Iginla, Hossa, Mogilny among possibilities for Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Gonchar, Alfredsson, Elias also among those who could be under consideration
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Hayley Wickenheiser,
Sergei Zubov
,
Vaclav Nedomansky
,
Guy Carbonneau
, Jim Rutherford and Jerry York were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.
It's time to move on to the class of 2020, and the list of potential player candidates is long, sprinkled with a few first-time candidates and littered with several deserving people who have been waiting and hoping for their Hall call.
Who could be next?
Jarome IginlaEligibility: First year
Iginla, the former Calgary Flames captain, is one of the most decorated players in NHL history never to win the Stanley Cup. He finished his 20-season career with 1,300 points (625 goals, 675 assists) in 1,554 games. He is 14th all-time in games played, tied for 16th in goals with Hall of Famer Joe Sakic, 34th in points and ninth in game-winning goals (101). Iginla won the Art Ross Trophy and Rocket Richard Trophy in 2001-02, when he had NHL-leading totals of 96 points and 52 goals. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy again in 2003-04 with 41 goals, tied for the League lead with Rick Nash and Ilya Kovalchuk. He had 12 straight full NHL seasons with 30 or more goals from 2000-14 (excluding the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season). Internationally, Iginla won gold at the Olympics in 2002 and 2010, the IIHF World Championship in 1997, the IIHF World Junior Championship in 1996 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2004.
Who will make up next year's Hall of Fame class?
Marian HossaEligibility: First year
Hossa was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015). He also reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. He is the only player to appear in the Cup Final in three straight seasons with three different teams. Hossa, whose career was cut short because of a skin condition, finished with 1,134 points (525 goals, 609 assists) in 1,309 games. He was an eight-time 30-goal scorer, including a three-time 40-goal scorer. He is 35th all-time in goals, tied for 45th in plus/minus (plus-245) with Hall of Famer Clark Gillies and tied for 27th in game-winning goals (85) with Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson.
Patrik EliasEligibility: Second year
Elias holds New Jersey Devils records for most 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). He also has the most goals (45), assists (80), points (125), power-play goals (21), power-play points (52) and shots on goal (444) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Devils. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003 but never won a major individual NHL award.
Sergei GoncharEligibility: Third year
Zubov's induction could pave the way for Gonchar, who finished his career in 2015 with 811 points (220 goals, 591 assists) in 1,301 games, an average of 0.62 points per game. He is 17th all-time among NHL defensemen in points and 10th in power play points (427). He had 50 or more points in eight seasons. Zubov is 20th among defensemen in points with 771 (152 goals, 619 assists) in 1,068 games, an average of 0.72 points per game. He is 11th in power play points among defensemen (408). He also had 50 or more points in eight seasons. Gonchar won the Stanley Cup in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zubov won the Cup twice, in 1994 with the New York Rangers and in 1999 with the Dallas Stars.
Daniel AlfredssonEligibility: Fourth year
Alfredsson had 1,157 points (444 goals, 713 assists) in 1,246 games during an 18-season career. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2006 and got a silver in 2014 with Sweden. He also won the Calder Trophy in 1996 as the League's top rookie. But Alfredsson never won the Stanley Cup or another major award.
Rod Brind'AmourEligibility: Eighth year
Brind'Amour won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Now the Hurricanes coach, he had 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists) in 1,484 games. He was the Selke Trophy winner in 2006 and 2007 and is considered one of the best defensive forwards of his generation.
Jeremy RoenickEligibility: Ninth year
Roenick had 1,216 points (513 goals, 703 assists) in 1,363 games. Iginla and Pierre Turgeon are the only eligible candidates with more career points. Roenick had three straight seasons of at least 103 points from 1991-94 and four straight seasons of 41 or more goals from 1990-94, including back to back seasons with more than 50 goals (1991-93). He scored at least 30 goals three more times. Roenick, though, never won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal or an individual NHL award.
Curtis JosephEligibility: Ninth year
Joseph has 454 wins, more wins than Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk (445), Jacques Plante (437), Tony Esposito (423), Glenn Hall (407), Grant Fuhr (403) and Dominik Hasek (389). They all won the Stanley Cup at least once, though. Joseph never won the Stanley Cup or the Vezina Trophy.
Pierre TurgeonEligibility: 10th year
Turgeon had 1,327 points (515 goals, 812 assists) in 1,294 games; it's the most points of any eligible player not already in the Hall of Fame. He also had 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 109 playoff games. However, Turgeon never won the Stanley Cup and his only major individual award was the Lady Byng Trophy in 1993 season.
Alexander MogilnyEligibility: 12th year
If Paul Kariya (Class of 2017) is in the Hall of Fame, it stands to reason Mogilny should be too. Mogilny played 990 NHL games, one more than Kariya, and had 71 more goals (473-402) and 43 more points (1,032-989). Mogilny won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000 while Kariya never won the Cup. They each won gold medals at the Olympics (Mogilny with the Soviet Union in 1988, Kariya with Canada in 2002), the World Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1994) and the World Junior Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1993).
Theo FleuryEligibility: 12th year
Fleury is another one who should look at Kariya's induction in 2017 as a sign he could get in. He had 1,088 points (455 goals, 633 assists) in 1,084 games and played 15 seasons at 5-foot-6, 182 pounds. Fleury won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and an Olympic gold with Canada in 2002. He never won an individual NHL award. Another comparable is Pavel Bure, who was inducted in 2012. Bure had 779 points (437 goals, 342 assists) in 702 games and never won the Stanley Cup.
Kevin LoweEligibility: 20th year
Lowe has the backing of former Edmonton Oilers teammates and Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr. The defenseman is a six-time Stanley Cup champion and played in the NHL All-Star Game seven times. He had 431 points (84 goals, 347 assists) in 1,254 games. He also had 58 points (10 goals, 48 assists) in 214 playoff games. Lowe never won the Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman, but he was considered one of the best defensemen of his generation and a key cog in the Oilers' 1980s dynasty.
Doug WilsonEligibility: 25th year
Wilson, the San Jose Sharks general manager, won the Norris Trophy in 1982, 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), points (779), power-play goals (80), power-play points (355), shorthanded goals (nine) and game-winning goals (22). Wilson is 15th all-time among NHL defenseman with 827 points (237 goals, 590 assists) in 1,024 games. He never won the Stanley Cup.
Boris MikhailovEligibility: 37th year
Aleksander Yakushev's induction in 2018 could pave the way for Mikhailov, who is 75 years old and was the right wing on the Soviet Union's top line with Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov. He was the captain of the Soviet national team from 1972-80. He won Olympic gold in 1972 and 1976, and gold at the World Championship eight times.
