Who makes the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2027? Ranking...

Greg WyshynskiJun 23, 2026, 02:45 PM ET

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Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its latest class this week, with Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke all getting the call to the Hall.

But who will join them in the Class of 2027?

Here's a look at the most likely men's and women's players to next get the call, ranked in order of their likelihood for enshrinement.

Please recall that there are a maximum of four male players and two female players in each class, chosen by a 17-member selection committee made up of executives, former players and members of the media.

Men's candidates

1. Ryan Getzlaf

Center (third year)

Getzlaf spent 17 years with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Anaheim Ducks, who were less mighty in name but not in accomplishments as Getzlaf led them to the Stanley Cup in 2007. He's their all-time leader in regular-season games played (1,157), assists (737) and points (1,019), and he holds the same marks in the playoffs for Anaheim.

His postseason numbers were incredible, actually: 120 points in 125 games, for the fifth-best playoff points-per-game average (0.96) from 2005 to 2022 (min. 100 games).

During the span of his career, he was fifth among centers in points. One of the centers ahead of him is in the Hall of Fame (Joe Thornton) and the other three are likely headed there (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Anze Kopitar). Overall, he had the seventh-most points of any player in that span.

Getzlaf won Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, World Cup of Hockey gold in 2016 and gold at world juniors in 2005. He finished second for the Hart to Crosby in 2013, but that was the extent of his awards love.

Considering Keith Tkachuk was just elected to the Hall without a Hart Trophy finish better than 10th, this shouldn't harm Getzlaf's case. He was a star, a leader and one of the most successful players of his era. Next season, he should be Hall-bound.

2. Rod Brind'Amour

Center (14th year)

Would Keith Tkachuk have made the Hall of Fame without the attention generated by the success of Matthew and Brady? Perhaps, given his goal-scoring prowess in the dead puck era. But it certainly didn't hurt to have fresh eyes on his career.

The point is that sometimes a long-gestating candidate just needs that extra bit of hype to recontextualize their impact, and it's entirely possible that happens for Brind'Amour next year after coaching the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. Brind'Amour is just the seventh person in NHL history to lift the Cup as a player and a head coach for the same team, and the first since 1956.

Now, that should be fodder for the "builder" category, but it might also be subliminal support for Brind'Amour the player, who already had a compelling case. He had 1,184 points in 1,484 games, including 452 goals. But his Hall of Fame case is built on his reputation as a defensive center. It's a role in which he excelled with the Hurricanes during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2006, which is also the first year of his back-to-back Selke Trophy wins. And of course, he was and continues to be "Rod The Bod."

There are players that occupied Brind'Amour's lane that already made the Hall, such as Patrice Bergeron and Pavel Datsyuk. Others such as Kopitar, Jonathan Toews and Aleksander Barkov are on their way. How he rates against them is a fair consideration. But Brind'Amour has his vocal supporters, inside and outside of Raleigh.

If it's ever going to happen for him, it'll be in the afterglow of his second Cup win.

3. Sergei Gonchar

Defenseman (ninth year)

Paul Pidutti of Adjusted Hockey, who has a point share system to determine Hall of Fame worthiness, is extremely high on Gonchar. He's the highest-ranked non-active defenseman in Pidutti's system, with a higher score than Hall of Famers such as Zdeno Chara, Rob Blake and Duncan Keith.

Gonchar is 19th in career points among defensemen, with 811 in 1,301 NHL games. Everyone who is Hall of Fame-eligible ahead of him -- save for Gary Suter -- is in the Hall.

That includes Nicklas Lidstrom, with whom Gonchar has the misfortune of sharing an era. The Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer -- considered one of the best defensemen in hockey history -- is the only blueliner who amassed more goals (236) and points (985) than Gonchar (220 goals, 811 points) from 1994-95 to 2014-15, which was the span of the Russian defenseman's career. He did some real offensive damage during the dead puck era.

Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy seven times. Gonchar finished in the top five for the award four times, which is more than Hall of Famer Sergei Zubov, for comparison's sake. Gonchar won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. He won Olympic silver in Nagano, bronze in Salt Lake City and world championship silver in 2010. Gonchar has an impressive case.

4. Henrik Zetterberg

Center (sixth year)

When Pavel Datsyuk made the Hall in 2024, attention turned to his Detroit Red Wings teammate Zetterberg, who finished his career with 960 points in 1,082 games, including 337 goals.

His greatest individual accomplishment was winning the Conn Smythe in the Red Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup win. That ring earned him Triple Gold Club status, going with championships in the 2006 Olympics and the 2006 IIHF World Championship with Sweden.

He had 120 points in 137 playoff games, including 27 in 22 games when he won the Conn Smythe.

5. Patrick Marleau

Center (fourth year)

Tkachuk's election to the Hall of Fame means that Marleau (566 goals) is the only eligible player among the top 40 goal scorers in NHL history not to have a plaque in Toronto.

Marleau finished his career with 1,779 career games played, breaking Gordie Howe's record of 1,767. He's 25th in NHL history with 566 goals and 53rd in career points with 1,197. He cracked 30 goals seven times and had a career peak of 44 goals in 2009-10. He won Olympic gold in Vancouver and Sochi, IIHF World Championship gold in 2003 and the World Cup in 2004, all with Canada.

But Marleau was a finalist for only one NHL award -- the Lady Byng, for gentlemanly play, once -- and he never won the Stanley Cup. He's seen by many as a "compiler" rather than a legend. But he wouldn't be the first compiler to make the Hall, would he?

6. John LeClair

Right wing (17th year)

LeClair received an uptick in attention this year thanks in part to Tkachuk and Price.

Like Tkachuk, he was another prolific offensive player (819 points in 967 games, including 406 goals) who didn't earn any individual accolades. Like Price, he had a run of about five seasons of absolute dominance: He led all scorers with 235 goals from 1995-2000 as Hall of Famer Eric Lindros' wingman.

LeClair won gold at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey with the U.S. and won silver in the 2002 Olympics. He had a huge role in Montreal's 1993 Stanley Cup win, scoring two OT goals in the Final.

7. Joe Pavelski

Center (first year)

The 18-year NHL veteran, who starred with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, finished with 1,068 points (seventh during the span of his career) in 1,332 games (fourth in that span). He had the fifth-most goals (476) of any player in that span.

He was a champion in the NCAA with Wisconsin and won Olympic silver in 2010 with Team USA. He was on the U.S. roster in the 2014 Olympics and at the World Cup of Hockey -- earning the nickname "Captain America."

He was also known as "Little Joe," because he played in the shadow of Joe Thornton in San Jose. But as the years went on, Pavelski carved out his own legacy, including being perhaps the best in the business at the net front offensively. Might not be a first-ballot guy, but he has a case.

8. Patrik Elias

Center/left wing (eighth year)

Elias had strong support from those who feel his talents were greater than his stats, having primarily played for a defensive team in a defensive era.

His numbers were stellar, holding the New Jersey Devils records in goals (408), assists (617) and points (1,025) in both the regular season (1,240 games) and the playoffs (162 games). He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Devils, in 2000 and 2003, and was in the Stanley Cup Final two other seasons.

He was a rookie of the year finalist in 1998 but didn't get much awards attention beyond that. Elias won bronze twice at worlds and Olympic bronze in Turin with the Czech team. Outside of Gonchar, Elias is the preeminent hipster pick among Hall-eligible players.

9. Nicklas Backstrom

Center (first year)

It's only natural that a low-key star like Backstrom would have a low-key great Hall of Fame case.

He spent 17 seasons with the Washington Capitals and spent the majority of his time dishing pucks to Alex Ovechkin en route to the Great 8 setting the NHL goals record. Backstrom hit 101 points in 2009-10 and had 1,033 points in 1,105 games.

He was considered a solid two-way No. 1 center, although he never earned any Selke love. He was fifth among all players in points (873) from 2007-19. He won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals, two golds at worlds and received a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics after a prolonged process.

10. Phil Kessel

Right wing (second year)

Phil The Thrill. The People's Candidate.

Kessel had 413 goals in 1,286 games, scoring 992 points in his career. He was an integral part of back-to-back Stanley Cup wins for the Pittsburgh Penguins and earned a third ring with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, his final NHL season.

Kessel had 83 points in 100 playoff games and probably deserved the Conn Smythe that went to Sidney Crosby in 2016. His biggest argument for the Hall: As a player never known for his Herculean conditioning, he holds the NHL iron man streak record of 1,064 consecutive games.

The field

Curtis Joseph, Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas are goalies waiting for their call. Eric Staal has 455 goals, a Stanley Cup win and an Olympic gold. Some other first-year eligible players include Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, Mark Giordano and T.J. Oshie.

Older offensive stars include Peter Bondra, Vincent Damphousse, Theo Fleury, Steve Larmer, Rick Nash, Bernie Nicholls and Pat Verbeek, along with defensemen Gary Suter and P.K. Subban.

Women's candidates

1. Noora Räty

Goalie (second year)

Former Team Canada goalie Kim St-Pierre was the first women's goaltender inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022. Räty is more than qualified to be the second, and the rare non-North American women's player to make the Hall.

Räty was a star for Team Finland, winning two Olympic bronze medals (2010, 2018) and playing on two national championship teams with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. At IIHF worlds, she won one silver and four bronze medals, while being named the tournament's top goalie five times. She played in the CWHL and PHF and was the first woman goaltender to play in Finland's second- and third-tier professional leagues.

2. Meghan Duggan

Forward (eighth year)

Duggan won seven IIHF World Championship gold medals and captained the U.S. women's Olympic hockey team to gold in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She won the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award as the top women's player in the NCAA while playing for Wisconsin. Duggan was the first American men's or women's player to win seven consecutive world championship gold medals.

Off the ice, she played an integral role in the national team's fight with USA Hockey over inequitable support and conditions in comparison to the men's team. She was director of player development for the New Jersey Devils and is the first GM for PWHL Hamilton.

3. Shannon Szabados

Goalie (eighth year)

Szabados won Olympic gold twice, pitching a shutout in 2010 and winning in overtime in 2014 for Canada against the United States. When Canada won silver in 2018, she was selected the tournament's top goaltender.

Szabados was also a trailblazer: In 2014, she signed a professional contract with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) to finish out the 2013-14 season, becoming the first woman to compete in the regular season in that minor league. She ended up playing four seasons in the SPHL.

4. Julie Chu

Forward (eighth year)

One of the pioneers in American women's hockey, Chu won silver three times and bronze once in the Olympics, and captured gold five times in the IIHF world championships. She was the top NCAA scorer of all time during her time at Harvard, and won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2007.

Chu also played professionally in the CWHL, winning playoff MVP while helping Minnesota to the Clarkson Cup in 2010. She's an iconic American player who captured 23 medals during her storied international career.

5. Meghan Agosta

Forward (sixth year)

Overshadowed by other Team Canada legends such as Hayley Wickenheiser and Marie Philip-Poulin, Agosta was a crucial part of the national team that won Olympic gold in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and then silver in 2018.

At the time of her official retirement in 2024, Agosta ranked sixth all time in goals (85) and points (176) and seventh in assists (91) in 178 career games while playing for Team Canada.