The Hockey Hall Of Fame today announced their Class of 2026 to be inducted on 09 November, with first-ballot nominees Patrice Bergeron and Carey Price joining Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke, who will all enter the ranks of the Hall in Toronto.

🇨🇦 Patrice Bergeron, arguably the greatest defensive forward in history, retired in 2023 after winning six Selke Trophies, a Clancy, NHL Foundation and Messier Award each, and a Stanley Cup title over the course of his 19 season career, all with the Boston Bruins, retiring with 427 goals and 1,040 points in 1,294 career games. Bergeron’s Stanley Cup, paired with his World Championship Gold in 2004 and Olympic Gold in 2010 and 2014, made him the 25th player to join the Triple Gold Club. Bergeron would also capture World Junior Championship Gold in 2005, the Spengler Cup in 2012, and a World Cup of Hockey title in 2016.

🇺🇸 Cindy Curley, one of the pioneers of the American women’s program, was a member of Team USA at both the unofficial Women’s World Tournament in 1987, and official first Women’s World Championship in 1990, winning Silver at the first three (1990, 1992, 1994) tournaments as team captain. A two-time NCAA Champion at Providence College, Curley’s pro career ended in 1996, but her participation behind the scenes at USA Hockey, and her performance on the ice before, set the stage for the evolution of the women’s game, especially the recent dominance of the American program, we see today.

🇨🇦 Carey Price, perhaps the top goaltender of his generation, while never officially retiring, last played in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, part of his heroics to carry the Montréal Canadiens to an unexpected Finals appearance in his final full season. In his fifteen NHL pro seasons cut short by injury, Price would amass an incredible trophy cabinet, winning Hart, Lindsay, Vezina, Jennings and Masterton honours, amassing 361 wins in 712 career games, with a career .917 save percentage and 49 shutouts. He was perhaps only more impressive when suiting up for Team Canada, capturing World Junior Championship (2007), Olympic (2014) and World Cup (2016) Gold medals, with a combined .969 save percentage, going undefeated in all sixteen games played in the red and white.

🇫🇮 Pekka Rinne, the winningest Finnish goaltender in NHL history, spent his entire 13-year career with the Nashville Predators, capturing a Vezina and Clancy Trophy, as well as being named a four time NHL All-Star, amassing 369 wins and 60 shutouts in 683 career games. Rinne would appear with the Leijonat at four World Championships, capturing Silver in 2014 and winning top goaltender honours in 2015, setting the tournament shutout streak record at the latter with 237 minutes of scoreless hockey over five games. Rinne would also appear at the 2016 World Cup Of Hockey, and was named to Finland’s IIHF All-Time Team in 2020, retiring from hockey the following year.

🇺🇸 Keith Tkachuk, eligible for the Hall since 2012, finally gets the call after retiring in 2010, after spending over 1,200 games in 18 NHL seasons with Winnipeg / Phoenix, St. Louis and Atlanta. Notching 538 goals and 1065 points over his career, Tkachuk was a five-time NHL All-Star and NHL scoring champion in 1997, the first American to lead the league in scoring. The Massachusetts native also represented Team USA multiple times, appearing at two World Juniors, two World Cups and three Olympics, winning World Junior Bronze (1992) and Olympic Silver (2002), with arguably his biggest international achievement being part of the squad that won the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996.

Also inducted into the builders category is longtime hockey executive Brian Burke of the United States, whose 30+ year career across multiple franchises (including management roles with Team USA) have led to a Stanley Cup (2007) and Olympic Silver medal (2010). Our congratulations go out to these hockey legends on joining the Hall Of Fame this November!

Photo Credit: Yahoo! – Getty – Hockey Canada – Yahoo! – IIHF Worlds 2014 – HHOF – IIHF – HHOF – IOC