Zdeno Chara and Frans Nielsen to be Inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame

Two former Islanders were named to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame on Friday morning, as Zdeno Chara and Frans Nielsen will be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

Chara’s 24-season, 1,680-game NHL career began when the Islanders drafted the 6’9” defenseman in the third round of the 1996 NHL Draft (56th overall). The Trencin, Slovakia native played four seasons on Long Island from the 1997-01 before he played four seasons for the Ottawa Senators (2001-06), 14 seasons with the Bruins (2006-20) – which included a Stanley Cup Championship in 2011 - and a one-season stint with the Washington Capitals in 2020-21.

Chara bookended his career with the Islanders, as he returned in 2021 for a 72-game slate and scored in the last game of the 2021-22 season on April 29, before he announced his retirement from the NHL. He accumulated 680 points (209G, 471A) along with 1493 blocked shots and 2022 hits in his lengthy career.

Internationally, Chara represented Slovakia at seven IIHF World Championships, taking home two silver medals, and three Olympic Games, including two where he served as team captain (2010, 2014).

Nielsen became the second Danish player in the NHL when the crafty center was drafted by the Islanders 87th overall in the third round of the 2002 NHL Draft. He went on to play with the club for 10 seasons before capping his career with five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (2016-21).

The Herning, Denmark native was famous for his shorthanded prowess and shootout skills, giving the Isles a unique edge. Nielsen led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals in 2010-11 and recorded 20 over the span of his career. Through 106 career shootout attempts, Nielsen scored 49 goals for a 46.23 success rate. Nielsen finished his career with 473 points through 925 games played.

Internationally, Nielsen represented Denmark at nine IIHF World Championships, as well as various World Junior and U-18 Division 1 and Division 2 tournaments. Nielsen also helped Denmark’s national hockey team qualify for its first Olympic Games in 2022.