Selecting the Best 2023 Hall of Fame Class Possible

Credit: Henrik Lundqvist (© Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)

When the Adjusted Hockey project launched in October, the Class of 2022 had already been named. The faces of the six inductees were sketched and ready for unveiling at Hall of Fame induction weekend. While no one can change the past, creating a platform to objectively highlight and debate the best players in history going forward was always the goal.

On Wednesday, June 21st, the HHOF’s Selection Committee will announce its 2023 class. As a brief reminder of the process, the Committee will conduct confidential balloting to elect members in the following categories: Male Players (maximum four), Female Players (maximum two), Referees/Linesmen (maximum one), and Builders (maximum two, or one if an on-ice official is chosen). Nominees must earn 75% of the vote (14 votes) in a series of run-offs by category in order to be enshrined.

Using statistical tools, considering off-ice impact, and listening to you as hockey fans via social media and public polling, we’re presenting the most deserving HHOF Class of 2023.

🔨 Builder Category (2)

With the exception of the long overdue celebrations of Willie O’Ree (2018) and Herb Carnegie (2022), the Builder category gets little public attention. The HHOF’s Builder selections often seem, well, arbitrary. Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs? Sure. Gary Bettman, the active commissioner? Uh, okay. Fred Shero, 38 years after back-to-back Cup wins in Philadelphia? Better late than never for a revolutionary coach.

Our first elected 2023 members are two relentless hockey lifers that have worked tirelessly and successfully — without a season off — since the mid-1970s.

1. Ken Hitchcock ☑

Hitch’s résumé is incredible. His ascent to the top of the coaching world came through sheer will. Hitchcock coached a decade of U18 AAA in Alberta before getting his big break in Kamloops. From there? 2x WHL Champion. 2x WHL Coach of the Year. World Junior Gold. CHL Coach of the Year. 8x NHL Division Champion. 2x Presidents Trophy. Stanley Cup in Dallas. World Cup. 3x Olympic Gold! Jack Adams Award. 1,598 NHL games coached. 4th all-time in wins.

Despite the eclectic mix of executive inductees, the HHOF has not elected an NHL coach in seven years. They also haven’t elected a living individual for NHL coaching in 21 years — sadly, Shero (2013), Pat Burns (2014), and Pat Quinn (2016) were elected posthumously. Hitchcock has achieved everything a coach can do in hockey.

2. Fran Rider ☑

While nine female players have been elected at a snail’s pace, there have been no female builders. In the truest sense of the word, Rider built women’s hockey. From the ground up. Against spite, sexism and setbacks. She’s credited with creating the first women’s national hockey championship in Canada (1982) and ultimately the first IIHF Women’s World Championship (1990). A quiet hero to five decades of little girls facing barriers to sport, Rider was the first IIHF Hall of Fame female builder in 2015. She deserves the same distinction from the HHOF.

🥇 Female Player Category (2)

In our exploration of top female candidates, dominant scorer Jennifer Botterill stood out as a slam dunk. The problem? There is a backlog of at least a dozen women highly deserving of induction. With Botterill’s soaring NHL broadcasting career providing a well-earned platform, she is a lock to get in soon. Enter Caroline Ouellette and Julie Chu, two legends who happen to be married.

To be clear, these are not token selections. Both Ouellette and Chu are among the most decorated and respected athletes in hockey. As the Selection Committee inducted Daniel and Henrik Sedin together last year, electing this pair would be a similarly transcendent moment for hockey.

1. Caroline Ouellette ☑

A physical force and classic power forward, Ouellette should have been a first-ballot HHOF selection in 2022. While the team success pops (six IIHF World Championships, four Clarkson Cups, an NCAA championship, one of only five athletes in any sport to win four consecutive Winter Olympic golds), Ouellette’s individual feats are equally impressive. She was a two-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist in the NCAA, a two-time CWHL MVP, and snagged an Angela James Bowl as top scorer. Recently elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame, Ouellette is a hockey ambassador, one of the finest players to ever lace them up, and her election should be a priority.

2. Julie Chu ☑

Chosen as flag bearer for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Chu was a gifted playmaker, and a smart and versatile talent. While her biggest claims to fame are graduating as the NCAA’s all-time leading point-getter (284), winning the Kazmaier (2007), and winning five IIHF World Championships, Chu is also a pioneer — the first Asian-American woman to crack the U.S. Olympic hockey team. A Harvard alumni, she served as captain both in college and on Team U.S.A. Whether elected with her wife or not, Chu is one of many HHOF-worthy talents deserving induction.

🏆 Male Player Category (4)

For our four male player selections, their PPS Player Card will serve as their HHOF “plaque” — a personalized tribute honoring four Hall-worthy careers.

1. Sergei Gonchar ☑

All-time Position Rank, PPS: #22
HHOF Eligible Position Rank, PPS: #1
High Noon Peak Ranking: #1
Public Poll Vote: 39%
The HHOF Case: Gonchar was second only to Nick Lidstrom in games, goals, assists and points over his stellar 20-season career, complete with a Cup, two Olympic medals, and Norris votes 10 times.

🤿 The Deep Dive: Has the Hockey Hall of Fame overlooked a generation? Featuring Sergei Gonchar

2. Curtis Joseph ☑

All-time Position Rank, PPS: #17
HHOF Eligible Position Rank, PPS: #2
High Noon Peak Ranking: #1
Public Poll Vote: 45%
The HHOF Case: A superstar in three cities, owner of five top-five Vezina finishes, and having retired with the 4th most wins all-time (454), Cujo was a dynamic, durable sensation with dominant peak seasons.

🤿 The Deep Dive: Why is the Hockey Hall of Fame so tough on goaltenders? Featuring Curtis Joseph

3. Henrik Lundqvist ☑

All-time Position Rank, PPS: #14
HHOF Eligible Position Rank, PPS: #1
High Noon Peak Ranking: #1
Public Poll Vote: 94%
The HHOF Case: A model of consistency and class, Lundqvist finished top-six in Vezina voting his first 10 NHL seasons, led Sweden to Olympic gold in Turin, and starred for 15 years under Broadway’s bright lights.

🤿 The Deep Dive: King Henrik didn’t get a standalone article in our HHOF profile series. Why? He doesn’t need one. Lundqvist was a HHOF talent and icon throughout his sparkling career and remains one today. He arrived in The Big Apple with three consecutive Swedish League top goaltender awards. As elite as he was handsome from Day One, Hank would eventually land the 2011-12 Vezina, one of his five turns as a finalist. He reached #1 in High Noon, but most impressively, never fell below the #14 goalie at any point in his 15-year NHL run.

While the Stanley Cup proved elusive, he led the Rangers to three conference finals, including the 2014 Cup final loss to Los Angeles. Lundqvist sprinkled in a Hart Trophy finalist nod, Olympic gold, and a World Championship. A rare legitimate hockey celebrity, he could hang with late-night hosts, musicians, and sports royalty with ease. Halls of Fame were created for iconic players and personalities like Henrik Lundqvist.

4. Alexander Mogilny ☑

All-time Position Rank, PPS: #51
HHOF Eligible Position Rank, PPS: #4
High Noon Peak Ranking: #3
Public Poll Vote: 81%
The HHOF Case: One of six players with a 76-goal season, a winner at every level, a limitless talent, and a pioneer whose daring defection changed hockey, Mogilny remains the HHOF’s most flagrant oversight.

🤿 The Deep Dive: Who is the Hockey Hall of Fame’s most glaring omission? Featuring Alexander Mogilny

🏁 Closing Thoughts

Given the secret nomination and voting procedures, we don’t know who the HHOF is considering in any given year. But we know goaltenders, defensemen, and women have been disproportionately snubbed for years. This 2023 class helps toward recalibrating the HHOF’s membership.

For male players, we’ve elected two goaltenders, one defensemen, and the most glaring omission, Mogilny, a forward. For female players, the maximum two are inducted — somehow the first time since Cammi Granato and Angela James broke the gender barrier in 2010. The decorated pair of Ouellette and Chu represent Canada and the U.S.A, and by sharing a household would be a landmark move forward for a HHOF traditionally late on social change. The builder choices add a worthy first female builder and extend the small NHL coaching membership.

While “best class possible” is an unsolvable challenge, this group would be a HHOF class to be proud of.

Catch up here on the 8-part HHOF profile series by @AdjustedHockey

Adjusted Pace, High Noon, PPS System, High Noon & PPS Player Cards, Player Comparison Tool from Adjusted Hockey; All other data from Hockey-Reference.com

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