Projecting the 2026 Hall of Fame Class: Bergeron, Price and endless possibilities
The Class of 2025 was officially enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame last night. Their sketched portraits and biographies are now permanent fixtures in hockey’s grand cathedral.
We’re quickly turning the page to 2026… and a world of possibilities.
Last year’s projection identified five potential first-ballot candidates, four of whom were inducted. Two of the Hall’s biggest omissions — Alexander Mogilny and Jennifer Botterill — were also finally rewarded. In the 2026 cycle, however, with only two strong first-ballot choices, the Selection Committee has the flexibility to honor a handful of qualified holdovers.
With secret nominations and confidential voting, speculation is part of the Hall’s cryptic history. We’re going to do our best to explore the potential new members and project the Class of 2026. Whom might the Committee choose? Consider this tiered list of candidates for the Annual Elections Meeting in June.
Reminder: There is a maximum of eight inductees each year: four Male Players; two Female Players; and two Builders (or one if a Referee/Linesperson is selected).
FIRST-BALLOT WORTHY
Patrice Bergeron
In his usual understated way, Bergeron was a hockey pioneer. Sure, there have been other universally respected shutdown guys. There have been two-way forwards who reliably impacted both ends of the ice. But no one did it as well, as long, or as consistently as Bergeron. Bob Gainey? He won his last Selke Trophy at 27 and never topped 47 points in a season. A different player for a different era. Sergei Fedorov? He stopped earning serious Selke votes in his mid-20s. Bergeron, meanwhile, was a Selke finalist each of his last twelve seasons — from 26 through 37-years-old — winning the trophy a record six times. He’s the award’s only three-time winner that reached 400 goals or 1,000 points. Bergeron is one of one, the archetype of a coach’s dream. The career Boston Bruin should be an easy choice for first-ballot induction.
Noora Räty
Kim St-Pierre (2020) remains the only female goaltender in the Hall of Fame. Whether it’s on the first ballot or not, Räty should become the first female European goalie. No woman has won Best Goalie at the World Championships more than twice. Räty won the award five times. She first earned the honor at age 17, while her fifth award arrived a month before her 30th birthday. Räty’s 10 goalie wins are the most in Olympic history, where she led Team Finland to two bronze medals, a notable feat given the Canada/USA stranglehold on gold and silver.
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
Carey Price
A year ago, I left Price out of the first-ballot worthy section. In a stacked class with newcomers Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara, and Duncan Keith, it was easy to see Price getting lost in the mix. That’s what happened. Statistically, Price’s case is far from perfect — he mixed in some down seasons with the brilliant ones, was physically out of gas by 32, and Montreal‘s elusive 25th Stanley Cup didn’t materialize. PPS, my Hall of Fame worthiness metric, scores him at 299 versus a standard of 293. Peak Price, however, was legendary. From 2013 to 2017: .928 save percentage; Hart, Vezina, Lindsay Trophies; 10-0 record in Olympic and World Cup action. I’d be shocked if Price, an immense talent, wasn’t inducted next year.
OTHER NOTABLE FIRST-TIMERS
Eric Staal
There are lesser players than Staal in the Hall of Fame. In a neutral scoring era, he would have topped 500 goals and approached 1,200 points. The longtime Carolina Hurricane won a Stanley Cup at 21 and was a key part of Canada’s 2010 Olympic gold. But Staal never finished top 15 in Hart voting after his sophomore year. He scored six postseason goals after his 25th birthday. He never got another call to a best-on-best event. PPS has Staal at 214 against a forward standard of 217 — borderline and outside the Hall’s edges. That feels right. Contemporaries Henrik Zetterberg (237), Ryan Getzlaf (228), Patrick Marleau (218), and Rick Nash (216) top Staal in PPS and have better or equally compelling cases.
Amanda Kessel
For a time, Kessel was on the short list of best players on the planet. Among those with 40-plus World Championship games, she’s 9th in points-per-game (1.37). The eight above her? Seven Hall of Famers and G.O.A.T. candidate Hilary Knight. Where Kessel’s case goes murky is that between a serious concussion, other injuries, boycotting with the players’ union, and last suiting up at 31, her post-college career was short. Such ‘what-if’ career types — call it the Eric Lindros version — are consistently rewarded in the Male Player category. But with just 14 female players elected, only the most iconic women have plaques so far. As the Hall fills its female backlog, Kessel’s career should get further consideration.
Phil Kessel
Amanda’s brother, Phil, is no slouch, either. The Every Man Iron Man is a fun case. Kessel shrugged convention to exceptional heights. Criticized for his fitness, he played a record 1,064 consecutive games. Pushed out of Boston and Toronto, he went to Pittsburgh, scored 45 playoff points and won two Cups. Kessel scores 207 in PPS, more Hall of Very Good than Hall of Fame. But even his toughest critic would bump his career up for the iron man feat, Conn Smythe-level playoff runs, and Best Forward nod in Sochi. My gut says that such a polarizing player won’t earn 14 Yes votes from the current 18-person Selection Committee. But I think there’s some hope that a future Committee of his peers might one day advocate for Phil.
Rebecca Johnston
While she didn’t have Amanda’s Kessel’s dominant peak, Johnston was a relentless, enduring fixture for Team Canada for 16 years. The only Canadian forwards to play in more World Championships than her 11 events? Marie-Philip Poulin (15) and Hall of Famers Hayley Wickenheiser (13), Jayna Hefford (12), and Caroline Ouellette (12). A tenacious force, Johnston is tied for eighth all-time in Olympic points (26) and ranks 23rd in World Championship points (48). With so few women inducted to date, the bar remains extremely high. Respected, well-rounded players with big career totals cruise into the Hall on the men’s side.
Other first-timer shoutouts: two-time playoff points leader David Krejci; 319-game winner Craig Anderson; two-time Jennings winner Jaroslav Halak; 1,000-game club members Paul Stastny, Jakub Voracek, Josh Bailey, Wayne Simmonds, Alex Edler, Derick Brassard; two-time Cup winner Patric Hornqvist
THE PEOPLE’S PICKS
My social media mentions are a frequent hub for fans and media to name drop popular holdover candidates — these are common mainstream picks.
Henrik Zetterberg
Zetterberg continues to headline Most Deserving Players on the Outside conversations. Without context, his totals look light: 337 goals, 960 points. But in a neutral era, that’s 1,069 points in 1,111 games — a career 79-point pace as a two-way weapon. A Triple Gold club member and Conn Smythe winner, Zetterberg has a strong case. PPS scores him at 237 in the Qualified tier, the #6 forward among Hall holdovers.
Sergei Gonchar
I’m a longtime backer of Gonchar’s candidacy, outlined here in this 2023 piece. He is a brilliant mind and talent whose excellence is lost from playing the Hall’s most under-represented position in the most offensively suppressed era since expansion. Gonchar’s got the highest PPS (281) among eligible blueliners — above recent first-ballot defenders Zdeno Chara (279), Duncan Keith (258), and Shea Weber (257). It’s time to elect Gonchar. This is a perfect year to make it happen.
Shannon Szabados
Eligible since 2022, Szabados is arguably the greatest physical talent and best puck stopper in women’s hockey history. She played against men at the junior, college, and professionals levels. With an 8-1 record in three Olympic Games, Szabados posted a comical .959 save percentage as two-time Best Goaltender. If Raty enters on the first go, Szabados would be a fantastic choice to join her and Price in a stacked goalie class.
Curtis Joseph
I’ve been pumping Cujo’s tires for a while now. By PPS, he’s the #1 most overlooked goalie, his score of 322 comfortably exceeding the standard by 30. Absent a Vezina (he finished top-five on five occasions) or Stanley Cup (same with Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist), Joseph’s long and elite career remains lost amidst the legends of his prime (Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur).
Keith Tkachuk
Playing the ‘if this person is already inducted’ game can lead to poor choices through shaky degrees of separation. But Jeremy Roenick’s 2024 induction, a worthy and ultimately celebrated choice, should make Big Walt’s call a formality. Tkachuk led the NHL in goals in 1996-97 and his 538 goals (35th all-time) equate to 584 in a neutral era (27th all-time). By PPS, it’s Tkachuk 257 to Roenick’s 246. Both are qualified.
Meghan Duggan
With Botterill elected, there are many women up for most glaring exclusion. Duggan is a popular choice. Duggan’s per-game numbers don’t sizzle but her résumé and impact do. Kazmaier Award. Three NCAA titles. Seven consecutive World Championship gold medals. Captain of 2018 Olympic gold team. Face of Team USA’s near-boycott of the 2017 World Championship seeking fair support for the program. Maybe your pick is Julie Chu? Or Meghan Agosta? Or Karen Bye? Or Jenny Potter? Or Maria Rooth? The female holdover candidates are on another level compared to the male candidates in 2026.
Rod Brind’Amour
I’ve warmed on Brind’Amour’s case. Not on his playing career in isolation, to be clear. By High Noon — my equivalent of golf’s world rankings — Brind’Amour peaked as the #27 forward in the NHL. His PPS is 202, firmly in the Hall of Very Good tier. But it would be a positive, precedent-setting move to elect The Bod as a Builder. Would that make him The Body Builder? Bad jokes aside, the Hall’s current by-laws separate playing and non-playing careers. But if an overall hockey life is worthy — across playing and coaching/executive careers — let’s call them a Builder and move on.
THE HIPSTER’S PICKS
If you know, you know. With proper context, these candidates are worthy. The future ‘Tim Raines’ Hall of Famers that require an open mind to validate.
Patrik Elias
Quietly, Elias was the best offensive player on a Devils‘ core that made three Cup Finals in four years, winning twice. If you’re after sexy totals, Elias isn’t your man. He played at the worst possible time on the worst possible team for scoring. In a neutral era, his stat line is much different: six 30-goal seasons; four 80-point seasons; career highs of 45 goals and 104 points; career totals of 464 goals and 1,144 points. All while being the two-way conscience of a defensive juggernaut that finished top-10 in goals against each of his first 15 seasons. By PPS, he’s comfortably qualified, parked between Jonathan Toews and Roenick.
Peter Bondra
File Bondra in the Wrong Place, Wrong Time folder for snipers. Had the Richard Trophy been created four years earlier, the electric Washington winger would have two in his living room. Bondra scored at a 44-goal pace over a full decade, a long and impressive run of world-class sniping. Perhaps most impressive? Among the 410 members of the 1,000 game club, Bondra ranks fifth in era adjusted goals-per-game (0.49)… wedged between Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky!
Tomas Vokoun
Yes, really. Believe it or not, Vokoun’s career body of work is nearly indistinguishable from Price’s.
Now that you’re cleaning the coffee off your screen, let’s dig in.
Price had an MVP year, a special international career, and a couple of memorable playoff runs. Vokoun got minimal Vezina love, won nine playoff games, and his Czechia teams weren’t best-on-best heavyweights. But there’s little evidence Price was a better goalie. Hidden in Nashville and Florida, Vokoun’s excellent career earned little fanfare. Yet, he saved 171 goals above NHL average for his shot load (to Price’s 103). That’s 16th-most in NHL history. He was top-five in NHL save percentage four times (to Price’s two). Vokoun also won two World Championships, going 21-5-1 with a bonkers .942 save percentage at the event over his career. Vokoun’s not going to the Hall soon. But maybe he deserves a look…
John LeClair
I’ve highlighted Big John’s dominant prime before. It bears repeating: over a six-season window from 1995-2000, LeClair scored at a 48-goal pace in the Dead Puck Era. That same output scaled to Glenn Anderson’s prime? Seasons of 58, 65, 67, 77, 64, and 58 goals — a total of 389 goals in six seasons, or 65 per year. Outside of this period, LeClair’s career was light as he got a late start (four-year NCAA career) and early finish (chronic injuries). But he found time for heroics. LeClair had two overtime goals in the 1993 Cup Finals and a tournament All-Star team nod in the 1996 World Cup — USA’s only best-on-best title.
PREVIOUSLY OVERLOOKED
Patrick Marleau: No, Marleau was never elite. He did finish fourth and sixth in goals, scoring 44 once. But he reached 80 points only twice despite rarely missing a game. He was good enough to impact two Olympic gold-winning rosters and hung around to score 566 goals in the most games in NHL history (1,779). PPS says he’s right at the standard (+1). I sense few will be excited or disappointed if Marleau slips in one day.
Ryan Getzlaf: Like Price, Getzlaf was lost on a crowded first ballot in 2024. Unlike Marleau, however, the career Anaheim Duck was elite, the runner-up to Sidney Crosby for the Hart and Ross Trophies in his signature 2013-14 season. His postseason numbers — 120 points in 125 games — and three best-on-best international titles are notable separators. At 228 in PPS, Getzlaf isn’t a slam dunk but sits a solid +11 over the standard. He’s a safe bet to eventually enter the Hall.
Florence Schelling: Eligible since 2021, Schelling’s case is Hall-worthy. Her emergence on the Swiss national team at 15 years old (!) delivered a 15-year run of relevance to the program. Schelling had a superb NCAA career (.940 save percentage), but her greatest feats were carrying Switzerland to 2012 World Championship bronze (Best Goaltender) and 2014 Sochi bronze (Tournament MVP). Schelling has a goalie-record 44 Olympic outings (.924 save percentage) and is second to Raty in Olympic wins (9).
Ryan Miller: Miller was famously cooking in 2009-10 — Vezina, fourth in Hart balloting, Olympic MVP. By PPS, he sits right on the borderline and only Joseph, John Vanbiesbrouck, and Price rate above him in the overlooked goalie rankings. But with Vezina votes just twice in 18 years, Miller may not capture the imagination.
1970s & 1980s Swedish trailblazers: The Hall has never known what to do with top European talent that first arrived in North America. With careers weaved across home countries, the WHA, and the NHL, many of the world’s one-time best are the victims of awkward splits. Three Swedes come to mind. Whether current Committee member Anders Hedberg (four 50-goal, 100-point WHA seasons), Kent ‘The Magic Man’ Nilsson (900 points in 711 games in North America), or Håkan Loob (Triple Gold Club), there are strong candidates. As part of a little-known balloting clause, should there be fewer players selected than the allowable max, the Committee votes only on nominated candidates eligible for 15-plus years. It’s often why we get the odd throwback choice out of nowhere. In a year low on fresh blood, one of these pioneers could get a surprise call.
BUILDER CATEGORY
Danièle Sauvageau became the Hall’s first female Builder in 2025. But perhaps the best Builder candidate of any gender remains 74-year-old Fran Rider. A member of the Order of Canada, Rider is widely considered the most impactful person in the evolution of women’s hockey. The Committee has elected women at a snail’s pace historically, however, making it difficult to expect consecutive female choices in the category.
So, I’m going to suggest two unique additions on the men’s side. First, Francois Allaire, likely the most influential goalie coach in hockey history. Allaire’s methods revolutionized the position, first in Quebec and eventually globally through famed pupil Patrick Roy. Now 70, Allaire was on the staff of three Cup winners — Roy’s Habs in 1986 and 1993 and J-S Giguere’s Ducks in 2007.
It’s been 11 years since an on-ice official was inducted, one of only two in the 21st century. Why have the category if there’s no longer a sincere attempt to use it? To the chagrin of 1990s Leafs’ fans, I’ll pitch referee Kerry Fraser. The famously well-coifed zebra still holds the NHL record with over 1,900 career games and was assigned a dozen Stanley Cup Finals.
ELECT JAGR?
A regular online movement emerges annually when Jagr extends his career, most recently in October for his 38th professional season.
The earliest Jagr can now be inducted to the @HockeyHallFame is 2029… when’s he’s 57. 😂
By then, Mario Lemieux will have been a Hall of Famer for *checks notes* 32 YEARS…. The former linemates are only 7 years apart in age. #LetsGoPens https://t.co/HufD9JGdYw
Since 1999, the Hall’s by-laws prevent the Committee from allowing anyone to skip the line, except in unique humanitarian situations. I’ve written before about who deserves the exemption, if it were still allowable. But should there be a rule change to elect Jagr now? Or uphold the wait?
I love the wait. After all, Jagr’s 53 years-old, not 93-years-old. It’s become a universally cool thing to watch him soldier on into his 50s. As his career extends and the wait grows, it only adds to Jags’ legend. In PPS, he’s the #5 most Hall-worthy forward ever behind Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Crosby, and Gordie Howe. What’s a few more years for what will be one of the most hyped inductions ever?
PREDICTED CLASS OF 2026
- Patrice Bergeron (1st year)
- Carey Price (2nd year)
- Sergei Gonchar (9th year)
- Kent Nilsson (26th year)
- Noora Räty (1st year)
- Meghan Duggan (6th year)
- Francois Allaire (Builder)
- Kerry Fraser (Referee)
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES: STATISTICAL SUMMARY
All-time PPS leaderboards: Top 1,500 Forwards; Top 1,000 Defensemen; Top 400 Goaltenders
Data from Hockey-Reference; Quant Hockey; Elite Prospects
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