The Hockey Hall of Fame 2026 class has been announced, with six new inductees. Patrice Bergeron, Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk are the newest members of this esteemed group of hockey legends. Let us discuss how they were voted in and their legacies.
Credit Image: © Leon Switzer/Southcreek/ZUMAPRESS.com
Introducing the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026! 👏#HHOF2026 #HHOF pic.twitter.com/jwTD6Q0OUL
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 22, 2026
Hockey Hall of Fame 2026 Class Announced, New Legends Enter Its Ranks
Each year, a group of 18 individuals form the selection committee to vote for a maximum of seven people who can enter the ranks of the Hockey Hall of Fame. A maximum of four male inductees, two female inductees, and one builder are eligible to be voted in every year. To be voted in, each nominee must obtain at least 14 out of the 18 possible votes from the selection committee. Ron Francis is currently the chairman of this selection committee.
Patrice Bergeron played 19 seasons, all with the Boston Bruins. He is known for his two-way style of play, making him a six-time winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL forward with the best defensive skills. That total is the most in NHL history. He also holds 12 nominations for the trophy, which is another NHL record. In 1,294 career games, he recorded 427 goals, 613 assists, for 1,040 points. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014.
Brian Burke is a hockey executive who is currently the Executive Director of the PWHLPA. His hockey operations career spans decades, working with the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He led the Ducks to a Stanley Cup win in 2007, but perhaps his most famous piece of business was drafting Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin together at the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
Cindy Curley won three silver medals for the U.S. at the World Championships in 1990, 1992 and 1994, and played for the national team from 1987 to 1996. She also had an illustrious career in the NCAA with the Providence College Friars. She had 110 goals and 115 assists for 225 points in her NCAA career.
Carey Price played 15 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and has the most wins of any goaltender in Canadiens franchise history, with 361. In 712 career games, he had a record of 361-261-79, a 2.51 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage. In 2015, he won the Ted Lindsay Award, William M. Jennings Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Hart Memorial Trophy, marking the first goaltender to win all four awards in the same season. He won Olympic Gold with Team Canada at the 2014 Olympics.
Pekka Rinne is another player who spent his whole career on one team, spending 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 and was a finalist four times. Rinne leads the Predators in wins and shutouts, and is one of 17 goaltenders to score a goal in either the regular season or the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had one Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, and finished his career with a record of 369-213-75, a 2.43 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage through 683 games.
Keith Tkachuk has made another headline for the Tkachuk family. He had an 18-year career across the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and the Atlanta Thrashers. He is one of four American players who have scored 500 goals, and is considered one of the best power forwards of his era. In 1,201 career games, he recorded 538 goals, 527 assists, for 1,065 points. He also had 2,219 career penalty minutes, marking one of just 56 players who had more than 2,000.
Congratulations to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026. These six players will now be immortalized in hockey history and add another massive honour to their already star-studded resumes.
Main Photo: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
