For sports activities followers who take pleasure in debates, there may be maybe no higher subject than the Corridor of Fame. It’s a subjective honor, in hockey’s case determined by an 18-member committee consisting of executives, journalists and former gamers.
For election, gamers are eligible three years after their retirement from any hockey league, and so they should obtain not less than 14 of 18 committee votes. This summer time, the Hockey Corridor of Fame in Toronto introduced that it had elected eight new members to be inducted in November: Jennifer Botterill, Zdeno Chara, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny and Joe Thornton as gamers and Jack Parker and Danièle Sauvageau as builders.
Final yr, I went by means of present NHL gamers and evaluated their Corridor of Fame circumstances alongside the nice Eric Duhatschek, a former committee member who was a author for The Athletic earlier than retiring in November. We sorted the players into tiers based mostly on their chance of induction, focusing solely on those that had performed a minimal of 5 years, had appeared in a 2023-24 recreation and had been below contract for 2024-25.
With one other common season, a global match and a playoff cycle all full, it’s time to re-evaluate our rankings. First, some parameters:
• As soon as once more, I’m limiting this mission to gamers who’ve logged not less than 5 seasons. Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard may very well be in an identical article in a couple of years, nevertheless it’s just too early to guage their careers by means of this lens.
• This focuses solely on gamers who’re below contract for subsequent season. Jonathan Toews is included since he signed with Winnipeg, as is Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who’s below contract for subsequent season however introduced in June that he’s unlikely to play once more as a consequence of damage. Joe Pavelski just isn’t, nevertheless, since he retired after 2023-24 and is not below contract. Neither is Nicklas Backstrom (although we are going to get to him later).
• I’ve integrated a pair new tiers to attempt to make the mission extra full.
• Non-newcomers in every tier are sorted by place (forwards, then defensemen, then goalies) with the participant who has essentially the most factors first. Goalies are ordered by wins.
• Gamers whose tiers have modified from final yr are italicized and listed on the backside of their class.
Now, right here’s how the tiers at present shake out, adopted by evaluation of every newcomer. For evaluation of everybody else, try final yr’s installment.
Tier 1: They may retire at present and make it
Sidney Crosby
Alex Ovechkin
Evgeni Malkin
Patrick Kane
Anze Kopitar
Steven Stamkos
Connor McDavid
Nathan MacKinnon
Nikita Kucherov
Erik Karlsson
Victor Hedman
Drew Doughty
Sergei Bobrovsky
Jonathan Fast
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Leon Draisaitl
Tier 1.5 (new): Nearly there — if not already a lock
Brad Marchand
Jonathan Toews
Brent Burns
Aleksander Barkov
Connor Hellebuyck
Tier 2: Proper on the cusp
Auston Matthews
Kris Letang
Roman Josi
Alex Pietrangelo
Cale Makar
Tier 2.5 (new): Crossing the blue line
John Tavares
Corey Perry
Tier 3: Exterior pictures
Claude Giroux
Jamie Benn
Ryan O’Reilly
John Carlson
Tier 4: On observe
Artemi Panarin
David Pastrňák
Mikko Rantanen
Matthew Tkachuk
Quinn Hughes
Tier 5: Test again in a couple of years
Mitch Marner
Brayden Level
Sebastian Aho
Jack Eichel
Jack Hughes
Adam Fox
Charlie McAvoy
Miro Heiskanen
Igor Shesterkin
Kirill Kaprizov
Evan Bouchard
Tier 1: They may retire at present and make it
Leon Draisaitl (2024-25 rating: Tier 2)
Marc-André Fleury graduated from this tier by retiring, and Draisaitl is the one new entry. At this level, he’s executed sufficient to hitch teammate Connor McDavid on this class of locks. Draisaitl was wonderful in 2024-25 for Edmonton, narrowly lacking out on his second-career Hart Trophy; as a substitute he merely completed second and led the league in objectives.
To make the Corridor as a skater with fewer than 800 video games performed, a participant must be on the stage of previous inductees Peter Forsberg, Eric Lindros and Pavel Bure. Properly, Draisaitl has already scored extra objectives than Forsberg and Lindros, and he has not less than 76 factors greater than all of them.
His resume at this level is plain, particularly after a 2025 playoffs through which he scored 4 extra time objectives and led all gamers in factors with 33. The Oilers reached their second-consecutive Stanley Cup Last however as soon as once more fell to Florida. Nonetheless solely 29, he’ll proceed to make himself extra of a positive factor over the approaching years.
He’s on tempo to be not only a Corridor of Famer but additionally one who makes it on the primary poll.
Auston Matthews — the league’s main goal-scorer since his debut in 2016 — falls in the identical dialog as Draisaitl: skaters below 30 whose peaks have been so excessive that they may have already got amassed Corridor of Fame credentials. However Matthews’ resume is rather less convincing than Draisaitl’s, primarily as a result of he has seen much less postseason success. Draisaitl has 52 objectives and 141 factors in 96 playoff video games — a 44-goal, 120-point tempo for an 82-game season — whereas Matthews has 26 objectives and 59 factors in 68 video games: a 31-goal, 71-point tempo.
Of the 2 gamers below 30 in last year’s Tier 2 (“Proper on the cusp”), Draisaitl has separated himself.
Tier 1.5: Nearly there — if not already a lock
Brad Marchand (2024-25: Tier 2)
Maybe nobody raised their inventory extra this season than the Panthers winger, virtually completely due to what occurred within the playoffs. His common season was respectable for a 37-year-old however not legendary: He completed with 51 factors, in addition to a gold medal with Canada on the 4 Nations Face-Off, including to the World Cup of Hockey and world championship golds already in his trophy case. Notably, the Bruins traded him to Florida on the commerce deadline, placing Marchand in place for a legendary postseason run.
Marchand was one of many Panthers’ finest gamers as they received their second-consecutive Stanley Cup. He completed with 10 objectives in 23 video games, two of which got here in extra time. His first was in Recreation 3 towards Toronto when his group was at risk of taking place 3-0 within the sequence, and his second got here towards Edmonton within the Cup Last.
Marchand is now as much as 66 profession playoff objectives, tied with Denis Savard and Joe Nieuwendyk for twenty third all-time. Savard and Nieuwendyk are already within the Corridor of Fame, and solely 4 of the gamers forward of them are neither already in nor locks once they turn out to be eligible: Claude Lemieux, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Esa Tikkanen.
At the beginning of free company, Marchand signed a six-year extension in Florida with a $5.25 million annual cap hit. He ought to fly previous 1,000 subsequent season, sitting at 980 now, and with 424 profession objectives, he has a shot at breaking into the five hundred membership within the coming years too. Apart from Patrik Eliáš, each NHL participant in historical past with not less than 1,000 factors and two Stanley Cups is both within the Corridor of Fame or not but eligible for induction. Marchand additionally completed top-10 in Hart Trophy voting 4 occasions, so he was extensively thought-about an elite participant at his peak.
The Panthers are set to stay contenders within the coming years, so Marchand ought to have loads of time so as to add to his postseason statistics — and possibly even add one other Stanley Cup. If he’s not a lock but, he’s in place to be very quickly.
Jonathan Toews (2024-25: not ranked)
Toews didn’t make final yr’s tiers as a result of he had not performed in 2023-24 and was not below contract for 2024-25. Now that the middle has signed with the Jets, I’m counting him as eligible. His box-score stats don’t scream “Corridor of Famer” on the floor, however he captained three Blackhawks groups to Stanley Cups, earned a Conn Smythe and likewise received a Selke. He’s a part of the Triple Gold Membership — that means he’s received a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold (two in his case) and a world championship — and feels certain for induction. He has an opportunity so as to add to his case with Winnipeg.
One potential issue for when the committee considers Toews’ candidacy: He was the captain of Chicago in 2010, the yr it received its first Stanley Cup of the twenty first century but additionally the yr former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich allegedly sexually assaulted then-player Kyle Seaside. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus wrote in 2022 about how the scandal impacted Toews’ legacy. His teammate from that period, Keith, will likely be enshrined within the Corridor in November.
Aleksander Barkov (2024-25: Tier 4)
Solely six gamers have received the Selke Trophy three or extra occasions: Patrice Bergeron, Bob Gainey, Man Carbonneau, Pavel Datsyuk, Jere Lehtinen and now Barkov. Of the remaining, 4 are both within the Corridor of Fame or will likely be when they’re eligible (Bergeron). Lehtinen, who performed 875 video games however was not the extent of offensive menace as Barkov, is the one one on the skin trying in.
Barkov has now captained two groups to Stanley Cup wins, plus one other to a Last look. Between that and his {hardware} (three Selkes, a King Clancy and a Woman Byng), it’s exhausting to ascertain him not getting in, particularly with how the Panthers are set as much as proceed being a drive. He’s nonetheless solely 29 and has scored at higher than a point-per-game tempo every of the previous 5 seasons. If he’s not a lock but, he’s very, very shut.
Brent Burns (2024-25: Tier 2)
Final yr we had Burns in “Proper on the cusp,” however this feels truthful. He’s a part of the explanation I added this tier. With a Norris Trophy, three end-of-season All-Star groups, practically 1,500 NHL video games performed and a number of other worldwide medals to his title, the defenseman, who signed with the Avalanche this offseason, in all probability has already executed sufficient to warrant induction. It’s simply not sufficient of a positive factor to maneuver him into the highest tier.
Connor Hellebuyck (2024-25: Tier 4)
Hellebuyck’s previous season is tough to guage. He was sensible within the common season, turning into the primary goaltender to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Value in 2015, then had a rocky playoffs for the Jets. He’s posted a sub-.900 save share in every the previous three postseasons, together with sub-.870 prior to now two. That’s not all his fault, nevertheless it has however been a tricky search for one of many recreation’s finest at his place.
Even with some playoff struggles, Hellebuyck’s accolades can’t be neglected. He has three Vezina Trophies, and each different goalie with that many is already in apart from Michel Larocque. The factors for the Vezina was completely different within the Seventies when Larocque received: It went to the goalies on the group that allowed the fewest objectives, so he was a joint winner all 4 occasions regardless of by no means being the starter. So primarily there’s no precedent for a goalie with Hellebuyck’s accomplishments lacking the Corridor.
Tier 2: Proper on the cusp
Cale Makar (2024-25: Tier 4)
The Avalanche defenseman is the one new inclusion on this tier. Bumping him up would possibly really feel a bit dramatic, contemplating he’s solely performed 395 video games. However by profitable a second Norris Trophy and scoring 30 objectives this previous season — the primary blueliner to take action since 2008-09 — he’s continued to construct an impossible-to-ignore resume. He now has a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, two Norrises, a Calder and has made 5 end-of-season All-Star groups. He picked up a global gold medal, too, by serving to Canada to a 4 Nations Face-Off win, helping on McDavid’s extra time aim within the gold medal recreation for good measure.
Even when Makar had common showings the following three seasons (exhausting to fathom as a result of he’s nonetheless in his prime) and determined to retire after (exhausting to fathom as a result of he’s solely 26), he’d nonetheless be Corridor of Fame worthy. He’s a uncommon participant who seems certain for heights hardly ever seen by a defenseman.
Tier 2.5: Crossing the blue line (New tier)
John Tavares (2024-25: Tier 3)
Tavares, who turns 35 in September, put collectively a 38-goal season for the Maple Leafs in 2024-25, tied for the second most in his profession. Instantly the middle is simply six objectives shy of 500, and he inked a brand new four-year extension in Toronto. He’ll attain 600 objectives if he averages 26.5 objectives per yr over that contract, which feels possible given how final season went. Each participant with 600 objectives is both within the Corridor of Fame or a lock to make it once they turn out to be eligible.
Tavares has been sturdy all through his profession, which if continued will enable him to build up statistics to additional bolster his resume earlier than retirement. His peak is notable, too. He’s twice completed top-three in Hart Trophy voting, and over a seven-season span from 2012-13 to 2018-19 his 235 objectives had been second to solely Ovechkin. He additionally had 507 factors in that stretch, rating fifth. He has not but captured a Stanley Cup, however he did win an Olympic gold in 2014.
Corey Perry (2024-25: Tier 3)
Perry is likely one of the trickier gamers to guage on this train. He has a Hart Trophy (2010-11) however has solely appeared on ballots one different season. Now 40, he has scored 448 objectives and appears more likely to end his profession shy of 500. He wants 65 factors to succeed in 1,000, however he hasn’t scored greater than 30 prior to now three seasons.
But Perry retains hanging round and contributing to sturdy groups. In his quest for a second Stanley Cup, after profitable in 2007 with Anaheim, he has been a runner-up in 5 of the previous six seasons with 4 completely different groups. Most just lately, he scored 10 playoff objectives for Edmonton, serving to the Oilers attain a second-consecutive Stanley Cup Last. With a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and world championship gold, Perry can be a member of the Triple Gold Membership, which the committee will certainly worth.
Perry signed with the Kings this summer time and is getting into his twenty first season. The committee sometime should resolve if his Hart is sufficient to validate his peak and if his amassed profession achievements are sufficient to beat sturdy however not elite counting statistics. At this level he looks like not less than a coin flip to make the Corridor.
Tier 3: Exterior pictures
There’s nobody new on this tier, so I’ll take a second to deal with probably the most frequent complaints from final yr’s remark part: the omission of Backstrom, the longtime Capitals middle who’s now ineligible since he signed in Sweden.
If I wanted to place Backstrom in a tier, it will be this one. However it’s frankly too exhausting to see a world through which he will get in. That ought to not take away from his greatness. He received a Stanley Cup in 2018, performed a component in so many Ovechkin objectives and received a world championship gold and Olympic silver. Nonetheless, he by no means received a person trophy, solely had 80 factors 3 times and solely appeared on Hart ballots twice.
He’s an incredible participant who ought to at all times get a hero’s welcome in Washington, however he’s not fairly at Corridor-of-Fame stage.
Tier 4: On observe
Matthew Tkachuk (2024-25: Tier 5)
As proven by Bobrovsky, Marchand and Barkov, profitable Stanley Cups helps with this train. Tkachuk now has two rings, together with 69 factors in 67 playoff video games over the previous three seasons. Pair that with two 100-point seasons and two end-of-season All-Star groups, and the 27-year-old is on observe to succeed in the Corridor. Tkachuk’s playoff achievements are the trump card over Marner, whom I additionally thought-about bumping into this tier. Eichel additionally has a case to maneuver up, however he in all probability wants one other season like 2024-25 earlier than I transfer him into that vary. Perhaps subsequent summer time.
Quinn Hughes (2024-25: Tier 5)
Hughes, nevertheless, has executed sufficient to hitch this grouping after one other season as a Norris finalist. If the Canucks defenseman retains taking part in on the stage he’s proven the previous two seasons, he’ll ultimately be elected.
Tier 5: Test again in a couple of years
Kirill Kaprizov (2024-25: Not ranked)
Final yr’s parameters dictated {that a} participant wanted to play 5 years earlier than he was thought-about. All the things else felt too quickly. Kaprizov has now performed 5 seasons, and he’s established himself as one of many recreation’s most electrifying skills. He would possibly’ve received the Hart Trophy this season had he not gotten damage.
Kaprizov didn’t come over to the U.S. till he was 23, so his counting stats are behind these of different gamers his age. But when his peak continues, he’ll definitely be a possible Corridor of Famer.
Evan Bouchard (2024-25: Not ranked)
Bouchard is likely one of the extra polarizing gamers in hockey. He’s a superb offensive participant, even when not on the ice with McDavid and Draisaitl, however is liable to defensive lapses. Nonetheless solely 25, his hopes might depend upon if Edmonton will get over the hump and wins the Stanley Cup within the coming years.
Different questions to think about: If Florida continues its dominance and wins a number of extra Cups, might Sam Reinhart or perhaps a defenseman corresponding to Gustav Forsling push their manner into the Corridor of Fame image? And with best-on-best Olympics returning, which gamers — Panthers or not — will seize the chance to enhance their circumstances?
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Images: Andy Devlin/NHLI, Claus Andersen, Steph Chambers, Carmen Mandato/Getty Photos)
