Joel Otto came from Elk River, Minnesota where he went starred for Bemidji State University.  Otto would go undrafted but after what must have seen like an eternity, he was signed with the Calgary Flames.  Otto would become a permanent fixture in the pro ranks in the 1985/86 season and found a niche excelling at the less than sexy aspects of the game.  He had size that he could use was an excellent faceoff man and he would become an excellent defensive Centre.  Otto never won the Frank J. Selke Award as the NHL’s best defensive Award but he finished 3^rd on two occasions, was in the top ten another two times and received votes another four seasons.

A member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, Scott Young quietly scored 756 Points over his 1,181 Game career in the National Hockey League.  Young played for the six NHL teams and had four 60 Point seasons and was a role player on two Stanley Cup Championship teams, one with Pittsburgh (1991) and one with Colorado (1996).

Falling six points shy of 800 over his NHL career, Ed Olczyk would play for six teams in the league, the best of which was when he would score 75, 90 & 88 Points respectively in his three full seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1987-88 to 1989-90). 

Derian Hatcher was not the type of Defenseman who was going to light the lamp on a regular basis but he was the type of blueliner who was going to keep you from doing it.

A member of the famed United States “Miracle on Ice” team Mike Ramsey continued his run as a defensive anchor in an over 1,000 Game career in the National Hockey League.  Ramsey played most of his career with the Buffalo Sabres where his well above average defensive skill was complimented by five seasons of 30 or more Points.  A four time All Star, Ramsey received votes for the Norris Trophy (finishing as high as seventh) four times and would represent the U.S. in two Canada Cups.

A two-time All-Star with a 22-year professional career, Mathieu Schneider was one of the best American born blueliner in the game’s history.  Schneider was adept on the offensive side of the game as he scored over 700 Points and Internationally played for the U.S. on their 1996 World Cup winning team.  Schneider’s Hall of Fame chances almost depend on his longevity, but that is not always a stat that matters.

Arguably the best player to come out of the hockey rich state of Minnesota, Neal Broten did not just come from the Gopher State; he played virtually his entire career there. Broten played his collegiate hockey for the University of Minnesota and played the bulk of his career for the Minnesota North Stars. The American Center was part of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team and although he never did get a Stanley Cup Ring in Minnesota, he did gain that accolade with the Devils in 1995. Although Broten failed to get 1,000 career points, he did get more than 60 assists four times in a season and with his Collegiate and International play, he has to be considered a wild card possibility to enter the Hall.

During the mid 90’s, few goaltenders approached the level of success that Mike Richter did. After a few years of struggles, Richter took over the net in New York and embarked on a magical three year period. In the 1993-94 season, he posted 42 wins (and 16 more in the playoffs) and backstopped his the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in forty five years. Richter’s finest performance may have occurred two years later outside of the NHL when he stood on his head and stopped the Canadian juggernaut in leading the Americans to a World Cup of Hockey victory in 1996 where he was subsequently named the tournament MVP.

Although Brian Rafalski did not enter the National Hockey League until he was 26, he still managed to achieve a 500 point career which is a very respectable total for a defenseman. He spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils where his powerful shot and defensive skills were a great fit for their style of play. After netting two Stanley Cup Rings, he went to Detroit and landed his third ring. Rafalski likely won’t end up in the Hall of Fame in Toronto, but he earned his place in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame for his overall work in the sport

In the mold of a player he grew up watching (Cam Neely), the Massachusetts born Keith Tkachuk become the American power forward of his generation.