Datsyuk, Roenick, Weber, Darwitz highlight Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2024

A standout group has been announced to be enshrined in hockey immortality.

On Tuesday, Mike Gartner, Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, unveiled the induction class of 2024, featuring former NHL stars and legends in the women’s game. Former players Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, Natalie Darwitz, and Krissy Wendell-Pohl will have their names added to the long list of members in the hall in downtown Toronto.

Datsyuk and Weber are being inducted in their first years of eligibility.

Former general manager David Poile and current NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell will be added to the Hall of Fame in the Builder category.

“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these hockey legends as Honoured Members,” Gartner said in a release. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”

Datsyuk was one of the most dynamic players to ever grace the ice. The 1998 sixth-round pick made an immediate splash with the Detroit Red Wings, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2002. The Yekaterinburg, Russia native was one of the leaders on the 2008 team that won the franchise’s 11th Cup. Datsyuk won the Lady Byng Trophy four times, and was a three-time winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, establishing himself as one of the best two-way players in the game. In 953 NHL games, Datsyuk scored 314 goals and 604 assists. He also won gold with the Olympic Athletes of Russia at the 2018 Olympics.

One of the best male American players, Roenick became one of the most underrated scorers with the Chicago Blackhawks, helping the team advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 1992. After eight seasons in the Windy City, Roenick joined the Phoenix Coyotes, helping the young franchise establish itself. The Boston native also played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. A consistent presence on the U.S. Men’s National Team, Roenick won silver with Team USA at the 2002 Olympics.

One of the most feared blueliners in his era, thanks to his booming shot and tough defensive play, Weber was a presence dating back to his junior hockey days. After winning a Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets in 2004, Weber became one of the top defensemen in the NHL with the Nashville Predators, serving six seasons as captain. He was eventually traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, and was a big part of the Habs team that made it to the Final in 2021.

The British Columbia native was on the Canadian teams that won Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. Weber is part of a select group of players who have won the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships, World Juniors, World Championship and Olympics.

Darwitz was one of the best leaders in women’s hockey, both on and off the ice. The Saint Paul, Minnesota native played at the University of Minnesota, helping the Golden Gophers win the national in 2005 by scoring the game-winning goal in the title game against Harvard. The IIHF Hall of Famer played on the U.S. National Team for more than a decade, representing her country in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Olympic Games, taking home silver in 2002 and 2010. Along with being a three-time world champion, Darwitz captained Team USA from 2008 to 2010.

The Eagan High School grad also built a champion as an executive. As general manager of PWHL Minnesota, Darwitz put together the team that went on to win the first-ever Walter Cup.

Wendell-Pohl was one of the most efficient scorers during a great rise of women’s hockey players in the United States. Along with Darwitz, she became a national champion at the University of Minnesota in 2005, becoming the first player in program history to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best women’s college hockey player. With Team USA, she scored 106 goals in 147 games, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2005 IIHF Women’s World Championship Game, helping the Americans win gold at the tournament for the first time. Wendell-Pohl was a six-time world champion, winning silver with the U.S. at the 2002 Olympics.

Following his playing career, Poile first became an NHL executive with the expansion Atlanta Flames in 1972. He would move with the team when they headed to Calgary in 1980, before taking the general manager role with the Washington Capitals in 1982. After 15 years on the job, he was named the first general manager of the Nashville Predators, where he remained until 2023. The USA Hockey Hall of Famer is the winningest GM in NHL history.

Campbell has been involved in the game in all sorts of roles. After 12 years of pro hockey, which saw him on the Vancouver Canucks team that made it to the 1982 Stanley Cup Final, he became a coach, serving as an associate coach on the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers team. The Tillsonburg, Ontario native has worked with the NHL in his current role for a quarter-century.

The Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is scheduled for Monday, November 11.