Roenick is one of several members being inducted to Hall this weekend.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Detroit Red Wings in a much-anticipated matchup ahead of the 2024 NHL Hall of Fame induction weekend. This event brings together not only players but also fans and hockey legends to celebrate the game’s storied history. Before both clubs hit the ice, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube took a moment to share a humorous memory involving himself and one of this year's Hall of Fame inductees, Jeremy Roenick. Berube, who has seen his fair share of scrapes and memorable moments on the ice, recalled a particular run-in with Roenick that had stayed with him for years.
"I played with him and had a few run-ins and stuff," Berube said with a knowing smile. "He sucker-punched me in a little bit of a skirmish one time. The refs had me. So I never got the opportunity to really get him back in the game. Still time, though."
Ten months ago, Roenick recounted this story on the Nasty Knuckles podcast, where he admitted to breaking one of hockey’s unwritten rules by landing a punch on Berube while officials were restraining him.
"He wanted to beat the crap out of me for four years," Roenick admitted on the podcast, emphasizing just how heated the rivalry had been. He continued, "And then I'd sign in Philly. And then, all of a sudden, I see one day, you know, the Phantoms sign Craig Berube to a player-coach contract. I'm like, oh, okay."
The Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, practiced in the same facility as the Flyers, but on a separate rink. This made encounters between the players inevitable. Roenick, going about his morning routine and taping his stick in the Flyers’ locker room, was caught off guard when Berube, who was technically with the Phantoms, strolled in.
"And Chief can go anywhere," Roenick explained, emphasizing Berube’s larger-than-life presence. "So I'm taping my stick in the locker room one morning, and here comes Craig into the locker room. And, again, he's with the Phantoms, but he was part of the Flyers."
Roenick's greeting was met with a quick, unexpected response. “I’m like, hey, Chief, what’s going on? Hey, JR, how you doing today? And he’s like, ‘Hey, bop!’ It was a little, just a little punch right to the mouth. And I just remember seeing a couple stars, and my mouth hurt. And he’s like, ‘I told you I’d get you back.’”
Despite the punch, Roenick added that there were no hard feelings. The two players laughed it off, sharing beers and even a round of golf later that day, solidifying a friendship that has lasted ever since.
Roenick’s induction into the Hall of Fame this year comes alongside other hockey icons, including former NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber, and U.S. women’s hockey pioneers Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell in the players category. In the builders category, longtime NHL executives David Poile and Colin Campbell will also be honored. This year’s inductees represent a broad spectrum of talent, contributions, and unforgettable personalities in the sport of hockey.
For Berube and Roenick, moments like this Hall of Fame weekend are an opportunity to relive some of the best—and funniest—memories from their careers, proving that the bonds forged in the game of hockey last well beyond the final whistle.
All of the inductees will officially go into the hall of Monday, Nov. 11.