Newport Beach's Scott Niedermayer Named to Hall of Fame

Newport Beach’s own Scott Niedermayer was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Tuesday.

The former Ducks captain and four-time Stanley Cup Champion was the first hockey player to ever lift the Stanley Cup for a California team in 2007.

“I’m so happy for Scotty. He was one of the best players to ever play the game and deserves to join the legends of hockey in the Hall of Fame,” teammate Teemu Selanne said. “It was unbelievable to watch him as a player, his skating was incredible. It was an honor to be his teammate.”

Niedermayer’s list of accomplishments is legendary.

Named the Conn Smythe, or MVP player the year the Ducks were champions, Niedermayer is the only player in hockey history to have won a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal and World Championship.

He was also a six-time All star, named the league’s best defenseman three years in a row.

He holds the league record for the most overtime goals by a defenseman ― 13. He is also the all-time leading defensive scorer for both the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks.

“Scott Niedermayer is a true champion, both on and off the ice. He won at every level and did so with class and dignity. He was one of the great leaders of his generation, always putting the team first,” Ducks General Manager Bob Murray said in a written release. “There is no greater role model for young players today.”

Niedermayer, who lives in Newport Beach, is an assistant coach for the Ducks and remains active in local charities such as the Orange County Ronald McDonald House.