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Nieuwendyk to join McDonald, Vernon and MacInnis in Saddledome rafters

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Round One

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 22: Dallas Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk speaks during Round One of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at Consol Energy Center on June 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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On Friday, Mar. 7, longtime Calgary forward Joe Nieuwendyk will be honored with the franchise’s highest honor, as his Forever a Flame banner will be raised to the Saddledome rafters.

“I am truly honoured to receive this recognition and join with my former teammates and friends as well as all Flames fans, to celebrate the outstanding history and traditions established by the Flames organization,” Nieuwendyk said in a statement. “I spent nine memorable seasons with Calgary and I am extremely proud as a member of the Flames family to have my name and number recognized by the organization.”

Nieuwendyk will join Lanny McDonald, Mike Vernon and Al MacInnis as Forever a Flame inductees -- only McDonald’s No. 9 and Vernon’s No. 3 are technically “retired” -- celebrating the 577 games Nieuwendyk played with Calgary during his career, in which he recorded 314 goals and 616 points.

The 47-year-old, who has been linked to Calgary’s GM position, played in 1,257 NHL games with Calgary, the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. He’s one of ten players in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup on three different teams (Calgary ’89, Dallas ’99, New Jersey ’03) and was named Conn Smythe as playoff MVP with the Stars in ’99.

Nieuwendyk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, but saw his four-year stint as Dallas Stars GM come to an end last season when he was fired at the end of the lockout-shortened ’13 campaign.