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Your 2015 HHOF Class: Fedorov, Housley, Lidstrom, Pronger, Ruggiero

Detroit Red Wings v Philadelphia Flyers

Detroit Red Wings v Philadelphia Flyers

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The Hockey Hall of Fame has announced that the class of 2015 will consist of Sergei Fedorov, Phil Housley, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger, and Angela Ruggiero while Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos Jr. were selected for the builders category.

Even among company like that, Lidstrom stands out. He’s a seven-time Norris Trophy winner and four-time Stanley Cup champion. During his 1,564-game career with Detroit, the team never missed the playoffs and as a result he ranks second on the all-time postseason games played list with 263.

Of course, Lidstrom was a big contributor in the playoffs too, scoring 54 goals and 183 points while being leaned on heavily in terms of ice time. He captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2002 while logging 31:10 minutes per game.

The year before Lidstrom started his first run of three-straight Norris Trophy seasons from 2000-03, Chris Pronger captured the award as well as the Hart Trophy. He had 14 goals, 62 points, and a league-leading plus-52 rating in 79 games with St. Louis back in 1999-00. It was the only time Pronger won either award, but it was far from Pronger’s only impact season.

He surpassed the 40-point mark in 10 separate seasons and played a big role in Anaheim capturing the Stanley Cup in 2007. He enjoyed a 1,167-game career, but unfortunately his playing days ended in 2011 due to a concussion. Already locked into a contract that runs through 2016-17, Pronger had the dubious distinction of actually being involved in a trade mere days before he was officially included in the Hall of Fame class.

Housley is the final NHL defenseman included in the players category and unlike Pronger and Lidstrom, he wasn’t seen as a lock. Housley was great offensively, recording more than 80 points on three occasions and finishing his career with 338 goals and 1,232 points in 1,495 games. However, he never won the Norris Trophy or the Stanley Cup.

Fedorov is the only forward to make it this year. Over the course of his career, he won the Selke Trophy twice and captured the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award in 1993-94. He also won the Stanley Cup three times with Detroit.

During his career he surpassed the 100-point mark twice, recorded more than 50 goals once, and finished with 483 goals and 1,179 points in 1,248 career games.

Ruggiero is a four-time Olympian for Team USA. She won the bronze medal in 2006, silver in 2002 and 2010, and helped the United States capture the gold in 1998. She claimed an additional four gold medals on the World Championships stage over the course of her career. In 2005, she became the first woman to participate in a regular season contest in a professional United States league in a position other than goalie. More specifically, she aided the Central Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers.

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