Brendan Shanahan – born Jan. 23, 1969 in Mimico, Ontario – is one of pro hockey’s most decorated players. He topped off his Hall of Fame credentials with a role as a leading force in reforming the National Hockey League style of play.

When the NHL suffered through a labor lockout in 2004-2005, Shanahan stepped up to form an ad hoc committee of players and managers to look at why the game was losing popularity.

His initiative grew into a new, and finally resolute, approach to make hockey faster and cleaner.

Shanahan, 40, currently with the New Jersey Devils, has won every major championship, including three Stanley Cups with Detroit, an Olympic gold medal with Canada, a Canada Cup, World Cup and World Championship.

At the time of writing he had 653 goals and 692 assists in 1,503 career regular-season goals as well as 59 goals and 72 assists in 177 playoff games.

Shanahan’s mother is from Belfast and his father is from Dunmanus, near Bantry Bay. He has a cottage in Ireland and has talked about managing an Irish national hockey team to accelerate the country’s hockey development.

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