The Hockey Corridor of Fame will welcome a powerful class of gamers in 2025: Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton and Duncan Keith, all first-ballot decisions; Alexander Mogilny, ending a chronic wait; and girls’s hockey stars in Jennifer Botterill of Canada and Brianna Decker of america.
Who will be part of them within the Class of 2026?
This is a have a look at the almost definitely males’s and girls’s gamers to subsequent get the decision for the Corridor, ranked so as of their chance for enshrinement. We’ll start with the previous NHL gamers eligible for the primary time subsequent season:
MEN’S CANDIDATES
A particularly simple name for the choice committee. Bergeron gained the Selke Trophy as finest defensive ahead six occasions, an NHL report. The middle was a finalist for the award in 12 consecutive seasons, the longest streak for any participant being nominated for an NHL award in league historical past.
He was a dominant defensive power whether or not measured by conventional stats or analytics throughout his 19-year profession with the Boston Bruins however was something however a one-dimensional star. Bergeron had 1,040 factors in 1,294 video games, together with 427 objectives. That is the third-most factors for any Bruins participant.
From a group perspective, he gained a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and was a main purpose they made to again to the Closing in 2013 — a sequence towards Chicago by which Bergeron performed by means of a punctured lung, separated shoulder, a damaged rib and a damaged nostril — and in 2019. He is a member of the Triple Gold Membership: successful Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014 and world championship gold in 2004. He additionally gained world junior gold in 2005 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, all with Canada.
2. Carey Worth, goalie (second yr)
Worth follows within the legacy of nice Montreal Canadiens goaltenders similar to Corridor of Famers Jacques Plante, Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy.
He performed all 15 seasons with the Habs from 2007 to 2022 and is the franchise’s all-time chief in wins (361) in 712 video games. He helped Montreal to the 2021 Stanley Cup Closing in the course of the NHL’s COVID-impacted season. Worth had one masterpiece season in 2014-15, changing into solely the seventh participant in NHL historical past to win the Vezina Trophy as prime goaltender and the Hart Trophy as MVP in the identical season.
Worth gained Olympic gold in 2014, backstopping Canada in Sochi. He additionally gained gold on the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2007 world junior championships.
His candidacy is intriguing, as a result of it signifies the collision between two competing Hockey Corridor of Fame forces: the Corridor’s conventional hesitancy to induct goaltenders and its over-indexing on Group Canada heroes. Though we must always notice they’ve put six goalies within the Corridor since 2018, so perhaps that first development is altering.
Come on, admit it: You thought there was an opportunity that Marleau might be part of Thornton in the identical class when Jumbo’s identify was introduced. The Corridor of Fame is cheeky like that.
However not like his longtime teammate, Marleau’s induction is something however assured. It comes again to a central query: Does breaking the NHL report for profession video games performed make him a hockey legend or simply an completed compiler of stats?
Marleau completed his profession with 1,779 profession video games performed, breaking Gordie Howe’s report of 1,767. He is twenty fifth in NHL historical past with 566 objectives and 53rd in profession factors with 1,197. He cracked 30 objectives seven occasions and had a profession peak of 44 objectives in 2009-10. He gained Olympic gold in Vancouver and Sochi, IIHF World Championship gold in 2003 and the World Cup in 2004, all with Canada. However Marleau was a finalist for just one NHL award: the Woman Byng, for gentlemanly play, as soon as. And he by no means gained a Stanley Cup.
If he’s a “compiler,” he’ll be removed from the primary one inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame. His stats are robust and his longevity might be too spectacular to maintain him out — take into accout there are many ex-players on that committee.
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Elias on 23-year profession: ‘Time flies’
Patrik Elias displays on his profession with the New Jersey Devils and appears forward to his retirement ceremony.
Now that Mogilny is in, the following nice offensive participant that followers and media rally round is likely to be Tkachuk.
He amassed 538 objectives and 1,065 factors in 1,201 video games over his 18-season profession whose prime was spent within the lifeless puck period. He led the league in objectives solely as soon as (1996-97) however was in any other case a mannequin of consistency. He is thirty fifth all time in objectives. Each participant forward of him who’s Corridor of Fame-eligible is enshrined.
He gained World Cup gold in 1996 and Olympic silver in 2002 however by no means the Stanley Cup. He by no means acquired a sniff of an NHL award, though 89 playoff video games in an 18-year profession spent in Winnipeg, Phoenix, St. Louis and Atlanta is not precisely the stuff of postseason {hardware}.
It is a stable however unspectacular profession, however these numbers are arduous to disregard. Ask round, and you may sense there’s momentum constructing for him. It in all probability would not harm that he has discovered new life as the daddy of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, which has afforded him digital camera time throughout playoff video games, ice time throughout Stanley Cup celebrations and airtime on actuality tv sequence.
5. Ryan Getzlaf, middle (second yr)
The large middle spent 17 years with the Anaheim Geese, main them to a Stanley Cup in 2007. He is their all-time chief in regular-season video games performed (1,157), assists (737) and factors (1,019), and holds the identical marks within the playoffs for Anaheim.
Throughout the span of his profession, he was fifth amongst facilities in factors. Three of fellows he is ranked behind — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Anze Kopitar — are all prone to be Corridor of Famers. The fourth, Thornton, was simply introduced as one. Total, he had the seventh-most factors of any participant in that span.
Getzlaf gained Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, World Cup of Hockey gold in 2016 and gold at world juniors in 2005. He completed second for the Hart to Crosby in 2013, however that was the extent of the awards love. However given how he dominated his period, Getzlaf must be in line for the next accolade.
When Pavel Datsyuk made the Corridor in 2024, consideration turned to his Detroit Purple Wings teammate Zetterberg. However Datsyuk is among the causes Zetterberg won’t make the Corridor, as he vacuumed up Selke trophies which may have in any other case gone to his teammate throughout Zetterberg’s prime.
Zetterberg completed his profession with 960 factors in 1,082 video games, together with 337 objectives. His biggest particular person accomplishment was successful the Conn Smythe within the Purple Wings’ 2008 Stanley Cup win. That ring earned him Triple Gold Membership standing, going with championships within the 2006 Olympics and the 2006 IIHF World Championship with Sweden. He had 120 factors in 137 playoff video games, together with 27 in 22 video games when he gained the Conn Smythe.
He is probably the most revered gamers of the previous 20 years and a legend in each Detroit and Sweden. It is not a clear-cut case, however he does have a case.
7. Patrik Elias, middle/left wing (seventh yr)
Elias has been the hipster decide for the Corridor of Fame ever since earlier hipster decide Sergei Zubov made the Corridor in 2019.
His numbers are stellar, holding the New Jersey Devils information objectives (408), assists (617) and factors (1,025) in each the common season (1,240 video games) and the playoffs (162 video games). He gained the Cup twice with the Devils in 2000 and 2003, and was within the Stanley Cup Closing two different seasons. He was a rookie of the yr finalist in 1998. Internationally, he helped the Czechs to Olympic bronze in 2006 and bronze twice at IIHF worlds.
The argument from Elias backers is that this exceptionally expert participant put up spectacular offensive stats in a defensive period for a defensive group. Paul Pidutti of Adjusted Hockey, which Pidutti based to research NHL gamers’ Corridor of Fame potential, computes that Elias would have 119 extra factors if he performed in a “impartial period.” Elias has some vocal supporters. Will the Corridor pay attention?
8. Sergei Gonchar, defenseman (eighth yr)
Gonchar is nineteenth in profession factors amongst defensemen, with 811 in 1,301 NHL video games. Everybody who’s Corridor of Fame-eligible forward of him — save for Gary Suter — is within the Corridor. That features Nicklas Lidstrom, with whom Gonchar has the misfortune of sharing an period.
The Detroit Purple Wings Corridor of Famer — thought-about among the finest defensemen in hockey historical past — is the one blueliner who amassed extra objectives (236) and factors (985) than Gonchar (220 objectives, 811 factors) from 1994-95 to 2014-15, which was the span of the Russian defenseman’s profession. He did some actual offensive harm in the course of the lifeless puck period.
Lidstrom gained the Norris Trophy seven occasions. Gonchar completed within the prime 5 for the award 4 occasions, which is greater than Corridor of Famer Zubov, for comparability’s sake. Gonchar gained the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. He gained Olympic silver in Nagano, bronze in Salt Lake Metropolis and world championship silver in 2010.
The Carolina Hurricanes coach’s candidacy has been fascinating to observe over time. Brind’Amour had 1,184 factors in 1,484 video games, together with 452 objectives. However his Corridor of Fame case is constructed on his status as a defensive middle. It is a position by which he excelled with the Hurricanes throughout their run to the Stanley Cup in 2006, which can be the primary yr of his back-to-back Selke Trophy wins.
However Pidutti, for one, has believed his status was overstated.
“I feel Brind’Amour has been a bit retroactively lionized as a result of he is the good man within the room and an superior coach,” Pidutti instructed ESPN in 2023. “He was by no means actually a prime Selke candidate. After which he is pushing 40 and he was simply this extremely fascinating, intense warrior. He wins these two Selkes. … I do not wish to say out of the blue, however should you have a look at the voting historical past, they form of had been. I feel everybody remembers him being the very best defensive ahead within the league, and actually wasn’t the case throughout his complete profession.”
Nonetheless, there’s quite a lot of help for “Rod The Bod” to make the Corridor.
There is a “peak years” argument that may very well be made for 2 goalies of the identical period.
From 2008-09 to 2011-12, Miller was third in wins (182) and fourth in save share (.919) whereas enjoying for a Sabres group that was twenty first in factors share (.520). The apex of his profession was 2009-10, when he gained the Vezina Trophy, completed fourth for the Hart Trophy and have become a famous person whereas backstopping Group USA to Olympic silver in Vancouver, dropping gold in extra time to Sidney Crosby and the Canadians.
But when we’re speaking all-time warmth checks, that Thomas from 2007 to 2012 for the Boston Bruins: 151-78-31 in 270 video games with a .926 save share, 2.28 goals-against common and 27 shutouts. He gained the Vezina Trophy twice and the Conn Smythe in 2011, main the Bruins to the Stanley Cup with a .940 save share, a 1.98 goals-against common and 4 shutouts. He performed solely 9 NHL seasons, debuting at 28 years outdated. His journeyman standing earlier than NHL stardom is a part of his legend, however he in all probability would not have the longevity for the Corridor.
There are different goalies similar to Curtis Joseph, Chris Osgood, Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne that provide fascinating instances. However these two are essentially the most fascinating ones.
The sector
Among the many different gamers ready for his or her Corridor of Fame second are first-year eligible Eric Staal and Phil Kessel, to prolific scorers with Stanley Cup wins; Jason Spezza, in his second yr of eligibility; older offensive stars Peter Bondra, Vincent Damphousse, Theo Fleury, Steve Larmer, John LeClair, Rick Nash, Bernie Nicholls and Pat Verbeek; and defensemen Gary Suter and P.Ok. Subban.
WOMEN’S CANDIDATES
1. Meghan Duggan, ahead (seventh yr)
Duggan gained seven IIHF World Championship gold medals and captained the U.S. girls’s Olympic hockey group to gold within the 2018 Pyeongchang Video games. She gained the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award as the highest girls’s participant within the NCAA whereas enjoying for Wisconsin. Duggan was the primary American males’s or girls’s participant to win seven consecutive world championship gold medals. Off the ice, she performed in integral position within the nationwide group’s battle with USA Hockey over inequitable help and circumstances compared to the boys’s group. She’s at present director of participant improvement for the New Jersey Devils.
The Class of 2025’s Brianna Decker was a worthy Corridor of Famer, nevertheless it was just a little stunning she was in earlier than Duggan.
2. Shannon Szabados, goalie (seventh yr)
Former Group Canada goalie Kim St-Pierre was the primary girls’s goaltender inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2022. Szabados has the case to be the following.
She gained Olympic gold twice, pitching a shutout in 2010 and successful in extra time in 2014 for Canada towards america. When Canada gained silver in 2018, she was chosen the event’s prime goaltender.
Szabados was additionally a trailblazer: In 2014, she signed to knowledgeable contract with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Skilled Hockey League (SPHL) to complete out the 2013-14 season, changing into the primary lady to compete within the common season in that minor league. She ended up enjoying 4 seasons within the SPHL.
3. Julie Chu, ahead (seventh yr)
One of many pioneers in American girls’s hockey, Chu gained silver thrice and bronze as soon as within the Olympics, and captured gold 5 occasions within the IIHF world championships. She was the highest NCAA scorer of all time throughout her time at Harvard, and gained the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2007.
Chu additionally performed professionally within the CWHL, successful playoff MVP whereas serving to Minnesota to the Clarkson Cup in 2010. She’s an iconic American participant who captured 23 medals throughout her storied worldwide profession.
4. Meghan Agosta, ahead (fifth yr)
Overshadowed by different Group Canada legends similar to Hayley Wickenheiser and Marie Philip-Poulin, Agosta was a vital a part of the nationwide group that gained Olympic gold in 2006, 2010 and 2014, after which silver in 2018.
On the time of her official retirement in 2024, Agosta ranked sixth all time in objectives (85) and factors (176) and seventh in assists (91) in 178 profession video games whereas enjoying for Group Canada.
5. Florence Schelling, goalie (fifth yr)
The choice committee has closely skewed towards Canadians and Individuals amongst girls’s gamers. In the event that they wished some worldwide taste, look no additional than Schelling, a goaltending star for Switzerland.
She had stellar worldwide numbers, backstopping the Swiss to bronze in Sochi, incomes MVP honors for the event. She was additionally dominant throughout 4 seasons at Northeastern.
Closing prediction for the Class of 2026
For the boys, it is Bergeron, Worth and Getzlaf, the second time in three seasons they solely take three inductees; for the ladies, we’ll say Duggan and Szabados to make it three straight seasons of a number of girls’s gamers stepping into the Corridor.
