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Capitals legend Henrik Lundqvist headlines 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame class

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The Hockey Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that former Capital Henrik Lundqvist will be inducted as part of the class of 2023. Lundqvist ranks sixth in all-time NHL wins (459) over his 15-year career.

Players Tom Barrasso, Caroline Ouellette, Pierre Turgeon, and Mike Vernon join Lundqvist in the 2023 class, while Ken Hitchcock and Pierre Lacroix will be inducted as builders.

Even without a Stanley Cup, Lundqvist’s career was legendary. He emerged as an icon in New York, backstopping the Rangers as they made the playoffs 12 out of 15 seasons. In his 2011-2012 campaign, a stellar 39-18-5 record earned Lundqvist the Vezina Trophy as well as third place in Hart Trophy voting.

Hank’s career began as something of a Cinderella story when the Rangers drafted him in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL draft, 205th overall. He wasn’t even the first goaltender selected by the Rangers–New York had already taken American Brandon Snee in the fifth round. He would then play five additional seasons in Sweden before finally making his NHL debut in 2005.

Once he reached the NHL, however, Lundqvist’s talent was undeniable. He originally came on as a backup to Kevin Weekes. After Weekes went down with an injury, however, Lundqvist rocketed to the starting role, a job he would hold onto until the rise of Igor Shesterkin over a decade later. He made an immediate impression: Lundqvist was named to the NHL All-Rookie team that year (alongside Alex Ovechkin) and earned his first of five Vezina nods.

From there, Lundqvist’s star continued to ascend. He joined the All-Star game five times and hit double-digit shutouts both in 2000-2008 (10) and in 2010-2011 (11). Two years after winning the Vezina, Lundqvist would come his closest to a cup in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lundqvist earned Game Seven wins in both the first and second round before posting a shutout in Game Six against Montreal to take the Eastern Conference Final. Ultimately, Lundqvist would lose a goaltending duel against Jonathan Quick and the LA Kings.

Lundqvist earned plenty of hardware on the international stage. He played in the 2006 Turin Olympic Games just months after debuting in the NHL. Still clad in his Rangers mask and pads, Lundqvist defeated rival Finland to capture Olympic gold for Sweden. He would return to the Olympics for the 2014 Sochi Games. This time, Lundqvist was selected for the Olympic All-Star Team for his role in Sweden’s silver medal win.

Eleven years later, Lundqvist would earn gold at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. It was far from his first time at the tournament–he had already won a pair of silver medals in 2003 and 2004, earning a selection to the tournament’s all-star team the latter year.

Coming in his sixth appearance at the tournament, the 2017 win was made extra special when Hank won it alongside his twin brother Joel. Henrik was also memorably on the receiving end of a flying tackle from teammate William Nylander upon the win.

Lundqvist signed with the Capitals in 2020 but was forced to retire after undergoing open-heart surgery. A documentary, Open Heart recounting his experience debuted last week at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Here’s more on Hank’s fellow 2023 inductees:

Tom Barrasso

Chosen fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1983, Tom Barrasso came to the NHL directly from high school. He would win both the Calder and the Vezina in his debut season; at just eighteen, he became the youngest-ever goaltender to earn either award. A longtime member of the Penguins, Barrasso backstopped Pittsburgh to the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup in 1991, following up the feat with a repeat win in 1992.

After being dealt at the trade deadline in 2000, he would spend time with the Ottawa Senators, Caroline Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues before signing a one-day contract and retiring with the Penguins. He also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

Caroline Ouellette

Caroline Ouellette retired as one of the most successful players in the women’s game. As a member of Team Canada, Ouellette won Olympic gold in four consecutive Games. Those wins came in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, with Ouellette serving as captain in 2014. She earned a staggering 12 total medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship; winning six gold and six silver medals without ever missing the podium.

In the CWHL, Ouellette won the championship Clarkson Cup five times in 10 seasons and was named Most Valuable Player in 2009 and 2011. She became the first-ever CWHL player to hit 300 points and remained the league’s top scorer (with 315 points) when it shut down in 2019. She was inducted into the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this year and can now add yet another award to her record book.

Pierre Turgeon

Selected first overall by Buffalo in 1969, Pierre Turgeon scored 1327 points in his 19-year career. After five years with the Sabres, Turgeon had stints on the Blues, Islanders, Canadiens, Stars, and Avalanche. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game in four seasons and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1993.

That reputation for sportsmanlike play began before his NHL career even began. During the infamous ‘Punch-Up in Piestany,’ a World Juniors match between Canada and the Soviet Union ended in a bench-clearing brawl that continued even after officials shut off the arena lights. Turgeon remained on the bench, the only Canadian player to do so.

Mike Vernon

Calgary native Mike Vernon was selected by his hometown team in the third round of the 1981 NHL draft. In his first season as starting goaltender in the playoffs, Vernon helped lead the Flames to the 1986 Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens. Three years later, Vernon and the Flames would meet Montreal again in the 1989 Final, where the Flames won their first-ever Stanley Cup.

Vernon would win his second Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1996, taking home the Conn Smythe. He would spend stints in San Jose and Florida before returning to Calgary for the final two seasons of his career. A five-time All Star, Vernon retired in 2002 after 782 NHL games and 385 wins.

Ken Hitchcock

Ken Hitchcock made his NHL coaching debut in 1995 with the Dallas Stars, winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in 1999. He would later serve as the bench boss for the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues, winning the 2011-2012 Jack Adams Award with St. Louis.

After a one-season return to Dallas, Hitchcock announced his retirement in 2018. He came out of retirement to coach the Edmonton Oilers in 2018-2019 before he was dismissed. With 849 victories in 1598 regular-season games, Hitchcock is the fourth-winningest head coach in NHL history.

Pierre Lacroix

Pierre Lacroix joined the then-Quebec Nordiques as president and general manager in 1994. He would remain general manager through 2006 and stayed on as president through 2013. Over his tenure, Lacroix helped oversee the team’s relocation to Colorado, where they won the Stanley Cup in 1996 during their first season in Denver.

The franchise made the playoffs all eleven seasons of Lacroix’s tenure as general manager, winning a second Stanley Cup in 2001. They also led their division in nine seasons and made six trips to the Conference Finals. That success helped to build a community around the Avalanche, solidifying the presence of hockey in the community. In 2020, Lacroix passed away at the age of 72 and will be inducted posthumously.

The class of 2023 will be officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 13. Congratulations to the honorees!

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