Craig Norwich to be inducted into UW Athletic HOF

Baggot reports that the W Club will be inducting Craig Norwich ('74-'77, 114GP 42G 126A 168pts) into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Craig!

Other men's hockey players previously inducted include Steve Alley, Marc Behrend, Bert DeHate (W club spelled his first name wrong -- Bert is short for Delbert), Mike Eaves, Tony Granato, Bob Johnson, Mark Johnson, and Mike Richter. The W club has player profiles that include pictures and records, so you might want to check that out.

From the Badger Men's Hockey media guide:
Badger Blueliners
Among League’s Best
Many former Badgers hold WCHA records (career and season)and/or rank among the WCHA’s all-time top 10 in several categories. Below is a listing of those Badgers with the WCHA recordsthey hold and their rank in league history.
Craig Norwich
Points (season) 83 1st 1976-77
Points (season)* 63 1st 1976-77
Assists (season) 65 1st 1976-77
Assists (season)*49 1st 1976-77
Goals (career) 42 5th 1974-77
Goals (season)* 14 6th-tie 1976-77
Assists (career) 126 7th 1974-77
Points (career) 168 7th 1974-77
*–League games only

And below is what I wrote about Norwich a couple of summers ago for the "countdown thread":

Craig Norwich is one of just 5 Badgers to be named All-American twice -- he was first team in both ’76 and ’77. His 18 goals and 65 assists during the ’76-’77 season were good enough to put him in the Badgers’ record book -- first in single season assists (ahead of Eaves with 58 and Welsh with 54) and fourth in single season points. His 42 career goals also put him at the very top of Badger defensemen.

He was a key player on the ’77 title team, and he played the left point on that year’s famous power play. (This article has some nice quotes from Mike Eaves about that PP.)

About Norwich and the PP, teammate Tom Ulseth said, “We practice the power play all the time and we know where everyone is. Also, we have the best defensemen in the league. They move the puck around so well. Craig Norwich is phenomenal. I sit on the bench and I just enjoy watching him at the point because he’s so smart and good with the puck. It’s fun being a part of the power play and contributing any way that I can.”About the PP, Norwich said, “The key is passing the puck. We try to get the puck and give it to someone without stopping. By moving it quickly, it makes it tough on the defensemen and spreads them out. It’s just a matter of finding the open guy. Any power play is difficult to stop because you have the man advantage, it’s just a matter of how you use that man.”

And let's not forget what lites from buckyville had to say about Norwich: "Give me Norwich, and my team will kick your team's a$$!!!"