Daniel Alfredsson, Herb Carnegie, Roberto Luongo, Riikka Sallinen, and Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022.
This was the first time since 2019 that the 18-member Hall of Fame Selection met in person to decide on the 2022 class. During their meeting, they decided five players and one builder were due for induction later this year.
The 2022 Induction Celebration will be held Nov. 14 in Toronto.
Player category
Daniel Alfredsson – A veteran of 18 NHL seasons, his impressive resume and strong international credentials helped get him to the Hall. He scored 444 goals and recorded 1,157 points during his NHL career, and has a trophy cabinet that features Olympic gold and silver medals, the 1996 Calder Trophy, six NHL All-Star appearances, the King Clancy, and inclusion in the IIHF Hall of Fame.
“I can’t tell you what this means to me and to the City of Ottawa,” said Alfredsson. “The people in Ottawa taught me what it means to give back and to make a difference in the community. For that I am so grateful.”
Roberto Luongo — “Bobby Lou” finished his career with 489 NHL wins (fourth all-time), golds at two Olympics and two IIHF World Championships, plus another at the World Cup of Hockey. Luongo didn’t win any major NHL awards outside of the Jennings Trophy, but he was up for the Hart Trophy and was a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist. Of the seven goaltenders who have appeared in at least 900 games, Luongo has the highest save percentage (.919); he’s top-10 in shutouts (77), and is one of three netminders to have started at least 1,000 games.
“This is an unbelievable honour and I am grateful to be inducted,” said Luongo. “I grew up playing the sport I love and to be included in such elite company is beyond my expectations.”
Riikka Sallinen — She’s the first female Finnish player to earn induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sallinen scored 240 goals and recorded 514 points in 227 Finnish elite league games. She’s a three-time European Women’s Hockey Championship winner and two-time Olympic bronze medal winner. During the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, she helped Finland to bronze as a 44 year old, making her the oldest hockey player to ever win an Olympic medal.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin — The Canucks duo had a strong case not only for what they did in the NHL but also representing Sweden on the international stage. We’ll start with Daniel and his 393 goals and 1,041 points in 1,306 games all with Vancouver. He won the Ted Lindsay Award and Art Ross Trophy, and was named a First Team All-Star in 2011. He holds the Canucks franchise record for goals and power play goals (138). With Sweden he won an Olympic gold medal in 2006 and silver in 2014. He also helped Tre Kronor to gold at the 2013 World Championship and 1998 U-18 Worlds.
Henrik finished with 1,330 games played and 240 goals and 1,070 points. He won the Hart and Art Ross Trophies in 2010, and was a two-time NHL First Team All-Star. He holds five Canucks franchise records for assists (830), assists in a single season (83), most consecutive regular season games played (679), points in a single season (112), and is the team’s all-time leading scorer (1,070 points). Like Daniel, Henrik won gold at the 2006 Olympics and 2013 World Championship with Sweden.
“I’m really proud of this special recognition,” said Daniel. “My brother and I came into the league together and to go in with him is extra special.”
Builder category
Herb Carnegie: A successful career in the Quebec league’s of the 1940’s and 1950’s saw Carnegie as a frequent scorer and three-time Most Valuable Player. He could have been the first Black player in the NHL, even Willie O’Ree would tell you that. The Rangers offered him a minor league contract but Carnegie turned it down because it was for less money than he was being paid with the Sherbrooke St. Francis. When he hung up his skates he started the Future Aces hockey school and a foundation that gave out scholarships to kids across Canada.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.