Lou Lamoriello is a busy man these days with the NHL entry draft coming up on Friday, free agency beginning in one week, a coaching search under way and the quick — and, to some, suspicious — defection Tuesday of his former head coach, Brent Sutter, to the Calgary Flames.

So, the Devils' president and general manager already was on the phone when his secretary knocked on his office door Tuesday afternoon to inform him that Bill Hay, the chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, was calling on another line. Lamoriello was too involved in his ongoing call to put two and two together.

"I was so entranced in the conversation that I wasn't thinking of anything other than, 'I wonder what Bill was calling me for?'" Lamoriello said.

It wasn't until Lamoriello called Hay back that he learned that he had been voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder's category. He will be inducted along with former players Brian Leetch, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille in a ceremony Nov. 9 in Toronto.

"It's a humbling experience and just one that I felt extremely honored in every way," Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello, 66, a native of Providence, R.I., has amassed an impressive resume during his more than 40 years in the sport. His NHL ledger includes three Stanley Cup championships, 10 100-point seasons, four Eastern Conference titles and seven Atlantic Division crowns in his 22 years with the Devils.

Before that, he spent 20 years at Providence College as a coach and athletic director. During that time, he helped found Hockey East and served as the conference's commissioner for five years

Lamoriello was also a strong influence on USA Hockey, serving as the GM of the 1996 American team that won the World Cup and the 1998 Olympic team.

"He brought passion and a leadership role [to USA Hockey] and a determination to represent our country with pride and expect to be successful and expect to do the right things," said Leetch, who captained the 1996 U.S. World Cup squad.

Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek pointed out that Lamoriello also was instrumental in helping players from the former Soviet Union come to the NHL. Slava Fetisov and Sergei Starikov joined the Devils in 1989.

"He has dedicated a huge part of his life to hockey on many, many levels," Vanderbeek said.