Patrice Bergeron scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2011 and now enters the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Boston Bruins center is among six new inductees honoured in Toronto on Monday, November 9, recognised for careers that stretched across playing and executive ranks.
Bergeron, who played 19 seasons with the Bruins, ended his career with 1,040 points and six Selke Trophies as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He reached the Stanley Cup final three times, winning in 2011 and finishing runner-up in 2013 and 2019. Internationally, Bergeron won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014, as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens’ all-time leader in regular-season wins with 361, also gained entry. Price’s 43 playoff victories include the 2020 Stanley Cup Final appearance. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2014-15 and was the starting goalie for Canada’s 2014 Olympic gold-medal team.
Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators’ former star netminder, joins them after a career with 369 regular-season wins. Rinne earned the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18 and led the Predators to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. He was named MVP of the 2014 world championships, where Finland took silver.
Keith Tkachuk, who retired 16 years ago, is the first U.S.-born player inducted this year. He was the first American to lead the NHL in goals with 52 in the 1996-97 season and finished with 538 goals, 1,065 points, and 2,219 penalty minutes. Tkachuk played in three Olympics and won a silver medal in 2002. He is also the father of current NHL stars Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
Cindy Curley, a former captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team, is the sole female player honoured. Curley was a standout at Providence College and won silver medals at the 1990, 1992, and 1994 world championships. Her 23 points in the 1990 tournament remain a record.
Brian Burke is the only inductee in the builder category. Burke’s executive career includes winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and serving as GM of multiple NHL teams. He managed the U.S. men’s Olympic team to a silver medal in 2010 and drafted the Sedin twins for Vancouver. Burke also worked as NHL disciplinarian and was the first executive director of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
The Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on NHL Network at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a preview show at 7 p.m. Streaming options include Fubo and select Sling packages. The event in Toronto gathers some of the sport’s most accomplished figures, each leaving a mark through on-ice skill or leadership off the ice.
This class of inductees reflects a mix of dominant goaltenders, skilled forwards, a pioneering American scorer, a decorated women’s captain, and a veteran executive with decades of influence across teams and leagues. The ceremony confirms their place in hockey history as the sport’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.
According to Yahoo Sports.