New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist reacts after a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers in New York, in this Sunday, March 1, 2020, file photo. The Hockey Hall of Fame's class of 2023 will be unveiled Wednesday afternoon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Seth Wenig
TORONTO – The Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 will be unveiled Wednesday afternoon.
Last year’s crop featured both a Swedish and West Coast feel with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Daniel Alfredsson and Roberto Luongo taking centre stage.
The Canadian Press examines some of the contenders hoping to get their hall call ahead of November’s induction ceremony.
HENRIK LUNDQVIST
The former New York Rangers goaltender is the safe bet in his first year of eligibility.
Lundqvist, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top netminder in 2012, ranks sixth in league history in wins (459), ninth in games played (887) and 17th in shutouts (64).
The Swede’s 459 victories are the most by a European netminder.
Lundqvist helped the Rangers make the 2014 Stanley Cup final to go along with a pair of Eastern Conference final appearances in 2012 and 2015.
He also backstopped his country to gold in men’s hockey at the 2006 Olympics.
HENRIK ZETTERBERG
Zetterberg watched some of his fellow Swedes – the Sedins and Alfredsson – get the nod in 2022.
Now in his second year of hall eligibility, he finished with 337 goals, 623 assists and 960 points as a member of the Detroit Red Wings in 1,082 games over his 15 seasons.
Zetterberg helped the Original Six franchise win its last Cup in 2008, earning Conn Smythe Trophy honours as playoff MVP in the process. He put up 120 points in 137 career playoff contests.
A seventh-round pick in 1999, Zetterberg also captured gold at the 2006 Olympics with Lundqvist and finished third in voting for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward in 2007-08.
CAROLINE OUELLETTE
Ouellette is one of just three women’s hockey players – along with Hall of Famers and former teammates Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford – to win four or more Olympic gold medals, helping Canada top the podium at the Games in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The Montreal product, who is in her second year of eligibility, also won six world championships with the national team.
ALEXANDER MOGILNY
Will this finally be his year?
The dynamic Russian forward – eligible since 2009 – registered 473 goals and 559 assists for 1,032 points in 990 games over his 16-season career.
Mogilny, who added 86 points in 124 playoff contests, hoisted the Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and won Olympic gold with the Soviet Union in 1988.
CURTIS JOSEPH
Joseph has also been patient.
Eligible for the hall since 2012, the former goaltender has more wins (454) than Hall of Fame netminders Terry Sawchuk (445), Jacques Plante (437), Tony Esposito (423), Glenn Hall (407), Grant Fuhr (403) and Dominik Hasek (389).
Joseph, who trails Lundqvist by just five career victories, never won the Vezina, but was a finalist on three occasions.
DAVID POILE
Poised to step down as general manager of the Nashville Predators and make way for Barry Trotz at the end of the month, Poile is a candidate to get enshrined in the builders’ category.
A GM in the league for more than 40 years, Poile would join his father, Bud, in the hall.
David Poile is the only GM in NHL history with at least 3,000 regular-season games under his belt.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2023.
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