Longtime NHL forwards Joe Pavelski, Scott Gomez, and Zach Parise are the headliners of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2025 induction class, the organization announced Wednesday.
Pavelski and Parise are the most recently retired of the group and are both coming off their first seasons on the sidelines after announcing their retirements last year, although the latter has yet to actually file his retirement paperwork. Pavelski has already had quite the successful post-hockey career, leaning into golf and winning the celebrity American Century Championship in July.
Of course, it’s his league and international play that is earning him this honor. He’ll likely be a fringe Hockey Hall of Fame candidate when all is said and done, but the Wisconsin native was one of the league’s most consistent players since debuting with the Sharks during the 2006-07 season. A seventh-round pick in the famed 2003 draft, Pavelski leveraged a highly successful collegiate tenure in his home state into an 18-year NHL career with San Jose and Dallas, recording 1,068 points in 1,332 games to rank 74th on the league’s all-time scoring list.
’Captain America’s’ international resume is more limited than one would think, but he was part of the American squad that took home silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He also appeared for the top national team at the 2009 World Championships, the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey – a team he did actually serve as captain for. He had three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 20 top-level international games and advanced to two Stanley Cup Finals (2016, 2020).
Parise was the No. 17 overall pick of that same draft and debuted a season earlier than Pavelski, but injuries meant his total games played ended up lower at 1,254. He was more of an early peaker, namely his back-to-back 80-point seasons with the Devils in 2008-09 and 2009-10, but still managed 434 goals and 889 points for his career. That ranks 29th in scoring since the 2005 lockout.
However, Parise has a much more expansive international resume. He suited up for the U.S.’ top junior and senior national teams on nine different occasions, starting with the 2002 under-18 World Juniors and ending with the 2016 World Cup. He was the Americans’ leading scorer in their silver medal pursuit in 2010 with four goals and eight points in six games, earning a spot on the tournament All-Star Team. He also won gold at the U18 and U20 World Juniors, earning MVP honors at the latter tournament in 2004 with 11 points in six games.
Gomez, 45, has been retired for much longer. He last suited up for the Senators in 2016 but has remained active in staff roles, now serving as the head coach for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He played for the U.S. at the 2004 World Cup and the 2006 Winter Olympics, early into an NHL career that saw him become the first Latino player and first Alaskan to win the Calder Trophy. He finished his NHL career with 756 points in 1,079 games for the Devils, Rangers, Canadiens, Sharks, Panthers, Blues, and Sens.
Rounding out this year’s class are two-time Olympic medalist Tara Mounsey (1998, 2002) for the women’s program and photographer Bruce Bennett, who was the Islanders’ team photographer from 1982 to 2004 and has shot over 7.5 million photos since beginning his career in the sport in 1974. He’s still active and will be working at the upcoming 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
These guys should of been in long ago. Still remember Gomez playing in Junior A creating the KGB line but still lost to my Hometown Caps. Coached by Turk Gallant.
All 3 are very deserving of the honor.