Why the Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was perfect, and what it means for the future

Paul Pidutti
Paul Pidutti(AdjustedHockey)
Jun 25, 2025, 09:58 EDT
Joe Thornton
Credit: Nov 23, 2024; San Jose, California; San Jose Sharks former player Joe Thornton waves to the crowd at a ceremony honoring him and retiring his number 19 jersey before a game between the San Jose Sharks and the Buffalo Sabres at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Pool Photo via Imagn Images

There are a lot of complaints about every Hall of Fame. As the very unofficial, self-appointed gatekeeper of hockey’s hallowed Hall, I willingly absorb everyone’s opinions, causes, and beefs year round.

It’s a lot of fun, I swear.

Kidding aside, how can a not-for-profit museum serve the interests of every fan, media member, corporate partner, player, and executive spanning multiple generations across the globe? It can’t. And frankly, sometimes our institutions disappoint us. But sometimes… they nail it. Tuesday’s announcement of the Class of 2025 was a brilliant day for the Selection Committee and for hockey.

Players Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara, Brianna Decker, Jennifer Botterill, Duncan Keith and Alexander Mogilny, and Builders Danièle Sauvageau and Jack Parker, got life-altering phone calls yesterday.

We’re here to deliver the key takeaways from a successful election cycle and to sneak a first glimpse at what we might expect for the Class of 2026.

✅ #1. The maximum 8 inductees were elected for the first time.

Starting in 2010, the Hall of Fame placed caps on the number of choices per year — a maximum four male players, two female players and two Builders (one can be a Referee/Linesperson). 2025 is the first year the Selection Committee has used all eight slots.

The Hall has been criticized for being too inclusive in the past, thereby lowering its standard. Despite the eight phone calls made, this was not one of those years. The list of eligible candidates was a deep group. There were clear choices (Thornton, Chara, Decker, Keith), past wrongs to right (Mogilny, Botterill), and impactful hockey lives to reward (Sauvageau, Parker).

November 2025’s induction ceremony will feature the most inductees (eight) since 1993 and the most players (six) since 1966 — each under much different selection rules. Tighten up those speeches, folks.

✅ #2. Four players were elected on the first ballot for only the third time.

This is a stacked group. For my money, it’s the best Player class since at least 2015.

The three first-ballot NHL choices were like scoring an empty net goal for the Committee. By PPS, my comprehensive Hall of Fame worthiness metric, Thornton ranks #30 among forwards, while Chara and Keith rank #25 and #32, respectively, among defensemen. Team USA star Decker has the best points-per-game in IIHF World Championship play (minimum 25 games) among women debuting since 1999.

The two prior classes with four first-ballot picks will be tough to ever match:

  • 2007: Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Mark Messier, Scott Stevens
  • 2009: Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman

✅ #3. The two biggest player omissions were finally rectified.

The choices of Mogilny (17th year of eligibility) and Botterill (12th) are music to a Hall of Fame aficionado’s ears. Having advocated for each player — from both a statistical and impact perspective — it was satisfying to see their names called. No matter how long someone has waited, the Selection Committee should always induct the best available players. That’s what they did here.

Adjusted to era, Mogilny was the only point-per-game scorer (minimum 700 career games) denied a spot in the Hall. His pioneering role through his harrowing defection only added gas to the fire his extended snubbing had taken on publicly. Botterill, still the NCAA point-scoring leader, was a force on Team Canada’s most dominant run over its American rivals — 13 of 15 titles won from 1999 to 2007.

✅ #4. The first ever female Builder was elected.

The ratio of Players to Builders among men is about 5-to-2. Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, there had been 12 female players inducted without a single Builder. Longtime NHL executives, GMs, and coaches have always found their way into the Hall. But the Committee somehow hadn’t identified a single female pioneer, coach, or administrator to reward since the women’s game was first validated by the Hall 15 years ago.

Team Canada fixture Sauvageau’s selection breaks yet another barrier in a career full of them. Involved in seven Olympic Games in various roles, she coached the program to its first Olympic gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. She was also the first female coach in QMJHL history, all while juggling a 33-year career as a police officer and investigator. Yes, really. We can assume her Olympic counterpart on the men’s side, the late Pat Quinn, was not fighting crime to pay the bills.

With the early success of the PWHL, women’s hockey is at a tipping point. A female Builder entering the Hall can only add further visibility of the determination by those that have fought to grow the sport.

✅ #5. Someone outside the NHL and international hockey was elected.

Critics often claim that it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame, but rather the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s a reminder that hockey exists outside North American professional action. Admittedly, selections from the junior hockey or college ranks can seem arbitrary as the individuals are often icons of a certain league or region. Think Brian Kilrea (2003), Clare Drake (2017), or Jerry York (2019).

But there are a wealth of long and rich hockey lives with stories that seem to stumble onto the Committee’s radar every few years. Jack Parker is one of them. A 47-year fixture at Boston University, Parker’s teams won three NCAA titles — his first and last were an unfathomable 31 years apart (1978, 1995, and 2009).

What’s the right frequency or criteria for builders outside the NHL? Your guess is as good as mine. But the consensus was that Parker hit the mark as a deserving candidate.

✅ #6. Public polling went 5-for-6 on player choices.

From comprehensive player polling I’d conducted on X on Monday, the public selected all four male players correctly and plucked Botterill as one of the two female picks. Decker finished a very close fourth among women. While this cycle featured a few big-name options, the public success rate was an interesting result.

🔮 The Future

The eight newest members have a lot to look forward to, their Hall of Fame journeys ultimately cresting this November with a place in the plaque room in Toronto. In the meantime, it’s never too early to look forward to the Class of 2026 and beyond. Here’s the scoop:

  • Patrice Bergeron is the only surefire NHL addition to the ballot next year. While you can make cases for Phil Kessel or Eric Staal, neither figures to garner serious consideration in the short term.

  • This leaves up to three open spots for male players. Assuming Bergeron lands a spot on the first try, there’s ample room for past candidates. Carey Price and Ryan Getzlaf, lost amidst this year’s strong new options, figure to get a closer look. The Hall has done an excellent job clearing the backlog of qualified talent (Mogilny, Jeremy Roenick, Pierre Turgeon, Tom Barrasso, Daniel Alfredsson) in the last four years. Among longtime holdovers, Keith Tkachuk has gained more public momentum. Given longevity has tended to win out over time, all-time games recordholder Patrick Marleau could garner some attention.

  • Here are the top holdovers by position ranked by their PPS score versus the methodology’s standard. Of course, there’s more to a Hall of Fame career than statistics alone. While many of the next men up may not meet your personal criteria, PPS helps act as a neutral starting point for consideration.

  • Noora Räty will headline the female player ballot in 2026. Given the talent gap between Canada, USA, and the rest of the world, comparing goaltending is a challenge in international women’s hockey. Räty, named top goaltender at the World Championships five times and with sparkling numbers at every level, will get the Committee’s consideration. The Hall has elected only one female goalie (Kim St-Pierre, 2020) and one European (Riikka Sallinen, 2022). Räty would capably cover both underrepresented demographics.

Closing Thoughts

Tuesday was a great day for hockey. Eight icons rightfully got their calls to immortality. For the rest of their days, each will enter every room and rink as one of the 445 individuals awarded the label Hockey Hall of Famer. Finding issue with the choices would be nitpicking. A round of applause to the Selection Committee for a job well done. This particular group understood the assignment, delivering a credible, deserving, and representative Class of 2025 that showcases our great game.

Follow @AdjustedHockey on X; visit www.adjustedhockey.com

Hall of Fame Content by Paul Pidutti

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