U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2013 unveiled

Kevin Allen | USA TODAY Sports

USA Hockey announced that the 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class features former NHL players Bill Guerin and Doug Weight, plus former women's hockey star Cindy Curley, Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos and college coaching legend Ron Mason.

USA TODAY Sports hockey columnist Kevin Allen offers his take on the electees:

Curley: Before Cammi Granato and before women's hockey was in the Olympics, Curley was probably the best women's player in the world. To those who know the women's game, Curley's selection is long overdue.

She holds the 23-year-old record of 11 goals and 23 points in a world championships tournament and once had five goals and four assists in a game against Norway.

She played at Providence College when now-New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was coaching the men's team. Even though the women's program had different coaches, Lamoriello would still coach the women's team players.

"One of the most intimidating people I ever met in my life was Lou Lamoriello," Curley said. "Boy, if you had something in your game that wasn't up to par, Lou would make sure he would send out a couple of his top guys to correct it."

Curley said her flaw was her inability to tip-in shots from the point. "I really didn't want to be hit with a slap shot," he said. "So to encourage my development, Lou used to send out some of the guy players to take slap shots at me until I could tip them in."

Guerin: He was clearly one of the most important players in American hockey's greatest generation. Guerin and Keith Tkachuk were the final pieces to the American puzzle. The USA had tremendously skilled players in the 1990s, such as Mike Modano, Pat LaFontaine, Jeremy Roenick and others. But they need the grit and toughness to be able to stand up to the Canadians in the corners in international tournaments.

Guerin could do that. He was a well-constructed, fiery, rugged power forward with speed and a booming shot. Guerin was a heart-and-soul player who could play the game anyway you wanted to play. He possessed elite level skill to play with the likes of Modano and he had the warrior-like mentality to line up against any opponent. He was very popular with his American teammates.

Guerin said by the time the 1996 World Cup of Hockey rolled around, the Americans no longer viewed themselves as underdogs in international play. "I felt the attitude was different," he said.

He said the Americans no longer hoped to win; they expected to win. The Americans beat Canada twice in Montreal to win that tournament.

Karmanos: Many around the hockey world believed Karmanos made a mistake when he moved his Hartford Whalers to Carolina, but it has been proved that Karmanos was right and his critics were wrong.

The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006 and the NHL franchise is now a fixture in the city.

Karmanos said his favorite hockey moment came during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between his Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers in Raleigh.

"(It was) when I realized that every single person in that arena had been standing since the start of the game," Karmanos said. "They didn't sit down until the game ended. I thought It was a tremendous tribute to ice hockey. ... The crowds and fans in Raleigh had responded."

But Karmanos' hockey contributions extend well beyond his ownership. He has sponsored a well-regarded youth program in Michigan for many years and brought the Ontario Hockey League to Michigan years ago. Behind the scenes, he has spent millions on his passion for hockey.

"I've been a hockey fan since my mother turned on an 11-inch Zenith TV in 1951," he said. "I got to watch the third period, in black-and-white, of the Detroit Red Wings playing the Montreal Canadiens, There were a few name players and I've been fascinated ever since."

Mason: In 33 years of college coaching, Mason won 20 or more games 30 times. His 924 college coaching wins at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Michigan State stood as a record until Boston College's Jerry York passed him this year. The innovative coach is mostly remembered for his work at Michigan State.

Under Mason, Michigan State won seven Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season titles, made 19 NCAA tournament appearances and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four seven times.

When York broke his record, Mason sent him a text that read: "Win 1,000."

"That's what people used to tell me," Mason said. "I would always it's not about winning so many games, it's about winning the next game."

Weight: Although Modano, Roenick and LaFontaine received most of the fanfare during American hockey's greatest generation, Weight fit comfortably in that center group. He was a feisty, fiercely competitive play-making center. He finished with 1,033 points and 970 penalty minutes in his career. He had 104 points one season with the Edmonton Oilers. He was a world-class passer with a reputation for being a first-class teammate.

He was a key contributor to the World Cup team. Asked when he knew that his generation of American players was special, he recalls a conversation with roommate Brett Hull before the tournament.

Hull was doing a New York Times crossword puzzle and looked up and said, "We are going to win this thing."

"He said that over and over," said Weight.