The IIHF has announced the Hall Of Fame Class of 2026, to be inducted at May’s World Championships in Zürich, with six players from four different nationalities highlighting the class.

🇨🇭 Andres Ambühl, the all-time leader in World Championship games and tournaments played, had the usual two-year waiting period waived by the IIHF to join the Hall in his native Switzerland this spring, a testament to the fact his records may never be broken. While having a seasoned professional career in the NLA, winning six league titles and three Spegler Cups, it was his time with the Eisgenossen that will go down in history, suiting up for a record 20 World Championship tournaments and 151 games, capturing three Silver medals (2013, 2024, 2025). Ambühl would also appear at five Olympics from 2006-22 in his career, along with five Deutschland Cup and four Euro Hockey Tour appearances.

🇨🇦 Patrice Bergeron, known as one of the best two-way players in hockey history, was the 26th member, and ninth Canadian, to join the Triple Gold Club, following his Stanley Cup victory with Boston in 2011, the highlight of his 19 year NHL career, all with the Bruins, along with a record six Selke Trophies as top defensive forward. Internationally, Bergeron holds the unique distinction as the only player in history to win a World Championship title before a World Junior Championship title, winning with Canada’s senior club in 2004 before the juniors the following year. Bergeron would go on to capture Olympic Gold in both 2010 and 2014, along with a Spengler Cup and World Cup of Hockey titles in 2012 and 2016, respectively.

🇨🇦 Cassie Campbell, one of the pioneers of women’s hockey not just for Canada but globally, retired after the 2006 Turin Olympics with two Olympic (2002, 2006), six World Championship (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004) and six Nations Cup (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) Gold medals, along with Olympic (1998), World Championship (2005) and Nations Cup (1997, 2003) Silvers to round out her illustrious collection. A superstar in the time before professional women’s hockey had a formalized top-tier league, Campbell emerged in a leadership role for the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, and has worked as a consultant for Team Canada post-retirement.

🇸🇪 Niklas Kronwall, the feared Swedish blueliner who dominated both with his skill and power, was the 20th member, and ninth Swede, to join the Triple Gold Club following his winning the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008, following his winning both Olympic and World Championship Gold in 2006, as part of Tre Kronor‘s historic double, the first of its kind in history, also capturing tournament MVP honours at the latter. Kronwall would also capture Olympic Silver in 2014 and World Championship Silver in 2003, playing at three Olympics and four Worlds tournaments over the course of his career.

🇨🇭 Florence Schelling, the Swiss netminder who made her senior debut at only age 15, set records for games played by a goaltender in World Championship history, backstopping the Eisgenossen through ten tournaments from 2004 to 2017, winning Bronze in 2012. Schelling would lead Switzerland to another surprise Bronze at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, her third of four Olympic appearances. Despite an impressive pro career spanning Switzerland, Sweden and the United States, it was her almost-permanent spot in the Swiss crease for years that is getting her the call in her hometown next May.

🇦🇹 Thomas Vanek, only the second Austrian player to be called to the Hall, retired in 2020 as the most decorated Austrian professional in history, following a fifteen-year NHL career across eight teams, amassing 789 points in over 1,000 career NHL games. Vanek helped to propel Austrian hockey into the Top Division across multiple levels, helping promote both the junior and senior clubs to the Top Division, where they have largely remained since. Vanek also captained Austria at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and was the lone Austrian on the “Team Europe” collective that shocked the world at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, finishing second.

Special mention also goes out to the other inductees this year – builder Ralph Krueger (Canada / Germany / Switzerland), Bibi Torriani Award winner Zuzana Tomčíková (Slovakia), Paul Loicq Award winner Pat Cortina (Canada / Italy), Media Award winner Pavel Barta (Czechia), and Johan Bollue Award winner Aleksandrs Cicurskis (Latvia).

Photo Credit: Inside The Games – USA Today – Hockey Canada – The Score – Hooked On Hockey – Le Matin – IIHF – HHOF – IOC