By Warren Kozireski–
The Rochester Americans welcomed defenseman Doug Janik and forward Steve Langdon as the 63rd and 64th members of the team’s Hall of Fame in ceremonies prior to the Feb. 8 game versus Springfield.
Janik, now an assistant coach with Springfield, spent five seasons on the Rochester blueline from 2001 to 2006 and recorded 91 points (18+73) over his five seasons with the club, ranking 31st all-time among Rochester defensemen. He also led the Amerks to four straight playoff appearances and his 376 career games are the third-most of any defenseman and ranks 14th all-time.
“It is a tremendous honor; I was totally shocked when Jody Gage called me this summer,” Janik said during a pre-ceremony interview. “It is an honor I never expected and I am completely humbled.”
He left the University of Maine after his junior year and jumped right into the Rochester lineup as the only member of the 2001-02 squad to play in all 80 regular season games.
After playing in only ten NHL games for Buffalo, he signed with Tampa Bay where he dressed for the bulk (136) of his 190 NHL contests over the next two seasons. He also played for Dallas, Montreal and Detroit and each respective AHL affiliate before spending one year in Germany and his final year in Italy.
Langdon spent five of his six pro seasons in Rochester from 1974 to 1979 during the Boston Bruin affiliation years and helped the team to four straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 1977. In 313 career games with the Amerks, Langdon scored 97 goals, ranking him 20th all-time, and added 87 assists for 184 points. He also recorded 14 points (3+11) in 35 postseason appearances.
“Very surprising, but very touching and I am very honored to be a part of this long-standing organization,” Langdon said.
He appeared in seven NHL games—all for Boston over three different seasons—including his first call-up to play in Buffalo.
“Spring 1975…coach told me that Boston is laying in Buffalo tonight and they need an extra player, you gotta go. So it took four hours (through a snowstorm) to get to Buffalo Aud. So I had to get into Bruins gear and they hand me a pair of pants and on the back of the pants is the number four and “Orr” written in. I ended up wearing a spare pair of Bobby Orr’s pants.
“You can imagine for the first game having no dream that I was ever going to get this call-up and going into to this first game and I had to wear Bobby Orr’s pants. It was obviously one of those memorable moments.”
