Congrats to one of the best blueliners to ever play the game!
As if there was ever any doubt, former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame today as a member of the Class of 2015.
Pronger appeared in 220 regular season games with the Ducks from 2006-09, scoring 36-114=150 points with a +26 rating. He also appeared in 38 playoff games with Anaheim, scoring 7-23=30 points.
Obviously, Pronger is best known to Anaheim Ducks fans for his work in the 2006-2007 season, which culminated in Anaheim’s hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup – the first time a California team ever did so.
I’m not trying to be a suck-up here, but Chris Pronger is the first defenseman that came to mind when I wanted to show my nine year-old son what it means to play defense. My son is big, physical kid – he’s already 4’8″ and 95 pounds, and he won’t turn ten until the end of August – and he found himself playing defense in his first year of full-ice youth hockey. At first,he was disappointed – he thought for sure he would play center – but once I got through showing him some highlight videos of Pronger, my son realized that defense might be his calling in life.
Congrats to you, Prongs! And in your honor, I present some of your finest moments: