Fred Shero Gets Into the Hockey Hall of Fame at Last

Two decades after he died of stomach cancer, legendary Philadelphia Flyers coach Fred Shero received an honor that had eluded him in life—admission to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Shero, who died in 1990, is the winningest coach in Flyers history and led the team to two Stanley Cup victories in the 1970s. He coached the team for seven seasons.

Shero lived in Cherry Hill at the time of his death; he died at Cooper University Hospital in Camden after a lengthy cancer battle.

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that Shero would join in the builder category.

“Unanimously loved by his players, 'Freddy the Fog' was renowned for exhibiting his philosophies on the chalkboards of his team's dressing room,” Shero’s selection notice reads.

Other inductees in this year’s class are Chris Chelios, Geraldine Heaney, Scott Niedermayer and Brendan Shanahan.

Hockey analysts credit Shero as an “innovator” who studied Soviet hockey teams, and was one of the first coaches to study game films. Besides his winning record and Stanley Cup wins, Shero amassed an array of titles and honors: consecutive seasons of 50-plus wins, all-star coach for four years, the first Jack Adams Award coach of the year winner, induction into the Flyers Hall of Fame and more.

After his seasons with the Flyers, Shero coached the New York Rangers for two seasons before becoming a radio analyst for the New Jersey Devils. He returned to the Flyers a year before his death to serve as special assistant. 

The Hall of Fame induction is on Nov. 11.