The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class of inductees on June 24 with some pretty iconic names included on the list. Legends of the game like Zdeno Chara, Joe Thorton, Duncan Keith and Alexander Mogilny were four of the eight inductees, the former three elected in their first year of eligibility.
Introducing the Class of 2025! 👏 pic.twitter.com/5PZryNZMRh
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 24, 2025
All were well deserving of the honor bestowed and will be formally inducted in a ceremony on November 10 in Toronto.
Of course, the announcement sparked speculation of who will be next to follow these titans of the game into the hall of fame. There are three major names already under consideration when they become eligible in 2026.
3 first-year Hockey Hall of Fame candidates to watch
Patrice Bergeron
The centerman practically redefined the position and its meaning to the game of hockey in his 19-year career. Bergeron played with the Boston Bruins the entirety of his tenure in the league and has a lengthy resume that should make it an extremely easy call for the committee when his name comes up next year.
He won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the league's best defensive forward, six times. Yes, you read that correctly, six times. That's an NHL record. He also a finalist for the award 12 consecutive seasons, the longest such stretch in league history. On top of his defensive prowess he accumulated 1,040 points in 1,294 games, including 427 goals, the third-most points for any Bruins player in the franchise's history. Not to mention he won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and took the team back to the final in 2019. Bergeron should be shoo-in for the hall in 2026.
Eric Staal
The oldest of the four Staal brothers, Eric made his mark in the league early on. He won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 just three years after he was drafted second overall. He was selected for the NHL All-Star game six times in his 18-season career - earning game MVP honors in 2008 - and was the cover athlete for EA Sports' NHL 2008 video game. He posted 1,063 points across 1,365 games with six different teams, becoming the 89th player in league history at the time to reach the 1k milestone in 2019.
The committee will have a harder time justifying Staal's inclusion in his first year on the ballot but that doesn't mean he won't get in eventually. There's just a lot of more deserving players that have patiently been waiting their turns for some time now.
Phil Kessel
Kessel's NHL and international careers will highlight his hall of fame resume. He's a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2016, 2017, 2023) and an Olympic silver medalist (2010). Additionally, he piled up 992 points in 1,286 games across 17 seasons with five different franchises.
He's still the active record holder for most consecutive NHL games played (1,064) and the first to ever play 1,000 consecutive contests. He could be another easy selection for the committee but his offensive totals could hinder him as a first-year inductee.