Hockey Hall of Fame welcomes Belfour

Goaltender Eddie “The Eagle” Belfour landed in the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Belfour, one of the most fiery competitors ever to play for the Blackhawks, is one of four players who will be enshrined in November in Toronto. Joining him are Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk and Mark Howe.

“It's hard to put into words what this means to me,” said Belfour, who was elected on the first ballot. “I didn't expect it in any way. It's a real surprise and real honor. It's even more of an honor to be picked right away.”

Belfour spent only parts of eight of his 18 NHL seasons with the Hawks, but he delivered some monster years playing on teams coached by Mike Keenan and Darryl Sutter.

Belfour had the greatest regular season ever by a Hawks goalie as a rookie in 1990-91 when he won 43 games, a franchise record that still stands. He also captured the Vezina, Calder and Jennings trophies.

Belfour, third on the NHL's all-time wins list with 484, won two Vezina Trophies, four Jennings Trophies, the 1991 Calder Trophy and the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars. He was 88-68 in the playoffs with a 2.17 goals-against average.

Never drafted, Belfour signed with the Hawks as a free agent in 1988 out of the University of North Dakota. Less than three years later he was one of the most popular Hawks thanks to his battling style as an ideal fit in goal on those hard-nosed teams coached by Keenan that featured toughness up and down the lineup.

“I definitely have some great memories of Chicago,” Belfour said. “It's where I got my start. I made some great friends that I still have to this day. Chris Chelios is the godfather to my children.

“Darryl Sutter was a big help to me and my career. He was my coach in the minors and in Chicago. We had some great teams there. I really wish we could have won a Stanley Cup there.”

Belfour remembers how his career with the Hawks ended, traded to San Jose during the 1996-97 season because of a contract dispute.

“That was the worst day of my career,” he said.

There were many nights when Belfour would go nose to nose with the toughest players in the league protecting his crease, the late Bob Probert included in battles against Detroit. Belfour fought for his crease and stood up for teammates.

I covered Belfour during his entire career with the Hawks and had a terrific relationship with him, but he was extremely difficult at times with the media. He never talked on the morning of games and could be surly after a loss, but it all stemmed from a will to win that was second to none.

I've never been around a player more fussy about his equipment, especially when it came to his skates. Belfour would sharpen his own skates before games, after games and between periods. Nobody, teammates included, dared to touch his stuff.

Gilmour played briefly for the Hawks from 1998-2000, but he had his best years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is 12th all-time in assists and 17th all-time in points and made the Hall of Fame on his sixth attempt.

“This is pretty remarkable,” Gilmour said. “It's quite an honor. I'm still shaking at this time.”

Belfour said he got the call from the Hall of Fame while taking a nap before a men's league game he was about to play. If you think Belfour is the best goalie in that league, think again. The Eagle plays defense now.

Ÿ Follow Tim's Hawks reports on via Twitter@TimSassone, and join the conversation on his hockey blog, Between the Circles, at dailyherald.com.