Price, Bergeron highlight 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class
The next wave of players to be immortalized in Toronto have been selected.
On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2026, headlined by two of the biggest names of their era.
The most notable player heading into the Hall this year is Patrice Bergeron. The Quebec native was a mainstay with the Boston Bruins after being selected in the second round of the famous 2003 NHL Draft. He went on to play 19 seasons in the league, all with the Bruins, leading the team to a Stanley Cup in 2011. On top of that, he won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward six times, as well as the King Clancy Trophy (2013) and the Mark Messier Leadership Award (2021). Bergeron is part of the Triple Gold Club, having also won gold with Canada at the 2004 IIHF Men’s World Championship and two Winter Olympics (2010, 2014), as well as the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Part of those dominant Canadian teams of the early 2010s was Carey Price. The Montreal Canadiens goaltender established himself as an all-world asset, leading Canada to gold in Sochi in 2014 and the World Cup of Hockey two years later. He also won the Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy during the 2014-15 season, becoming the first goaltender to be named MVP since Jose Theodore 13 years earlier. Price might’ve never won the big one, only helping the Habs reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, but his career will go down as one of the best in league history.
Another goaltender in this year’s class is Pekka Rinne. The Nashville Predators standout helped Smashville reach unprecedented heights during his 15 years in the NHL. Along with a standout defense, the Finnish backstop led the Preds to the final in 2017 and won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 after helping Nashville finish with the best record in the Western Conference. Rinne also won the King Clancy Trophy in 2021.
Keith Tkachuk was one of the more feisty players of his day, but he could sure put the puck in the net. The Massachusetts native would go on to score 538 goals in 1,201 games in the NHL, making stops with the Winnipeg Jets (later the Phoenix Coyotes), St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. He also helped the United States win the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996, representing his country at four Winter Games.
The lone woman in this year’s class is Cindy Curley. While she might not be as decorated as some of the other women in the HHOF, the Massachusetts native was part of the core that played for the U.S. when women’s hockey started to be recognized on the international stage. She was captain of Team USA in the first three editions of the IIHF Women’s World Championship, winning silver in 1990, 1992 and 1994.
Going into the builder’s category this year is Brian Burke. An agent, lawyer, league employee and general manager, Burke wore many hats over the past three decades. The Providence College product was the GM of the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, winning a Stanley Cup in Anaheim in 2007.