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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
There’s one thing particular about Hockey Corridor of Fame Induction weekend.
It occurs yearly proper when the climate turns totally into fall mode, when the leaves are altering, the clocks have gone again and a chill within the air alerts the brand new NHL season is in full swing.
That stretch of days is firstly about celebrating one other incoming class — this yr, it was gamers Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber and Krissy Wendell-Pohl, together with Colin Campbell and David Poile within the Builders class.
The festivities additionally enable people from across the hockey world to congregate and focus on larger subjects pertaining to the NHL at giant, and what’s on their radar for his or her coming months.
And, after all, there’s theories about who can be on the Corridor of Fame listing a yr from now.
We’re diving into only a few of the themes swirling over the previous a number of days on this newest Overheard version.
Predictions for the HHOF Class of 2025
NHL GMs are used to seeing their selections dissected, and sometimes discover disagreements. So it is an train in enjoyable to play faux voter on the Hall’s selection committee and share who they might add to its hallowed floor.
“Joe Thornton could be prime of my listing for subsequent yr’s group,” one GM stated. “Duncan Keith, too.”
“I’d like to see [Carey] Value get the decision immediately,” an assistant GM stated. “Additionally [Alexander] Mogilny has waited lengthy sufficient.”
The primary three names — Thornton, Keith and Value — are all first-year eligible for the Corridor in 2025. Mogilny hasn’t gotten a name since his NHL profession led to 2006.
It is all the time a nice line balancing which gamers — female and male — deserve the handful of spots obtainable in every cycle. Contemplate Mogilny, who performed over 1,000 video games within the league, gained a Stanley Cup and is a member of the Triple Gold Club (Olympic Gold, World Championship Gold, and a Stanley Cup) that has solely 30 members. Even that hasn’t enticed the selectors to place Mogilny in — but.
He’ll have stiff competitors in 2025 given who can qualify.
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Thornton formally retired in October 2023 after final taking part in for the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. He ranks 14th all-time in NHL factors (1,539), making him one in all simply 15 gamers to crack the 1,500-point mark and one in all simply 14 to assemble 1,000 assists. Thornton’s longevity within the league — 24 seasons — can also be spectacular. He has a Hart Trophy to his identify, and is a one-time league scoring champion, in addition to an Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion and World Junior champ.
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Keith hung up his skates in July 2022 as a three-time Cup champ with the Chicago Blackhawks, having earned one Conn Smythe and two Norris Trophies. He is additionally a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada.
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Value will not technically be retired till his contract with the Montreal Canadiens expires in 2026, however he hasn’t performed a sport since 2022 as a result of lingering damage. Value spent 15 seasons in Montreal earlier than the damage set in, is the winningest goaltender within the franchise’s historical past, gained a Hart Trophy (as one in all simply seven goaltenders to ever earn that award), a Vezina Trophy, a William M. Jennings Trophy, one Lester B. Pearson Award and one Invoice Masterson Trophy. Value by no means did hoist a Cup, however he did earn aim medals with Canada on the World Juniors, World Cup and Olympics.
Different first-timers with potential to obtain votes are Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, six-time Norris Trophy finalist Zdeno Chara and long-time Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, every of them with an inventory of accomplishments worthy of consideration.
Mogilny is not the one one who’s been biding their time for the Corridor name. Jennifer Botterill (a three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion), Cassie Campbell-Pascall (two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion), Meghan Duggan (Olympic gold medalist and seven-time world champion) and Pekka Rinne (a four-time Vezina finalist and one-time winner) all have the required accolades to make it in.
And all have been talked about by brokers, former gamers and executives as ones to be careful for when subsequent yr’s class is ultimately revealed.
NHL enlargement buzz
The league’s official celebration line is that enlargement shouldn’t be prime of thoughts, and there’s no urgent must enter new markets.
Nonetheless, it is no secret the NHL intends to maintain including, in time, to its numbers with a minimum of one other group or two over the subsequent a number of years. And why not? In line with the latest report from Sportico, NHL golf equipment have by no means been extra helpful, and that enables the NHL to ask for a fair larger enlargement charge (maybe properly surpassing the $650 million Seattle doled out in 2021). The league additionally has receipts for now sturdy their enlargement groups are out of the gate: Vegas gained a Stanley Cup in its sixth season; the Kraken have been a playoff group by season two; and Utah — a relocation membership, however taking part in in a brand new market — is off to a nice begin in its new environment.
Now, the place may the NHL discover new digs? The league is not going to develop for the mere sake of it simply to get burned in the long run by one thing profitable within the brief. It will appear the NHL virtually definitely is eyeing places in america versus Canada, although.
There isn’t any doubt the league would need to re-establish a group within the Phoenix space sooner or later to proceed hockey’s development within the southern states. Just a few different cities talked about by the individuals we spoke to have been additionally the standard suspects — particularly Houston and Atlanta.
“We all know these cities can assist a number of main sports activities groups,” one govt defined. “There is a basis of curiosity in each places in bringing [the NHL] there too, and that would not exist except [potential owners] believed the fan base would get behind an NHL group. So you may hold listening to the identical locations time and again.”
One agent’s impassioned soliloquy about placing a group again in Quebec Metropolis was undeniably stimulating — “the historical past, from the group itself to the followers there; you do [expansion] the proper manner and the way may they go improper?” — however after all that metropolis’s previous monetary points (the Nordiques have been ultimately moved to Denver) and the comparatively small inhabitants (500,000 versus over six million within the Larger Atlanta space, and a pair of.3 million within the Houston space) does hinder Quebec Metropolis’s alternative (its proximity to golf equipment in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto would not assist, both).
And regardless of two former Atlanta groups — the Flames in 1980 and Thrashers in 2011 — having relocated, NHL deputy commissioner Invoice Daly has expressed optimism as just lately as final yr that earlier issues with that market may very well be “overcome” in a second go-around.
There’s not a set determine in thoughts for what number of groups the NHL will ultimately get to, however the league will not hold increasing without end. Past simply location concerns, execs warning in opposition to “diluting” the game in any manner with groups missing sufficient expertise to compete on the highest stage. The league itself would not appear involved about that risk, although, and is satisfied there may be loads of depth on the market to maintain the sport evolving.
Who will win the 4 Nations Face-off?
This upcoming match is up for grabs.
That is the prevailing knowledge across the forthcoming 4 Nations Face-off occasion, the place the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland will battle it out within the first worldwide hockey affair of its form for the reason that 2016 World Cup.
And regardless of the favored notion {that a} winner will come right down to Canada or the USA, do not sleep on Finland or Sweden to emerge as champions.
“Everybody may need it to be USA-Canada ultimately,” one exec stated, “however simply have a look at who the Swedes and Fins have of their lineups. You are not simply jogging by these groups. It’ll be enjoyable watching how every roster truly matches up.”
Past simply pondering who may emerge victorious, there have been just a few conversations that repeatedly cropped up. For instance, would Canada make room for Connor Bedard? He’ll be a part of that nation’s plans on the ice for a minimum of one other decade to return — together with on the 2026 Olympics — so may Bedard get the nod over, say, a longtime Nick Suzuki or fellow upstart in Dallas Stars middle Wyatt Johnston? Opinions have been break up on whether or not Bedard would in the end make the ultimate lower, however suffice to say his significance to Canada in the long run is below zero debate.
What is being deliberated is whether or not Canada’s goaltending can be an Achilles heel, simply as netminding seems to be one of many USA’s best strengths. In reality, there weren’t many holes anybody may punch in what the U.S. is working with from prime to backside. Given how sizzling Connor Hellebuyck has been to start out this season, the best way Jake Oettinger has come into his personal, the potential of Jeremy Swayman and the likelihood even of Thatcher Demko — that group may very well be the true difference-maker.
One level of debate for the U.S. was whether or not Tage Thompson or Cole Caufield would discover their manner into the offensive plans. Each have been projected because the group’s potential additional skater, and every brings a singular talent set that will complement the nation’s assault — however the verdict probably will depend on who else the U.S. faucets to line up forward of that thirteenth ahead.
One Hockey Corridor of Famer — chiming in anonymously — is optimistic that irrespective of who the U.S. places on the ice, they would be the group to beat within the match.
“There isn’t any large weak point there,” he stated. “Present me the place the USA would not have plain depth.”
Sweden may have it is personal considerations about learn how to fill out the third and fourth strains. Do they prioritize veterans or youth, not simply in who makes the roster however the place they line up? One exec was significantly bullish on seeing Leo Carlsson — Anaheim’s second general choose in 2023 — take a major position for the Swedes.
“Carlsson’s an thrilling participant that is not talked about sufficient as it’s,” he stated. “Highlighting him now and for what he means for Sweden [going forward] is a giant factor.”
There’s additionally the query of whether or not Gabriel Landeskog — who’s been sidelined the final two seasons following knee surgical procedure — can be obtainable to Sweden for the match. Colorado’s captain suffered a “setback” just lately within the restoration course of that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar stated wasn’t “sudden” and the group was nonetheless “hopeful” Landeskog would return sooner or later this season. Even when he may play by February, it might not be in Landeskog’s greatest curiosity anyway to leap into one thing just like the 4 Nations match.
For Finland, there’s enviable middle depth obtainable, however their protection being brief on star energy (exterior of Miro Heiskanen) may make corralling high-flying offenses a problem. The important thing although is how brief the match is. One good — or dangerous — day on the workplace could make or break the journey for any of those 4 international locations. That is why pleasure for what’s to return does really feel real, and never solely as a result of there hasn’t been a best-on-best showcase like this in years.
“Each nation has loads of nice choices,” one participant famous. “That is what’s cool about it. I do not know who will find yourself going, however you realize it will be the kind of hockey now we have been lacking for the final, like, 10 years.”
