Mike Gartner to succeed Lanny McDonald as Hockey Hall of Fame Chair
On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced that former NHLer Mike Gartner will be succeeding Hockey Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald as Chair of the Board at the end of McDonald’s 10-year term in June 2025.
On Oct. 1, Gartner will assume the role of Chair-elect to help with the transition into his new role and serve on the committee recruiting a new president and CEO.
The @HockeyHallFame has announced that Lanny McDonald will pass the torch to Mike Gartner as chairman of the Hall when his 10-year term expires in June 2025.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 9, 2024“I am thrilled to pass the torch to Mike, whose stature as an Honoured Member will bring continuity and strong leadership during this transitional period for the Hockey Hall of Fame,” McDonald said in a release. “His experience and perspective in the business of hockey and longtime service on the Selection Committee will be a tremendous asset to the Board.”
Like McDonald, Gartner had a long and fruitful career in the NHL. In 1,432 appearances across 19 seasons, he notched 708 goals and 627 assists for 1,335 points. The Ottawa native also totaled 43 goals and 50 assists in 122 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named one of the league’s 100 best players of all time in 2017.
During his final two seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes, Gartner served as the president of the NHL Players’ Association. He would later move on to be the director of business relations while on the HHOF board of directors, representing the NHLPA, from 2006 to 2009. He was appointed to the Hall of Fame’s selection committee in 2009, serving as its chair for the past three years.
“Lanny has been an incredible leader for everyone involved with the Hockey Hall of Fame over the past ten years,” Gartner said. “I look forward to continuing his excellent work carrying out the Hall’s mission of both honouring individuals who have brought special distinction to the game while preserving and telling the story of hockey’s rich history.”
Gartner also played for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a seven-time NHL All-Star, earning most valuable player honors in 1993.
McDonald has been serving the role of chair of the board since 2015 and has become one of the faces of the Hall of Fame, along with hockey in general. After an illustrious career that saw him score 500 goals and 506 assists in 1,111 NHL Games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989. He became the first former Flame to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.