Another slate of hockey legends has received their call to the Hall. Forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, and defenseman Shea Weber comprise the NHL players entering this year. On the women’s side, former Team USA fixture and PWHL Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz has been inducted along with Team USA teammate and current Penguins amateur scout Krissy Wendell-Pohl. Longtime NHL vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell has been inducted as a builder, as has longtime Capitals and Predators GM David Poile.
NHL all-time games played leader Patrick Marleau was eligible for induction for the first time this year but was not chosen. Meanwhile, Datsyuk and Weber gain entry on their first try, while Roenick gets in after a 12-year wait.
Datsyuk began his NHL career as a sixth-round pick of the Red Wings in 1998 out of the Russian top league. It took a while for him to come over, though, finally debuting with Detroit in his age-23 season in 2001-02. He put together a decent rookie season for the Dead Puck Era, logging 11 goals and 35 points in 70 games, finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting before lifting the Stanley Cup as part of perhaps the best roster in NHL history. Datsyuk is the tenth player from that team to become a Hall of Famer, joining Chris Chelios, Sergei Fedorov, Dominik Hašek, Brett Hull, Igor Larionov, Nicklas Lidström, Luc Robitaille, Brendan Shanahan, and Steve Yzerman.
He went on to play 14 years in the show, all in a Red Wings uniform. Datsyuk lifted another Stanley Cup as part of the Red Wings’ championship team in 2008, a year that saw him post 97 points and a +41 rating in 82 games en route to his first of three straight Selke Trophies. He didn’t crack the 1,000-game mark, opting to return to his native Russia after the 2015-16 season, but still had 314 goals and 918 points in 953 career NHL games while arguably serving as the best defensive center of his time with some incredible breakaway/shootout moves to boot. He played five seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League after leaving Detroit, including three with top-flight side SKA St. Petersburg and two with his hometown Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
Datsyuk was also one of the most well-regarded and sportsmanlike players in the league, winning four Lady Byngs. He was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players of all time as part of the league’s centennial celebration in 2017-18.
Roenick may not have the awards résumé of a normal Hall-of-Famer, but he was still one of the league’s premier offensive talents over a career that spanned 20 seasons. The Boston native was the eighth overall pick of the Blackhawks in the 1988 draft and made his debut the following season, recording 18 points in 20 games without burning his rookie eligibility.
He arrived in full in 1989-90, posting 26 goals and 66 points in 78 games while earning himself a nomination for the Calder Trophy. That would be his last year without recording at least a point per game until 1997. Over 1,363 games with Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Jose, he tallied 513 goals and 703 assists for 1,216 points while playing through one of the league’s lowest-scoring eras. On the league’s all-time list, Roenick ranks 42nd in goals, 59th in assists, 47th in points, and 54th in games played.
Weber spent his entire career with just two teams, playing 11 seasons with the Predators before a 2016 blockbuster trade for P.K. Subban sent him to the Canadiens for the final five years of his career. The Habs were hoping he’d be with them longer—he’s still under contract for two more seasons, now with Utah—but various injuries ended his days as a player after he captained Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
In his 1,038 career games, he tallied 589 points, including 224 goals and 365 assists. He never won the Norris Trophy but was a finalist for the award on three occasions with Nashville (2011, 2012, 2014). He made four year-end All-Star teams and took home the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2016. He consistently logged heavy minutes throughout his career, averaging 24:03 per game.
Darwitz and Wendell-Pohl also take their rightful places in the Hall as they continue to make headway in recognizing the greats of the women’s game. Darwitz, now 40, is one of the most decorated Americans of all time, winning eight World Championship medals (three gold, five silver), three Olympic medals (two silver, one bronze), and multiple other international honors. Her junior season with the University of Minnesota in 2004-05 was one of the best performances in college hockey ever, racking up 42 goals and 114 points in just 40 games. After her playing career wrapped up in 2010, she spent various years coaching before taking over as GM of PWHL Minnesota in their inaugural season, building this year’s Walter Cup-winning team.
Wendell-Pohl, a Minnesota native like Darwitz, was also a member of the 2002 and 2006 Olympic teams for the US and served as their captain at her final World Championship appearance in 2007. She was unstoppable in Worlds action, totaling 21 goals and 59 points in 29 games over six appearances at the tournament. She’s been with the Penguins as a scout for three years.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Ah, the Coyotes will be well represented.
Utah will be I’m guessing
Did Weber retire? What are his current obligations with Utah?
His contract is on their books for one more year. The only thing keeping him from retirement is the official paperwork with the league office, which would screw over both NSH and MTL due to recapture penalties.
Incredible that he’s eligible for HOF while still under contract as PLAYER (physically unable).
Think Hossa was the same.
And Pronger. Another Coyotes LTIRetiree.
But I thought Poile had already been inducted under the mediocrity catagory?
Hehe. :D
Mogilny snubbed again. Somebody in that room has it out for him. It’s becoming laughable.
Absolutely. When that kid got the puck, you got up out of your chair and watched.
HOF numbers. Great rookie year. Not a HOF player. Just wasn’t.
BUT…if ****ing Dino and Turgeon are in…can’t argue against him.
It’s the hockey HOF not the NHL HOF. With his total body of work I think he belongs…
Datsuyk makes it but Brind’Amour is still on the outside?!?
Datsun was at a higher level.
Campbell for screwing over the Canucks; I guess when you name the award for best GM after Harold Ballard’s water carrier instead of Pollock or Torrey, it makes sense. what a world.
No gonchar
LOVE Gonch, but…not a HOF’er.
Not sold on Weber. Probably, but if he’s American or Czech or Swiss, he’d wait a dozen years.
I loved JR but I’d probably vote no on him.
Datysuk barely gets in.
I’m evidently a “small hall” guy.
Not the only one. I’d slash the HHOF by a quarter if I could.
Darwitz elected right after getting fired by the PWHL. Funny optics
Good choice, though.
Call me daft but I thought JR was already in the Hall?
It’s hard to believe that Keith Tkachuk still isn’t in the HOF.
Roenick getting in probably helps Tkachuk.
Think Mogilny should maybe try builder route. His defecting changed hockey. They finally name two women no Botterill. Roenick must had someone in room who finally pushed him. Like Vernon and Barrasso last year
My first and only comment – Poile is in the Hall; GBeat is in his mother’s basement. Please stop making Preds fans look stupid as hell.
First comment and you can’t even get a users name correct. #clownworld.
Finally JR gets the nod
Weber. A bit surprised he made it in. Solid player, but HoF level?
He’s close, IMO.
But since this is the HHOF and we know the recent standards, he was a much better defenseman individually than Lowe, overall, and compared to his peers while he played. Lowe was never a top five D, while Weber was one for roughly a decade. But does that make up the difference in being a key contributor to 6 cup teams?
They’re realllly stretching it with the women’s inductions. The sport is just emerging from it’s freakshow days, we don’t need to throw in everyone who played in the game where they beat Belarus 31-0.
All for rightful recognition of women’s hockey, but it’s way too much too soon. Video game college stats mean nothing.
Pavel Datsyuk was a magician on the ice with moves we may never see again. What a gifted player and so much fun to watch. Congratulations on this well earned accomplishment
Weber over Brind’Amour. Sheesh!
Does this mean that Ozzie still has a chance?
Theo Fleury belongs as well.
Suprised but pleased JR got the nod. And those old Sharks jerseys are still the best!
Congratulations Natalie, it’s been a pleasure to say I was there in person to watch you knock the snot out of our Burnsville girls team as a 8th grader playing varsity for Eagan to then playing for the Gophers and team USA to then winning the pwhl championship here is Minnesota.
Only the best of luck on what ever path you take next.
Another year, another RBA snub.