Syracuse Crunch Announce Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame Inaugural Class

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Syracuse Crunch

Syracuse Crunch Announce Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame Inaugural Class

November 5, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Crunch have announced five people for induction into the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame Inaugural Class.

The Inaugural Class will enshrine Scott Walker, Howard Dolgon, Ed Kochian, Alan Taylor and Brian Elwell.

Embraced by Syracuse fans for his blue-collar work ethic, the undersized Walker took on all comers in every shape and size earning him the nickname "Wild Thing." Walker combined an intimidating physical presence with strong offensive instincts to become an early fan favorite in Syracuse. He played 74 games for the Crunch in their inaugural season of 1994-95 and accrued a team-leading 334 penalty minutes. He totaled 67 points in 89 career Crunch games. Originally drafted as a defenseman, a position he had played throughout his youth, Walker's aggressive style and skating ability enabled him to play right wing, a position he thrived at during a long NHL career with 829 total games with Vancouver, Nashville, Carolina and Washington.

Dolgon has been the driving force of the Crunch since the team's creation in 1994. Under his guidance, the Crunch are the third longest tenured team in the AHL currently in their 31st season of operation. In 2010, Dolgon was honored by the AHL as the recipient of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award as the league's outstanding executive. He spearheaded the Mirabito Outdoor Classic, the first outdoor game in AHL history, which was hosted by the Crunch at the New York State Fairgrounds on Feb. 20, 2010 and set an AHL single-game attendance record of 21,508. In 2014, he was selected as the winner of the Thomas Ebright Award for outstanding career contributions to the AHL. On Nov. 22, 2014, Dolgon set another hockey benchmark as he led the Crunch to host the first hockey game in Syracuse University's then Carrier Dome as part of the Toyota Frozen Dome Classic. The game set a United States indoor attendance record with 30,715 fans. Dolgon was inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame in July 2024.

Kochian served as the Deputy County Executive for Onondaga County for 28 years and played a crucial role in bringing the Crunch to Syracuse. As the point person for the County throughout his long tenure as Deputy County Executive, he worked closely with the Crunch and the arena to create a fair lease agreement that would ensure that professional hockey could flourish in Syracuse. His commitment to the County, its citizens and the Crunch played a key role in both bringing the team to Syracuse and keeping it here 31 years later.

Taylor is a pioneer in the sports public relations industry having represented Fortune 500 companies like MasterCard, General Mills and Gillette in their numerous sports sponsorship programs. He played a key behind-the-scenes role in the creation of the Crunch and remains one of the team's General Partners, a position he has held since 1994. Throughout his glorious career he has worked closely with iconic athletes like Billie Jean King, Michael Jordan, Pele and Hank Aaron, just to name a few.

Elwell played an integral part in bringing the Crunch to Syracuse. After retiring from his playing career where he appeared in 233 games with the Syracuse Blazers, he became the owner and operator of Back Door Tavern, keeping him in the area. Elwell was an adopted son of Syracuse, having been one of the most popular players to ever wear a Blazer jersey. His love for the game, well after his playing days were over, inspired him to take a lead role in the "Ice the Future" effort aimed at attracting an AHL team back to Syracuse. Elwell passed away on March 20, 2023.

The induction of the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame Inaugural Class will take place during a ceremony at the Upstate Medical University Arena on Saturday, Nov. 23. The inductees will also be honored during a pregame ceremony when the Crunch host the Hershey Bears at 7 p.m.

The Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame was created to honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions to hockey in Syracuse. The Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame will be housed on the second floor of the Upstate Medical University Arena.

Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2024-25 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), X (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).

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