’s pioneering Providence Reds. For more than 30 years, he performed those tasks with generous doses of his Irish wit and “gift of gab” at the RI Auditorium, at the AMP, and at rinks throughout the AHL. A civic leader in his native city of Pawtucket, he previously earned recognition as an inductee of both the Pawtucket and RI Heritage Halls of Fame.
After his freshman year at Princeton University, Lee, the former Mount St. Charles sniper, was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1981 NHL Draft. In so doing, he became the first Mount and Princeton graduate to be drafted by and play for an NHL team when he suited up for the Nordiques in 1985. He skated for three US National Teams, his first at the World Championships in West Germany, where he would later record an incredible 77-goal season as an overseas professional.
Mr. Sage was instrumental in paving the way and championing the construction of the then-named Providence Civic Center, coinciding with his purchase of the Providence Reds. This former owner of the Bonanza Bus Lines left a legacy of generous contributions to the RI hockey community and to local schools and charities during his lifetime. He held his adopted state in such high esteem that he established a donor-advised fund that continues to support RI non profits to this day.
Ed set the standard for one of RI’s most famous hockey families. Widely regarded as the greatest hockey player to come out of Burrillville High School, this powerful, high-scoring forward later starred at St Lawrence University, where he became a college All-American, leading his team to two NCAA Final Fours and representing his country with Team USA for both the 1957 & 1958 World Championships.