Former New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup champion Alexander Mogilny was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night.
Mogilny entered the Hall as part of the Class of 2025, alongside Jennifer Botterill, Zdeno Chara, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, and Joe Thornton.
Mogilny is credited as the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL. Mogilny helped pave the way for future generations of Russian stars.
Originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (No. 89) of the 1988 NHL Draft, Mogilny made his NHL debut on October 5, 1989. After six seasons in Buffalo, he spent five years with the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to the Devils on March 14, 2000. A few months later, he lifted the Stanley Cup with New Jersey.
Mogilny followed that championship season by scoring 43 goals in 2000–01, though the Devils ultimately fell short in the Stanley Cup Final. On July 3, 2001, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending his first stint in New Jersey.
A member of hockeyâ€s exclusive Triple Gold Club, awarded to players who have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship, Mogilny returned to New Jersey for one final season in 2005–06. Despite battling hip issues, he still managed 12 goals in 34 games before retiring.
Over his 16-year NHL career, Mogilny recorded 1,032 points (473 goals, 559 assists) in 990 games, making him the fourth-highest-scoring Russian player in NHL history, behind only Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Fedorov.
Although Mogilny was not present at the induction ceremony, he shared a heartfelt pre-recorded message:
“Taking part in this exciting event with the other inductees, I am overwhelmed with gratitude—not just for this honor, but for the journey that got me here.
What an incredible journey it was. My greatest hope is that my story might inspire another kid from a small Russian town to dream big, just as I was inspired by legends.
This honor is not mine alone—it belongs to everyone who believed in me along the way.â€
Mogilnyâ€s legacy as both a New Jersey Devil and a trailblazer for many players is now forever cemented in hockey history, as the 56-year-old takes his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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