Hasek, Forsberg, Modano first-time Hall favorites

Dominik Hasek, Peter Forsberg and Mike Modano are among the favorites to earn entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 in their first time on the ballot.

The Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee will announce the Hall's 2014 inductees June 23. It will be the first selection meeting for committee chairman John Davidson, the Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations, who was named to the post in April.

Hasek, with his unorthodox style, became one of the greatest goaltenders in the game's history. He won the Vezina Trophy six times and is the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy in consecutive seasons (1997-98). He won the William Jennings Trophy three times, the Ted Lindsay Award twice, and played in six NHL All-Star Games. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Detroit Red Wings, as the starter in 2002 and as the backup to Chris Osgood in 2008.

Hasek played in the Olympics four times, winning the gold medal with the Czech Republic at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to include NHL players.

In 708 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, Hasek had 389 wins, 11th all-time, and 81 shutouts, sixth on the all-time list.

Forsberg's career was limited to 708 NHL games due to injuries, but he packed a high level of play into a short amount of time. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Colorado Avalanche, in 1996 and 2001. He won the Calder Trophy in 1996 after totaling 116 points in 82 games, and won the Hart and Art Ross trophies with a League-leading 106 points in 2002-03.

He had 885 points in parts of 13 seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators. His 1.25 points-per-game average is eighth all-time, and his 0.90 assists per game rank fifth.

Modano's 561 goals and 1,374 points are the most scored in the NHL by a player born in the United States, 23rd among all players.

His best offensive season was 1993-94, the first as the Dallas Stars after relocating from Minnesota; he had 50 goals and 93 points. He became the face of hockey in Texas and in 1998-99 had 23 points in 23 games to help the Stars win their only Stanley Cup.

He scored at least 30 goals nine times playing 20 of his 21 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He finished his career in 2010-11 with his hometown Detroit Red Wings.

Among those on the ballot for the first time, having been retired three years, are Mark Recchi, Doug Weight, Owen Nolan and Chris Osgood. Players from past years under consideration are Eric Lindros and Tom Barrasso.

The inductees will be honored at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 10, along with USA Today hockey reporter Kevin Allen, the winner of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism, and Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play announcer Pat Foley, who received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for broadcasting.