The Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2019 will be voted on and revealed Tuesday. Each year, the 18-member selection committee can induct as many as four former players, two women, and two Builders or one referee/linesman and one Builder.
The field for the Class of 2019 is as wide open as any in recent memory.
Who among the retired players should get in? And how many?
Here are some of the potential candidates, listed in alphabetical order:
Daniel Alfredsson
Eligibility: Since 2017
Alfredsson had 1,157 points (444 goals, 713 assists) in 1,246 NHL games over 18 seasons, the first 17 with the Ottawa Senators. He won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Torino Olympics and silver at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He also won the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year for the 1995-96 season. But Alfredsson never won the Stanley Cup or another major award after winning the Calder.
Rod Brind'Amour
Eligibility: Since 2013
Brind'Amour won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He finished his career with 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists) in 1,484 games with the Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He was the Selke Trophy winner voted as the best defensive forward in the NHL in 2006 and 2007.
Patrik Elias
Eligibility: First year
Elias holds the New Jersey Devils records for most goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), shots on goal (3,287), power-play goals (113), power-play points (333), shorthanded points (33), game-winning goals (80) and overtime goals (16). He also has the most goals (45), assists (80), points (125), power-play goals (21), power-play points (52) and shots on goal (444) for New Jersey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000 and 2003 but never won a major individual NHL award.
Theo Fleury
Eligibility: Since 2009
Fleury had 1,088 points (455 goals, 633 assists) in 1,084 games with the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. He won the Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989 and a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics but never won an individual NHL award.
Curtis Joseph
Eligibility: Since 2012
Joseph, with 454 wins, has more victories than Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk (445), Jacques Plante (437), Tony Esposito (423), Glenn Hall (407), Grant Fuhr (403) and Dominik Hasek (389). They all won the Stanley Cup at least once, though. Joseph never won the Cup or the Vezina Trophy voted as best goalie in the NHL.
Kevin Lowe
Eligibility: Since 2001
Lowe has the backing of former Edmonton Oilers teammates and Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The former defenseman is a six-time Stanley Cup champion and seven-time all-star. He had 431 points (84 goals, 347 assists) in 1,254 games with the Oilers and Rangers. He also had 58 points (10 goals, 48 assists) in 214 NHL playoff games. He never won the Norris Trophy voted as the best defenseman in the NHL.
Boris Mikhailov
Eligibility: Since 1984
Aleksander Yakushev's induction last year could pave the way for Mikhailov this year. Mikhailov, who is 74 years old, was the right wing on the Soviet Union's top line with Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov. He was the captain of the Soviet national team from 1972-80. He won gold medals at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics and 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, and was an eight-time winner at the IIHF World Championship.
Alexander Mogilny
Eligibility: Since 2009
If Paul Kariya is in the Hall of Fame (Class of 2017), it stands to reason Mogilny should be too. Mogilny played 990 NHL games (for the Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs), one more than Kariya, and finished with 71 more goals (473-402) and 43 more points (1,032-989). Mogilny won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000. Kariya never won the Cup. Each won a gold medal at the Olympics (Mogilny with the Soviet Union in Calgary in 1988, Kariya with Canada in Salt Lake City in 2002), and each won once at the IIHF World Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1994) and World Junior Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1993).
Jeremy Roenick
Eligibility: Since 2012
Roenick had 1,216 points (513 goals, 703 assists) in 1,363 games with the Blackhawks, Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. Pierre Turgeon is the only eligible candidate with more NHL points. Keith Tkachuk (538), Pat Verbeek (522) and Turgeon are the only eligible players not in the Hall of Fame who have more NHL goals. Roenick never won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal or an individual NHL award.
Keith Tkachuk
Eligibility: Since 2013
Tkachuk scored 538 goals and had 1,065 points in 1,201 games with the Coyotes, Blues and Winnipeg Jets. He has the most goals of any eligible player who isn't in the Hall of Fame. Tkachuk, though, never even got to the Stanley Cup Final, playing beyond the second round of the NHL playoffs just once. He wasn't special in the postseason either, with 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) and a minus-15 rating in 89 games.
Pierre Turgeon
Eligibility: Since 2010
Turgeon has the most points of any eligible player not in the Hall of Fame, with 1,327 (515 goals, 812 assists) in 1,294 games with the Sabres, Blues, Avalanche, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars. He also had 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 109 NHL playoff games. Turgeon never won the Stanley Cup, and his only major individual award was the Lady Byng Trophy as the player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability in 1992-93.
Hayley Wickenheiser
Eligibility: First year
The former Canada star is as close to a lock as there is for 2019. She's a five-time Olympic medalist, including four golds (2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014), and was the most valuable player of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and 2006 Torino Olympics. Wickenheiser won the IIHF World Championship seven times and is the Canada women's team's all-time leader in goals (168), assists (211) and points (377) in 276 games.
Doug Wilson
Eligibility: Since 1996
Wilson won the Norris Trophy voted as the best defenseman in the NHL in 1981-82, when he had 85 points (39 goals, 46 assists) in 76 games. He holds the records for most goals (225), assists (554), points (779), power-play goals (80) and power-play points (355) by a Blackhawks defenseman. Wilson is 15th in NHL history among defensemen with 827 points (237 goals, 590 assists) in 1,024 games with Chicago and San Jose. He never won the Stanley Cup.
Sergei Zubov
Eligibility: Since 2013
Zubov won the Stanley Cup twice, with the Rangers in 1994 and the Stars in 1999. He also won a gold medal at the 1992 Albertville Olympics with the Unified Team of former Soviet states. He had 771 points (152 goals, 619 assists) in 1,068 games with the Rangers, Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins, and 117 points (24 goals, 93 assists) in 164 NHL playoff games. Zubov never won a major individual NHL award.
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