TORONTO – Scott Niedermayer, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan, Geraldine Heaney and Fred Shero are headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Niedermayer, Chelios and Shanahan were the former NHL players chosen for the class of 2013.
Heaney will be the third woman enshrined in the Hall.
Shero was selected in the builder category.
Chelios and Niedermayer made it in their first year of eligibility.
The official induction ceremony is scheduled for November.
Niedermayer won four Stanley Cups in 17 full NHL seasons to go along with a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy. He had 172 goals and 568 assists in 1,263 games and was considered one of the top defencemen of his era.
Chelios played 23 full seasons and parts of three more, taking part in his final NHL game at age 48. Arguably the best U.S.-born player, Chelios won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenceman three times.
Shanahan had 656 goals and 698 assists. He won three Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal and was the quintessential scoring power winger of his era.
Heaney was a defenceman on Canada’s gold-medal-winning team at the 2002 Olympics and is considered one of the best female players in history.
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Shero won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the expansion-era Philadelphia Flyers in 1974 and 1975 and he was seen as an innovator by coaching systems and having a playbook. He was elected to the Hall of Fame 23 years after his death.
Here are five players who have been waiting for their spot in the Hall of Fame:
Phil Housley
The second-best U.S.-born defenceman was a point-a-game player in his prime and was an offensive star during his time with the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets. Along with Paul Coffey, Housley was part of a generation of defencemen who redefined the position, paving the way for players like Erik Karlsson and Mike Green.
Paul Henderson
Henderson scored the most memorable goal in hockey history as Canada beat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series, which should get him in above all else. His NHL and WHA totals aren’t remarkable: 376 goals and 384 assists in 1,067 combined games, but his place in history should be enough to warrant induction to a place that showcases the sport’s vital moments.
Jeremy Roenick
Roenick was part of a generation of early-1990s players who helped the growth of hockey in the U.S. beyond just on-ice performance. The charismatic Roenick also had three 100-point seasons and helped the Chicago Blackhawks make the Stanley Cup final in 1992. His 513 goals and 703 assists have him on the borderline, but his nine all-star game appearances showed how popular a player he was.
Eric Lindros
A lack of longevity is the biggest argument against Lindros, but the Flyers centre was arguably the most dominant player in the NHL for a period of time. That time may have been short – somewhere around his Hart and Art Ross Trophy wins in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season – but teams around the Eastern Conference changed their rosters to combat Lindros, and that respect is Hall of Fame-worthy.
Pat Burns
Burns’ candidacy was strongest before the longtime coach’s death in 2010, but it shouldn’t be forgotten now. He won one Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, but in 12 full seasons behind the bench Burns’ team missed the playoffs just once. He won three Jack Adams Awards with three different teams.
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