May 21, 2008
By Cameron Eickmeyer
http://www.usahockey.com/
Entering the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame as a builder is a fitting result for Art Berglund.
Over the course of his 30 years with USA Hockey, Berglund has handled jobs in adult hockey, hockey operations and player development and credits that wide base of experience for giving him the longevity and success he's enjoyed.
Berglund was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during the 2008 IIHF Men's World Championship in Quebec City earlier this month.
The seven-member IIHF Class of 2008 also includes Cammi Granato of Team USA, Angela James, Geraldine Heaney and Mario Lemieux of Canada; Igor Larionov of Russia; and Philippe Bozon of France.
He recently took the time to answer some questions about his induction, American hockey and what young players should do to achieve their dreams.
USAH.com: What are your thoughts on joining such an elite company of hockey people?
Berglund: These are legends of the game, so I'm pretty honored.
USAH.com: To what do you attribute the success you've achieved in hockey?
Berglund: I was very lucky to be in on the ground floor of USA Hockey. It's been great to be part of not only the game of hockey but the administration and leadership of USA Hockey.
I was able to build and be a part of the growth of USA Hockey because of my mentors Thayer Tutt, Hal Trumble, Ron De Gregorio, Tony Rossi and Walter Bush; these are the guys who had faith in me to grow the organization. They gave me the opportunity to grow USA Hockey as an international organization and give it an identity.
USAH.com: Many of your friends are in the IIHF Hall of Fame. How does it feel joining them?
Berglund: I can go right down all these countries (with inductees) and in every country there's someone I've had a lot of close dealings with over the last 30 years and it's really a thrill to me.
USAH.com: This is a big moment for USA Hockey, do you expect to see more Americans in the Hall of Fame as the years go by?
Berglund: We have a lot of candidates out there for the future. How do you not put in a Chris Chelios down the road? Coaches like Tim Taylor, Lou Vairo, Bob Johnson and the list goes on and on. We have a lot of great players who have performed well in international hockey and I'm sure they'll be inducted in the future.
USAH.com: What advice can you give to young hockey players who dream of reaching this accomplishment?
Berglund: Chase your dreams and be realistic about where you're going to go with your dreams. Sometimes you have to go in a different direction. If you don't make it as a player, you might make it as an official. There are lots of spots in the game such as coaching, equipment people, trainers.
Signin to rank content.
