The Hockey Hall Of Fame has announced its 2023 class of inductees, which includes Ken Hitchcock, Mike Vernon, and Henrik Lundqvist.
2023 Inductees
Ken Hitchcock, Pierre Lacroix, Tom Barrasso, Pierre Turgeon, Mike Vernon, Henrik Lundqvist and Caroline Ouellette have been selected to the Class of 2023 for the Hockey Hall of Fame. https://t.co/Z5pPVufINM
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 21, 2023
The 2023 draft class this year includes a whopping three goalies: recently retired Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, and Mike Vernon. The class includes 4-time Olympic gold medallist Caroline Ouellette, Pierre Turgeon, Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and General Manager Pierre Lacroix.
Goalies
Although “King Henrik” could never achieve that elusive Stanley Cup, he has achieved what most could not: being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The former New York Rangers and Washington Capitals goalie was one of the last remaining players picked 205th overall, becoming the Rangers starter in the 2006-2007 season. Over the course of his career, he had a .918 SV%, 2.43 GAA, and a 459-310-96 record. He made the finals once in 2014, losing in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings.
Mike Vernon was a Netminder for the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks, and Florida Panthers. he backstopped the Flames to the 1989 Stanley Cup championship, stopping the dominant Patrick Roy-led Montreal Canadiens, who won three years prior. He was the 1B to Chris Osgood and the Detroit Red Wings to the 1997 Stanley Cup championship. Vernon had a career 2.98 GAA, 0.890 Sv%, and a record of 385-273-92.
Tom Barrasso was the longtime goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. He was the backstop during the Penguins’ glory years, winning the cup in 1991 and 1992. Barrasso would win the Calder Memorial Trophy, the Vezina Trophy, and the William M. Jennings Trophy in his career, putting up a lifetime 0.892 SV%, 3.24 GAA, with a record of 369-277-86.
The Players
Although it might be a surprising pick, Pierre Turgeon was an offensive threat throughout his lengthy NHL career. Turgeon played for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and the Colorado Avalanche. Turgeon Recorded 515 goals, 812 assists for 1327 points in 1294 games. He never managed to capture the elusive Stanley Cup, but he did win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1991-1992. He also recorded multiple 100 plus point seasons, including a 132 point season in 1992-1993 with the New York Islanders.
Caroline Ouellette was one of Canada’s best in the Winter Olympics on the women’s ice hockey team. Winning four straight golds from 2002 to 2014, She dominated in terms of points, putting up 6, 9 and 11 point performances in 5 games through three Olympics. Though, she did not record any points in 2014. She spent the majority of her career in her hometown of Montreal, playing for the Wingstars/Canadiennes in the NWHL and the CWHL, recording an average of 60 points in around 27 games a year. She also has won six world championship golds, 6 world championship silvers, one NCAA Championship, and four NWHL Championships.
The Builders
Ken Hitchcock was a longtime coach for several different teams in the NHL, but most notably for the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. Although he has been hired and fired a lot, he still has a resume that looks good to a lot of teams. He is a World Cup of Hockey champion, three-time Olympic Gold Medallist, world Junior championship gold medallist, world championship silver medallist, Brian Killrea award winner, Jack Adams Award winner, two-time WHL Champion, and two-time Dunc McCallum Memorial Award Winner.
Pierre Lacroix was named General Manager of the Quebec Nordiques in 1994 and became the architect of one of hockey’s scariest dynasties. He won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and 2001. he saw the team through from the beginning,m until resigning at the end of the 2013/2014 season. He passed away in 2020 from COVID-19. His family will collect the honours posthumously. Rest in Peace, Pierre. You are now a Hall of Famer.
MAIN PHOTO: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
