A former ECHL player is now a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer.
Scott Gomez played one season in the ECHL. On Wednesday, he was announced as one of five members of the 2025 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class.
Gomez joins Bruce Bennett, Tara Mounsey, Zach Parise and Joe Pavelski as members of this year’s class.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, which will include the formal enshrinement of the Class of 2025 along with the presentation of the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy, will be held Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Gomez made history as the first Latino player to earn the NHL’s Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. He went on to an outstanding 16-year professional career, won two Stanley Cups and earned recognition as one of the game’s elite playmakers.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native began his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils after being drafted 27th overall in the 1998 NHL Draft. He’s perhaps best known for helping the Devils to the 2000 Stanley Cup, recording 70 points in the regular season in his first year with the club.
During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Gomez returned home to play for the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. His skill was on display for his hometown fans, as he collected 86 points in 61 games and earned honors as the league’s most valuable player.
Gomez continued to be a reliable contributor for the Devils through the 2006-07 season, collecting another Stanley Cup with the franchise in 2003.
After joining the New York Rangers for the 2007-08 season, Gomez made an immediate impact, earning a trip to the 2008 NHL All-Star Game. He went on to have stints with the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers before returning to New Jersey in 2014-15.
Gomez played for both St. Louis and Ottawa during his final NHL campaign in 2015-16.
All told, Gomez played in 1,079 regular-season NHL games with 181 goals and 575 assists, good for 756 points. In addition, he competed in 149 playoff games with 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists), with his teams making the playoffs in 11 of his 16 seasons.
Internationally, Gomez was a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. He also was part of Team USA for the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 1998 and 1999 and at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Gomez, a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, is currently in his first season as the head coach of the USHL’s Chicago Steel.
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are chosen on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the United States. The Hall was incorporated in 1969 and inducted its first class in 1973. The Class of 2025 will be the 53rd installed.
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