Hockey Hall of Fame field wide open for Class of 2019

TORONTO --
Martin Brodeur
hopes to return to the Hockey Hall of Fame next year for induction weekend to see former teammate and close friend
Patrik Elias
become the latest former New Jersey Devils player to receive the highest individual honor in the game.

Elias, Brodeur's teammate with the Devils from 1995-2014, will be a first-time eligible candidate for induction next year. He's not a lock first-ballot selection the way Brodeur was this year or Devils teammates
Scott Stevens
(2007) and
Scott Niedermayer
(2013) were, but it appears that no former NHL player had a strong chance to get his Hall call next year.
"You always selfishly hope when you have a teammate that played with you and had so much success, holds all the records for your organization, but it's hockey, so it's going to be probably a tougher one," Brodeur said. "There's a lot of guys out there that are due to try to get in, but Patrik, his name should be considered, there's no doubt about that."
The Hall of Fame can induct as many as four former players, two women, two Builders or one referee/linesman and one Builder each year. The field for the Class of 2019 is as wide open as any in recent memory.
Who among the retired players should get in? And how many? Here's a look at the list of potential candidates for the class that will follow Brodeur,
Martin St. Louis
, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford, Gary Bettman and
Willie O'Ree
into the Hall of Fame:
Hayley Wickenheiser
Eligibility: First year
The former Canadian star should be the only lock for 2019. She is the most decorated member of Canada's national women's team. She's a five-time Olympic medalist, including four-time gold medalist (2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014), and was the most valuable player at the Olympic tournament in 2002 and 2006. Wickenheiser won 13 medals at the IIHF World Championship, including seven golds. She is the Canadian women's team's all-time leader in goals (168), assists (211) and points (377) in 276 games.
Patrik Elias
Eligibility: First year
Elias holds New Jersey's career records for goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), shots on goal (3,287), power-play goals (113), power-play points (333), shorthanded points (33), game-winning goals (80), overtime winners (16), and was a First-Team All-Star in 2000-01. Elias won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003, and he has the most playoff goals (45), assists (80), points (125), power-play goals (21), power-play points (52) and shots on goal (444) in Devils history.

Pierre Turgeon
Eligibility: Since 2010
Turgeon has the most points of any eligible player not already in the Hall. He finished his career with 1,327 points (515 goals, 812 assists) in 1,294 NHL games. He also had 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 109 playoff games. Turgeon never won the Stanley Cup; he did win the Lady Byng Trophy in 1992-93.
Jeremy Roenick
Eligibility: Since 2012
Roenick finished his NHL career with 1,216 points (513 goals, 703 assists) in 1,363 games, and he helped the Chicago Blackhawks advance to the Cup Final in 1992. Turgeon is the only eligible candidate with more career points than Roenick who isn't in the Hall of Fame.
Keith Tkachuk
(538),
Pat Verbeek
(522) and Turgeon are the only eligible players not in the Hall who have more goals.
Daniel Alfredsson
Eligibility: Since 2017
Alfredsson had 1,157 points (444 goals, 713 assists) in 1,246 games during 18 NHL seasons, the first 17 with the Ottawa Senators. He won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Torino Olympics and got a silver in 2014 at Sochi. He also won the Calder Trophy in 1995-96 and was captain of the Senators when they made their only trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.

Alexander Mogilny
Eligibility: Since 2009
Mogilny should have gained a measure of confidence for his eventual induction into the Hall of Fame last year, when
Paul Kariya
was inducted. Mogilny played 990 NHL games, one more than Kariya, and finished with 71 more goals (473-402) and 43 more points (1,032-989). Mogilny won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000; Kariya never won the Cup. Each won a gold medal at the Olympics (Mogilny with the Soviet Union in 1988, Kariya with Canada in 2002), the IIHF World Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1994) and the IIHF World Junior Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1993). He scored 76 goals for the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93 and won the Lady Byng Trophy with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2002-03.
Theo Fleury
Eligibility: Since 2009
Fleury is another player who should look at Kariya's induction as a sign he could eventually get in. He finished his NHL career with 1,088 points (455 goals, 633 assists) in 1,084 games. He was a Second-Team All-Star in 1994-95. Fleury won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Boris Mikhailov
Eligibility: Since 1984
Yakushev's induction this year could pave the way for Mikhailov next year or in the near future. Mikhailov, who is 74, was the right wing on the Soviets' top line with Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov. Mikhailov never played in the NHL, but he was the captain of the Soviet national team from 1972-80. He won Olympic gold in 1972 and 1976, and gold at the IIHF World Championship eight times.
Keith Tkachuk
Eligibility: Since 2013
Tkachuk scored 538 goals and had 1,065 points in 1,201 games. He was a Second-Team All-Star in 1994-95 and 1997-98, and he has the most goals of any eligible player who isn't already in the Hall of Fame.

Doug Wilson
Eligibility: Since 1996
Wilson won the Norris Trophy in 1981-82, when he had 85 points (39 goals, 46 assists) in 76 games. He is the Chicago Blackhawks' all-time leader among defenseman in goals (225), assists (554) and points (779), power-play goals (80) and power-play points (355). He is third in Blackhawks history in assists, sixth in points and seventh in games played (938). Wilson is 15th all-time among all NHL defenseman with 827 points (237 goals, 590 assists) in 1,024 games.
Sergei Zubov
Eligibility: Since 2013
Zubov won the Stanley Cup twice, with the New York Rangers in 1994 and the Dallas Stars in 1999. He also won an Olympic gold medal in 1992. He was a Second-Team All-Star at age 35 in 2005-06 and finished his NHL career with 771 points (152 goals, 619 assists) in 1,068 games, as well as 117 points (24 goals, 93 assists) in 164 playoff games.
Curtis Joseph
Eligibility: Since 2012
Joseph has 454 wins, more than Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk (445), Jacques Plante (437), Tony Esposito (423), Glenn Hall (407), Grant Fuhr (403) and Dominik Hasek (389). However, each won the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy at least once.
Rod Brind'Amour
Eligibility: Since 2013
Brind'Amour was captain of the Carolina Hurricanes when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006. He played 20 seasons in the NHL, finished his career with 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists) in 1,484 games and won the Selke Trophy in 2006 and 2007.