The Hockey Hall Of Fame today announced the newest members that will join as the Class of 2022 on 14 November, with a trio of Swedish forwards, anchored by a Finnish defender and a Canadian goaltender, with numerous International Hockey Lineal Championships between them, joining the ranks of the Hall in Toronto.

🇸🇪 Henrik Sedin, the older of the Sedin twins by six minutes, spent his entire 17 year career with the Vancouver Canucks, retiring as the team leader in points and games played, captaining the team for his final eight seasons. A two-time NHL All-Star, Henrik also captured two King Clancy Trophies, along with a Hart and Art Ross Trophy in 2010, bookending his best pro season with 83 assists and 112 points. From the hockey hotbed of Örnsköldsvik, Sedin competed for Tre Kronor at two World Junior Championships, five World Championships, two Olympics and two World Cups, capturing Gold at both the 2006 Olympics and 2013 Worlds, along with a pair of World Championship Bronze in 1999 and 2001.

🇸🇪 Daniel Sedin, the younger Sedin twin, likewise spent all 17 pro seasons with the Canucks, retiring as the team leader in goals, being named a three-time NHL-All Star, and winning individual accolades with a King Clancy, Art Ross and Ted Lindsay Award, the latter two being captured in 2011, notching a career-best 41 goals and 104 points just one season after Henrik won the scoring title. Less hampered than his brother by injuries over his career, Daniel would compete at three World Junior Championships, four World Championships, three Olympics and two World Cups, winning the same Olympic Gold, Worlds Gold and Bronzes as Henrik, in addition to an Olympic Silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games.

🇨🇦 Roberto Luongo, the goaltender with the second most games played and fourth most wins in league history, spent 19 pro seasons between Vancouver, Florida and the New York Islanders, winning 489 of 1,045 career games, was a five-time NHL All-Star, and was a finalist for both the Hart, Vezina and Masterton Trophies. A Montréal native, Luongo was far more decorated in his international career, competing at two World Junior Championships, three Olympics, four World Championships and one World Cup, capturing pairs of Gold at the Olympics (2010, 2014) and World Championships (2003, 2004), along with Gold at the 2004 World Cup, and Silver at the 2005 World Championship and 1999 World Junior Championships.

🇸🇪 Daniel Alfredsson, one of the greatest Swedish players in history, spent all but one of his 18 NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators, leading the franchise in all-time goals and points, serving as team captain for thirteen seasons. A six-time NHL All-Star, Alfredsson would capture the Calder, King Clancy and Messier Awards during his career, and would spend four seasons with Frölunda in Sweden, winning an SHL title during the 2005 NHL lockout. Hailing from Frölunda’s home of Gothenburg, Alfredsson suited up at seven World Championships, five Olympics and two World Cups, his pinnacle coming with Olympic Gold in 2006, also capturing a pair of Silver (1995, 2004) and Bronze (1999, 2001) at the World Championships, along with an Olympic Silver in 2014.

🇫🇮 Riikka Sallinen (previously Välilä, née Nieminen), the ninth female and first European to be nominated to the hall, was a mainstay of the Naisleijonat for two decades, debuting with the national team in 1988, retiring in 2003, returning in 2013 before retiring for good in 2019 at the age of 46. Sallinen, who split her pro career between JYP in Finland (where she won five SM-sarja Championships) and HV71 in Sweden, competed internationally at eight World Championships, four Olympics and eight Nations Cups, capturing Bronze at two Olympics (1998, 2018), six World Championships (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2015, 2017) and six Nations Cups (1997, 2002, 2015-18), her only Silver medals coming from the 2013 Four Nations Cup, and the final international game of her career, Finland’s heartbreaking 2019 World Championship Silver on home ice in Espoo.

Also inducted into the builders category is Canadian Herb Carnegie, considered to be pioneer of black hockey stars, almost a generation ahead of Willie O’Ree, who broke the NHL’s colour barrier in 1958. Our congratulations go out to these hockey legends on joining the Hall Of Fame this November!

Photo Credit: Twitter – NHL – Ottawa Senators – Leijonat – IIHF – HHOF – IOC