Hall of Fame 2033: Predicting the Next Decade of Inductees

Credit: Oct 26, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) and right wing Patrick Kane (88) talk against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the year 2033.

People are still talking about Connor McDavid’s 15 points in four elimination games in that legacy-defining comeback back in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Ryan Reynolds finally bought the Vancouver Canucks, giving him ownership of the entire Pacific Division.

Marie-Philip Poulin is the GM of PWHL Montreal now, having scored the winning goal in five Olympics.

And the Toronto Maple Leafs are still deciding whether trading Mitch Marner is the right move as they set up the press conference for his retirement speech.

The Idea

Last June, we ran a similar projection and it was a lot of fun. The difference? That 10-year plan sought to serve as a road map for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Based on years of research and statistical analysis, it was a list of who should get elected. The Selection Committee must have read the article, as each of long-retired Pierre Turgeon and Tom Barrasso were inducted in 2023, albeit a year earlier than suggested.

After another season of leading online HHOF debates, polling, fan discourse, talk radio and eye-opening perspectives, the goal this time around is to predict who is most likely to get inducted this decade.

We’re also including female player candidates this year. As a refresh, the Committee can elect a maximum four male players and two female players annually.

We’ll find out the 2024 honorees this Tuesday, June 25. But in the meantime, let’s predict the future…

☑️ Class of 2024

Newly Eligible (retired 3 years ago): Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber, Patrick Marleau, Pekka Rinne, Ryan Miller, Meghan Agosta

Notes: * Elected in first year of eligibility; Poll: % of 2,008 responses that voted ‘Yes’ in polling of 100 players conducted on X last week; PPS: player’s PPS score vs. positional standard (through June 2023)

The Prediction: There’s a general feeling the Selection Committee may pass on Russian players given the geopolitical climate. Absent a formal statement, I’m expecting Datsyuk will be inducted. If he’s not, the boycott will be clear and everyone can move on. Pairing him with long-time running mate Zetterberg — a lesser talent but a qualified candidate — could make this a Red Wings Induction Weekend.

While Marleau (45%) edged Weber (36%) in polling, Weber’s longtime GM David Poile’s respected voice on the Committee can only help emphasize his worthy case. Rinne (26%) may be a tougher sell. Darwitz, a former Team U.S.A. captain, scored at a 119-point pace in 40 IIHF World Championship games and was the winning GM for PWHL Minnesota’s inaugural title this season. I was asked earlier this week about dark horse candidates and am predicting we get one — the timing seems right to reward a WHA/NHL hybrid career. Enter the late J.C. Tremblay.

☑️ Class of 2025

Newly Eligible (retired 2 years ago): Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Carey Price, Brianna Decker, Ryan Getzlaf, Tuukka Rask, Jason Spezza, P.K. Subban

The Prediction: Choosing wisely in 2024 is important because there might be no room for holdovers next June. 2025 is shaping up to be an all-timer — each of Thornton, Chara, Keith and Price exceed the PPS standard at their position and polled above 60%. It could be the first instance all four male players were elected first-ballot since 2009 and just the third time ever. And should American scoring sensation Brianna Decker be inducted, it would be the first time five players were chosen on their first try.

☑️ Class of 2026

Newly Eligible (retired 1 year ago): Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews, Noora Räty, Phil Kessel, Eric Staal

The Prediction: Brilliant all-around forwards Bergeron and Toews will headline the Class of 2026. At 82% approval rating, serial winner and dominant scorer Jennifer Botterill (13-2 in 15 major events from 1999 to 2007) will finally get her curtain call. In his third year of eligibility, all-time games leader Marleau will be inducted. Players like Marleau with long careers and big totals (see Dave Andreychuk) typically find their way to the plaque room eventually. Finally, I’m throwing out a dart on Anders Hedberg, a respected Committee member since 2012. He’d be approaching the maximum 15-year term limit and could see his unique, trailblazing hockey life rewarded.

☑️ Class of 2027

Newly Eligible (retiring this year): Joe Pavelski, Nicklas Backstrom, Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, Mark Giordano

The Prediction: There’s a projected lull in clear choices as Pavelski (43%) and Backstrom (24%) are the only newcomers polling above 9%. So, the Committee gets room to tidy up oversights in 2027. Each of the four Dead Puck Era guys is part of an overlooked generation. Elias, a two-way threat, was the top scorer on three Devils’ teams that reached the Cup Final. Tkachuk — yes, Matthew and Brady’s dad — had 10 seasons of 35+ goals when adjusting for era. Countrymen Mogilny (78% polling!) and Gonchar (the top eligible defenseman in PPS) are among the Hall’s most glaring omissions. Szabados, the pioneering Canadian stopper, played against men at the junior, college, and pro levels.

☑️ Class of 2028

Newly Eligible (assume 1 season left): Marc-Andre Fleury, Jonathan Quick, Corey Perry, Brent Burns, Ilya Kovalchuk

The Prediction: While I’ve never backed Quick’s candidacy (his career save percentage is league average), the public is more bullish. He and beloved 1,000-game club member Fleury would headline the festitivies. By 2028, Brind’Amour will be a decade deep coaching competitive Carolina teams and the Committee will blur some lines to get him inducted. Mikhailov, a star on the Soviet 1972 Summit Series team, is a token choice for an underrepresented era in European hockey. The female player spot is empty, so Cassie Campbell-Pascall can deservingly be elected as a Builder in 2028.

☑️ Class of 2029

Newly Eligible (assume 2 seasons left): Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane, Anze Kopitar, Jenni Hiirikoski, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Natalie Spooner, Sergei Bobrovsky, Claude Giroux

The Prediction: The Malkin vs. Kane debate will still be in force in November 2029 when each dynamic talent is in a tux. Kopitar will join them, the trio having won eight of the nine Cups contested from 2009 to 2017. Nearing the end at age 37, the unheralded Jenni Hiirikoski is a cinch as a seven-time top defender at the World Championship. Bobrovsky will have to wait, the Hall rarely awarding first-ballot honors unless obvious to all.

☑️ Class of 2030

Newly Eligible (assume 3 seasons left): Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Brad Marchand, Kris Letang, John Tavares, John Carlson, Jamie Benn

The Prediction: While the retirements date surely won’t line up in reality, the Class of 2030 would be a hot ticket. By PPS, you’ve got the current #3, #4 and #6 forwards of all-time potentially retiring at once. The assumptions? The tireless Crosby will finally tire, ending his career how it began — on a rebuilding Penguins team. Jagr (4 assists in 15 games this year on the Kladno team he owns) will finally say goodbye at age 55. Ovechkin, the new goal king by 2026, will play one forgettable year back home and retire at 41. Norris winners Karlsson and Doughty get in the next cycle.

Joining the iconic male class will be a women’s hockey icon — Hilary Knight. The World Championships’ all-time leading point getter (111) is an easy call.

☑️ Classes of 2031 to 2033

Newly Eligible (assume 4 seasons left): Marie-Philip Poulin, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Alex Pietrangelo

Newly Eligible (assume 5 seasons left): Roman Josi

Newly Eligible (assume 6 seasons left): Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Artemi Panarin

The Predictions: We’ll combine the final three classes given how deep the predictions are at this stage. The quick hits: Poulin is the star attraction of 2031, the greatest female honoree since Hayley Wickenheiser (2019); four Lightning mainstays get elected in three years; and the 2032 speeches featuring Marchand, Perry, and Roenick make the Hall’s gatekeepers extra nervous for an evening.

Who’s Left?

While it’s always been a big Hall of Fame, there’s no shortage of NHL talent that could still get inducted in 2034 and beyond (from most likely to least): Panarin, Pavelski, Letang, Burns, Tavares, Kessel, Kovalchuk, Getzlaf, Pietrangelo, Rinne, Miller, Rask. Most of these players are already qualified, their inductions a matter of good timing or advocacy on the Committee.

There you have it… 10 years… 48 new Hall of Fame players… and a decade of debate in between.

Follow @AdjustedHockey on X; Data from Hockey-Reference.com, NHL.com