You will often hear about certain players being labelled “locks” for the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF). If their career ended today, their current resume would be enough to get them into the Hall without any more games played.
Related: 7 Highly Questionable HHOF Selections
There are plenty of players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews that will almost assuredly make the Hall of Fame, but there’s still some work to do. If their current trajectory continues, they’ll absolutely make it. But as of right now, their resumes aren’t enough.
By position and then alphabetical order, here are the 16 active NHL players that will be in the HHOF.
The Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom
Games played: 956 (243-684-927)
We start with a controversial name on this list, simply because Backstrom doesn’t have any individual hardware. However, he has a Stanley Cup, which is more than some others on this list have. He also has an Olympic silver medal.
He’s also played at nearly a point-per-game throughout his career and has 10 seasons with 50 or more points. He’s been over 70 points for the last six straight seasons and was over 100 points once in 2009-10. Since he entered the league in 2007-08, he has more assists than any other player over that time.
Patrice Bergeron
Games played: 1,089 (352-517-869)
Patrice Bergeron will finish his career as one of the best defensive forwards to play in the NHL. He’s won four Frank J. Selke Awards to prove that, which is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Gainey for the most all-time. He’s also finished in the top five an additional five times.
On top of his Selke wins, he has also won the King Clancy Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award. To add to his cupboard, Bergeron also has a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals. He’s part of an elite group known as the Triple Gold Club for winning a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold and a World Hockey Championship gold. He’s also won gold in the World Junior Hockey Championship and the World Cup. It’s safe to say he knows how to win.
Sidney
Crosby
Games played: 984 (462-801-1,263)
Three Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Conn Smyth Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, two Rocket Richard Trophies and two Olympic gold medals. The induction introduction writes itself. Plus, Crosby achieved all of that despite losing a great deal of time to concussions through his career.
There’s no question that he has already carved out a HHOF career and it’s impressive to think what his resume could look like if it weren’t for his bout with concussions. He’s also a member of the Triple Gold Club.
Ryan Getzlaf
Games played: 1,053 (274-691-965)
Like Backstrom, Getzlaf doesn’t have any individual hardware to his name. But that won’t keep him from being a Hall of Famer. He has a Stanley Cup, two Olympic gold medals, a World Cup gold, a U18 and U20 World Junior gold and a World Championship silver.
He’s just under a point per game on his career (0.94) in the regular season and that goes up in the playoffs (125 games, 120 points, 0.96 points per game). He’s a power forward who has shown elite playmaking abilities, hitting 80 points three times in his career.
Patrick Kane
Games played: 973 (389-633-1,022)
If the three Stanley Cups aren’t enough, perhaps the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Calder Trophy and Conn Smythe trophy will do it. Kane is already a lock for the HHOF.
He’s already in the top 10 for points by an American-born player, and since coming into the league, he trails just Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin in points. He may just be the best American to ever play in the league. He’s a playoff performer as well, with a 0.97 points per game in the postseason, including five overtime-winning goals.
Anze Kopitar
Games played: 1,073 (333-617-950)
The first Slovenian to ever play in the NHL, Anze Kopitar has become one of the best two-way forwards in the game. Between him and Bergeron, the Selke Trophy usually goes to one of them, with Kopitar winning two of them.
On top of the Selke wins, Kopitar has led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cups and has a Lady Byng Trophy to his name. He’s earned votes for the Lady Byng trophy in 11 seasons. While being great away from the puck, he’s also led his team in points for the majority of his career.
Evgeni
Malkin
Games played: 907 (416-660-1,076)
When he’s healthy, Malkin is arguably the toughest player in the NHL to defend. His combination of size, speed, and power is truly remarkable. He’s like a freight train out on the ice. Unfortunately, he’s dealt with injury problems throughout his career that limited him.
In the games Malkin does play, he’s a force. He’s won three Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies a Calder Memorial Trophy, a Hart Memorial, a Ted Lindsay Award and a Conn Smythe.
Alex
Ovechkin
Games played: 1,152 (706-572-1,278)
Ovechkin might not be the human wrecking ball that he was earlier in his career, but he is still a human highlight reel. Few players in the history of the game have been blessed with the type of shot and explosive offensive ability that Ovechkin possesses. From any angle, anywhere in the offensive zone, he is a threat to score. There’s even a chance he catches Wayne Gretzky’s goals record.
Ovechkin is the only player in history to win more than two Rocket Richard Trophies – he has eight of them. He finally won a Stanley Cup in 2018, won three Hart Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Calder Trophy, and an Art Ross Trophy.
Joe Thornton
Games played: 1,639 (420-1,089-1,509)
His detractors love to point out his shortcomings in the playoffs but don’t acknowledge how strong of a point producer he is in the regular season. Thornton has registered at least 70 points twelve times. He’s currently 12th for games played all-time, 14th all-time in points and eighth all-time in assists.
While Thornton is still searching for the Stanley Cup, there’s no arguing his hockey resume. He has a Hart Memorial Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy and an Olympic gold medal.
Jonathan Toews
Games played: 943 (345-470-815)
The third and final member of the Triple Gold Club, Jonathan Toews has cemented his role as one of the best leaders in the NHL. He’s led the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups, and with Team Canada has two Olympic gold medals, two U20 World Junior Championship golds, a World Championship gold and a World Cup gold.
He’s even collected individual awards, with a Mark Messier Leadership Award, Conn Smyth Award and a Frank J. Selke Trophy. Toews has led every team he’s on to win it all and should be a lock for the HHOF.
Forward Honourable Mentions: Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrick Marleau, Connor McDavid, Corey Perry and Steven Stamkos.
The Defenders
Zdeno Chara
Games played: 1,553 (205-451-656)
Though Chara has won only one Norris Trophy, he has consistently been a top contender for the trophy over his career and was a finalist (top three) six times. Every defenseman who has done that who is eligible has made the Hall of Fame. His leadership is not to be questioned and was awarded for it with the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2010-11.
He was the anchor of the Stanley Cup winning Bruins in 2010-11 and was the most important player on what was one of the best defensive teams in recent memory. The biggest player in NHL history, Chara dominated in his own zone with his physicality and reach. On the offensive end, his booming slapshot and occasional forays as a net presence on the power play made him a force to be reckoned with.
Drew Doughty
Games played: 919 (117-385-502)
Ever since breaking into the league, Drew Doughty has been one of the league’s best defenders. He may just have one Norris Trophy win, but during his career, he’s received votes for the award in eight seasons. That includes four top-five finishes.
Doughty has bolstered his resume with two Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, an U20 World Junior Championship gold medals, a World Cup gold and a World Championship silver.
Erik Karlsson
Games played: 736 (135-468-603)
Erik Karlsson has not only been one of the best defensemen in the league over his career, but he’s become one of the best offensive defensemen ever to play the game. His .828 points per game are eighth all-time, and he’s already in the top-50 defenders for points at just 28-years-old.
While Karlsson is still looking for his Stanley Cup, he’s collected two Norris Trophies and an Olympic silver. He’s received votes for the Norris Trophy in seven of his 11 seasons. He’s also finished in the top-10 for the Hart Trophy four times.
Duncan Keith
Games played: 1,138 (101-509-610)
Some may question whether or not Keith is a lock, but most don’t appreciate how consistently great he’s been over his career. Yes, he won two Norris Trophies, but he was exceptionally strong every other season. He just didn’t put up huge numbers in those years.
Averaging 31:07 in the 2015 playoffs, Keith led the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. His effortless skating, poise with the puck, and exemplary two-way play were remarkable. Only five defensemen in NHL history have won multiple Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy: Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson, Brian Leetch, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Duncan Keith. The first four are all Hall of Famers. His two Olympic gold medals don’t hurt either.
Defensemen Honourable Mentions: Brent Burns, Victor Hedman, Kris Letang and P.K Subban
The Goaltenders
Henrik
Lundqvist
Games played: 887 (2.43 career goals against average, .918 career save percentage)
Somehow, Lundqvist only has one Vezina Trophy to his credit. But like Chara, he has consistently been a strong contender since his rookie season in 2005-06. In fact, he has finished in the Top 10 in Vezina voting for the first 10 seasons in his career, seven times in the top five.
His teams have generally struggled in the playoffs, but it’s no fault of his. Compared to the regular season, Lundqvist’s GAA goes down and save percentage goes up in the playoffs. He just gets terribly little goal support from the team in front of him in the postseason. Internationally, he has Olympic gold and silver medals to bolster his resume.
Carey Price
Games played: 682 (2.49 career goals against average, .917 career save percentage)
Just like Lundqvist, Carey Price lacks a Stanley Cup on his resume. But the 2014-15 season gave him all the hardware he needs. Not only did he win the Vezina and the William Jennings Trophy, but he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay Award) as league MVP as voted by his peers.
He’s been in conversation for the Vezina and the Hart on numerous occasions, playing behind a fairly weak Montreal Canadiens team for the majority of his career. Add in gold medals at the 2007 World Juniors (where he was the best goaltender and tournament MVP), 2014 Winter Olympics (where he was the best goaltender, and the 2016 World Cup, and you’ve got yourself a Hall of Famer.
Goaltender Honourable Mentions: Sergei Bobrovsky, Marc-Andre Fleury, Tuukka Rask, and Jonathan Quick.