Wendell Young and Stan Hennigar Jr. grew up as neighbours in north-end Halifax, and starting in October, they’ll be just down the Hall from each other.

Former teammates in a variety of sports and friends for more than 35 years, Young and Hennigar are headed into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.

Although they live in different countries now, the two have kept in close contact and were together again Tuesday as the class of 2007 was unveiled at a news conference at the Hall of Fame in downtown Halifax.

"We grew up best friends and I don’t know how many hours we spent together, so it’s only fitting we spend some more time together in the Hall," said a smiling Young, who lives in Chicago where he’s an assistant coach and executive director of team relations for the Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Young, 43, and Hennigar, 44, were teammates in football, hockey and fastball right up until high school and even won a national midget softball championship together in 1981 with Halifax Fisherman’s Market.

Young went on to carve out a career as pro goalie and is the only hockey player to win all four major North American hockey championships — the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the AHL’s Calder Cup, the IHL’s Turner Cup and the CHL’s Memorial Cup.

"I’ve been very fortunate," said Young, who captured back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, beginning in 1990-91. "I’ve been in the right place at the right time. I should be buying lottery tickets I think."

Hennigar, who makes his home in Fall River, was a multi-sport athlete, perhaps best known for his achievements on the ball diamond as a pitcher and first baseman. The former quarterback played varsity with the Saint Mary’s Huskies and in hockey he advanced to the AHL level with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.

"Hockey took me the furthest but it was my worst sport, skill-wise," said Hennigar, who played defence. "I would have placed ball first, football second and hockey third."

Young likes to note that Hennigar’s only pro goal came against him at the Halifax Metro Centre. Young was playing with Fredericton at the time.

"How fitting is that?" Young asks now.

Hennigar jokes that it was an end-to-end rush and he finished with a shot to the top corner. Then he paints the true picture:

"Actually, I didn’t even see the goal go in," Hennigar said. "After I took the slapshot, I fell flat on my face and the puck went through a crowd and found its way into the net."

The Fisherman’s Market team of 1981 was inducted last year, but Young wasn’t able to make it back for the ceremony.

This time, he’s 99 per cent sure he’ll be there to share the stage with his long-time pal.

"Stan was always a team leader and he was always the one who drove guys to be better," Young recalled. "I think that’s one of the reasons I had such a drive and such a passion — because Stan did.

"I think I fed off of him."

( gsutherland@herald.ca)

’We grew up best friends and I don’t know how many hours we spent together, so it’s only fitting we spend some more time together in the Hall.’