Enfield Product Elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

ENFIELD, CT — An incredible playmaker who led Enfield High School to a pair of state ice hockey championships has been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Craig Janney, a 12-year National Hockey League veteran with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and four other clubs, was announced Monday night as a member of this year's induction class, along with legendary Rhode Island high school coach Bill Belisle and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey team, which featured Hall of Famers Brett Hull, Chris Chelios and former Cheshire resident Brian Leetch.

Reached at his Arizona home, Janney said, "This is a terrific honor, I'm blown away. I thought it had passed me by. My contemporaries went in years ago, so it came as an exciting shock. My family is over the top."

Janney, who will be 49 next month, burst onto the Connecticut high school hockey scene in 1981 as a freshman, leading Enfield to the Division II state title while attending John F. Kennedy Junior High School. At the time, the ninth grades were still housed at Kennedy and Kosciuszko junior high schools.

The following year, the Raiders ran the table with a 19-0 regular season, then breezed through the Division I tournament until the championship game, where they required double overtime before Janney fed Kevin Meunier for the game-winning goal in a 5-4 win over Notre Dame-West Haven.

Janney was named All-State three times at Enfield, amassing 125 goals and 137 assists. At one point, the Raiders won 43 consecutive games during his tenure.

His success continued at Boston College, where he tallied 39 goals and 69 assists in 71 games over two seasons. In 1986, he was drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins with the 13th overall pick.

Before joining the Bruins, he played for the United States in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, registering six points in five contests.

In his first full NHL season of 1988-89, Janney placed fifth in the Calder Trophy voting, won by his former Boston College teammate, Leetch. He retired following the 1998-99 campaign with 751 points, including 563 assists, in 760 regular-season games, and 110 points in 120 playoff contests.

He was elected as a charter member of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.