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O'Ree, Bettman, Brodeur are in latest Hockey Hall of Fame class

Willie O'Ree will be in the next Hockey Hall of Fame class. It's about time.
Credit: Ethan Miller
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 20: Christina Haugan accepts the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award given to an individual who through the game of hockey has positively impacted his or her community, society or culture, from Willie O'Ree given to her late husband Darcy Haugan who was the coach of the Humboldt Broncos onstage at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sixteen people were killed and 13 injured when truck was struck by a northbound coach bus. Most of the dead were junior hockey players who played for the Humboldt Broncos. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(AP) -- The Hockey Hall of Fame has added NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pioneering black player Willie O'Ree and all-time winningest goaltender Martin Brodeur to its latest class.

Since taking the job in 1993, Bettman has overseen the growth of the league to 31 teams and an enterprise with some $5 billion in revenue.

O'Ree was the first black player in the NHL and will be the third black player in the Hall of Fame, joining Edmonton Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr and Canadian women's national team captain Angela James. Playing for Boston, he had four goals and 10 assists in 45 NHL games during the 1957-58 and 1960-61 seasons despite being 95 percent blind in his right eye.

Now 82, O'Ree works for the NHL as diversity ambassador.

The 46-year-old Brodeur was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils who was elected in his first year of eligibility. He is the goalie with the most wins, shutouts and games played in NHL history.

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