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WALTER L. BUSH Bush's Impact On The Game Felt At Home And Around The World M any architects have helped design the elaborate blue- print of American hockey. But few, if any, have done as much as Walter L. Bush, Jr., to advance and develop the sport in the United States over the last 50 years. Like mortar, bricks and a trowel to the skilled mason, Bush has used his intelligence, business savvy and an unrivaled passion for the game to craft a legendary career as a hockey administrator. One of the most respected leaders in the sport, Bush's sparkling demeanor and taste for colorful dinner jackets also make him one of hockey's most easily recognized. But Bush's credentials in national and international hockey are as vividly distinctive as anything he wears. Even the short list of his achievements reads like the combined resume of 10 executives. To wit: He has charted the path for hockey's National Governing Body in the United States as president of USA Hockey, from 1986 until he stepped down in 2003 to assume the role as the organization's chair- man of the board. A member of the organization's board of directors since 1959, Bush has played a role in all three U.S. gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games. Under his guidance at the local level, USA Hockey today boasts an overall membership of more than 600,000 players, coaches, referees and volunteers while implementing a number of innovative programs. He has served as a director with the International Ice Hockey Federation, pushing the sport ahead with his creative, outside-the- box thinking. More than any other individual, Bush is responsible for placing the women's game on the podium of the Winter Olympics and legitimizing the inline discipline within hockey circles. While joining the professional ranks in 1966, he was part of an own- ership group that brought the National Hockey League to Minnesota, one of the most celebrated hockey hotbeds in the U.S. The Minnesota North Stars would go on to delight fans in the state for 26 years, twice advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. 44 USA Hockey 75TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM PHOTOS BY USA HOCKEY; IIHF IMAGES ON ICE