The game of hockey has a history that speaks of Olympic Gold and Stanley Cup playoff rivalries. The game has been built upon the talents of such names as Howe, Gretzki, Phil Esposito, and Mark Messier to name but a few.

But when we talk of the “Builders of the Game” we refer to the real fathers of the game, who preceded the legends that we more easily recognize today. Some of these people include such names as Frederick Arthur Stanley, the man responsible of course for the Stanley Cup.

George “Punch” Imlach, born on March 18th, 1918 is best remembered for his contributions to the game through his coaching efforts. Imlach, first coached an amateur team called the Quebec Aces. He would coach this team for 11 years before taking on the position of assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1959.

One more person who was a builder of the game is Murray Costello. Costello while inducted like the others mentioned here into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a “Builder”, was also an impressive player of the game himself. Murray would be signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, and made his game debut in the 1953-1954 season. The following year, Costello found himself traded to the Boston Bruins, and during the same season, Costello along with another player found themselves traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a player trade midway through the season.

Eventually, Costello would return to school, earn a degree in law, and return to hockey on the business side of the table. His greatest accomplishment to the game though, came through his association with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, where he made huge strides in meshing the interests of the Canadian Hockey Association and Hockey Canada together.

While this is a just a small list, there are many that that are worthy of the distinction of being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as builders of the game, so if you really want to know about the game, first take a step back and look at it’s builders.You thought this was good? Brace yourself: NHL Awards: Why the “Mark Messier” Leadership Award Needs to Be Re-Named.