BIRTHPLACE: Needham, Mass.

BORN: January 1, 1952

TEAMS/ASSOCIATIONS: U.S. Olympic Teams, U.S. National Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL, Quebec Nordiques, NHL, New York Rangers, NHL, Phoenix and Cincinnati, WHA

Inducted as an amateur, international and professional player, Robbie Ftorek  grew up and went on to play high school hockey in Needham, Mass., where he was twice voted as the Massachusetts High School League MVP, and his teams won consecutive Eastern Massachusetts High School Titles in 1969 and 1970. Ftorek went on to play on Silver Medal-winning 1972 U.S. Olympic Team, while later playing on the 1976 and 1981 US/Canada Cup teams.

He made the jump to play pro hockey in 1972, with the Detroit Red Wings, and later in the WHA, where he was the first American developed player to be named league MVP in 1977.  In five seasons, three with Phoenix and two with Cincinnati, the speedy center scored 40 or more goals three times and passed the 100 point mark on four occasions.  Named to the all-league first team twice, in 1979 he scored 59 goals, tying the record with Joe Mullen for most goals scored by an American-developed player in a professional league. 

In 1980 Ftorek served as the Team Captain at Quebec, then only the second American developed player to hold that title in the NHL.  He later played with the New York Rangers from 1982-85, and then got into coaching, where, in 1987 he took over as the coach of the LA Kings.  He later joined the New Jersey Devils coaching staff in 1992 and took over as head coach there in 1998 as well.