Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2023 could include Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist could get his Hall call Wednesday.

The Hockey Hall of Fame's 18-member Selection Committee will meet Wednesday to vote on the Class of 2023. The inductees will be announced live at 3 p.m. ET (NHLN, TSN).

Candidates must receive at least 75 percent of the vote from the selection committee to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. A maximum of four retired male players, two retired female players, two builders or one builder and one retired official may be inducted in a single year.

Lundqvist, the former New York Rangers goalie, headlines the pool of Hall of Fame hopefuls in their first year of eligibility.

Although he never won the Stanley Cup, Lundqvist won just about everything else he could in the game, including the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL, an Olympic gold medal and a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship.

Lundqvist last played in the 2019-20 season and was forced to retire because of a heart ailment.

Here are many of the potential candidates for the Class of 2023 in alphabetical order, including arguably the top three in their first year of eligibility in the player category:

FIRST-YEAR ELIGIBLE

Corey Crawford

Crawford, a goalie, was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks (2013, 2015). He is third in Blackhawks history with 260 wins and 488 games played, and first with a .918 save percentage and second with a 2.45 goals-against average (minimum 100 games). He also is first in Blackhawks history in playoff wins (52), GAA (2.38) and save percentage (.918) (minimum 25 games).

Henrik Lundqvist

Lundqvist arguably is the closest to being a lock among the first-year eligible candidates in 2023. The former Rangers goalie is sixth all-time in wins (459), ninth in games played (887) and 17th in shutouts (64). Among goalies who appeared in at least 300 games he's tied for eighth in save percentage (.918) and tied for 19th in GAA (2.43). He helped the Rangers get to the Eastern Conference Final three times (2012, 2014, 2015) in his 15 seasons, including to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12, one of the five times he was a finalist for the award. He also had a 2.30 GAA, .921 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 130 playoff games. The best Hall of Fame comparable to Lundqvist is Roberto Luongo, who was inducted in the Class of 2022. Luongo appeared in 157 more games and had 30 more wins and 13 more shutouts, but a higher GAA (2.52) and similar save percentage (.919) to Lundqvist. Neither won the Stanley Cup, but each won an Olympic gold medal; Lundqvist with Sweden at the 2006 Torino Olympics. He also won the silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and won the gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.

Justin Williams

Williams, nicknamed "Mr. Game 7," was one of the most clutch players in the NHL in the past quarter-century. He did most of his damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup three times, with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. He was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 2014, when he had 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 26 games, including five points (two goals, three assists) in three Game 7 wins. Williams had 102 points (41 goals, 61 assists), including eight game-winning goals, in 162 playoff games. His teams went 8-1 in Game 7s and he has the most points (15) and is tied for the most goals (seven) in NHL Game 7s. Williams had 797 points (320 goals, 477 assists) in 1,264 regular-season games with the Hurricanes, Kings, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.

OTHER TOP CANDIDATES

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Barrasso was the goalie on the Penguins' Stanley Cup championship teams in 1991 and 1992. He went 12-7 with a 2.60 GAA and .919 save percentage in 1991 and 16-5 with a 2.82 GAA and .907 save percentage in 1992. Prior to his success in Pittsburgh, Barrasso won the Vezina Trophy and the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with the Buffalo Sabres in 1983-84, when he became arguably the best 18-year-old goalie in NHL history. He was 26-12 with three ties, two shutouts, a 2.85 GAA and .893 save percentage in 42 games after going straight from high school to the NHL. He finished his career with 369 wins, tied for 20th all-time.

Jennifer Botterill

Botterill won the Olympic gold medal three times with Canada (2002, 2006, 2010) after taking home silver in 1998. She also won gold at the IIHF Women's World Championship five times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007); she was named MVP of the 2001 and 2004 tournaments. Botterill had 174 points (65 goals, 109 assists) in 184 games in a Team Canada jersey, including 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 40 games for Canada at the Worlds. She played four seasons at Harvard, totaling 340 points (157 goals, 185 assists) in 113 games.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Brind'Amour won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. Now the Hurricanes coach and Jack Adams Award winner as the League's top coach in 2020-21, he finished his NHL career with 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists) in 1,484 games. Considered one of the best defensive forwards of his generation, he won the Selke Trophy in 2006 and 2007.

Karyn Bye-Dietz

Bye-Dietz was part of the United States women's team that won a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. The forward also helped the United States finish second at IIHF Women's World Championship six times (1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001). She is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame (2011), the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (2014), and the University of New Hampshire Hall of Fame (1998).

Meghan Duggan

Duggan's crowning achievement on the ice came at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, where she was captain for the United States' gold-medal victory. She also won a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Olympics, when she also was U.S. captain. Duggan won seven gold medals at the IIHF Women's World Championship, including as captain in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She played six seasons of pro hockey from 2011-17, winning a championship twice. In addition, she was a standout at the University of Wisconsin, helping the Badgers to three NCAA Division I national championships (2007, 2009, 2011) and totaling 238 points (108 goals, 130 assists) in 159 games.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Elias holds New Jersey Devils records for goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), shots on goal (3,287), power-play goals (113), power-play points (333), short-handed points (33), game-winning goals (80) and overtime goals (16). The forward also has the most goals (45), assists (80), points (125), power-play goals (21), power-play points (52) and shots on goal (444) in Devils playoff history. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Fleury won almost everything there is to win in hockey and played in more than 1,000 NHL games despite his size (5-foot-6) and the fact that he was an eighth-round pick (No. 166) in the 1987 NHL Draft. He won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and had 1,088 points (455 goals, 633 assists) in 1,084 regular-season NHL games. Fleury was a four-time 40-goal scorer, including a career-high 51 in 1990-91. He had 79 points (34 goals, 45 assists) in 77 playoff games. Fleury also won gold medals with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, the 1991 Canada Cup and the 1988 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Fellow Russia-born defenseman Sergei Zubov's induction in 2019 could pave the way for Gonchar, who finished his NHL career with 811 points (220 goals, 591 assists) in 1,301 games, an average of 0.62 points per game. He is 18th among NHL defensemen in points, 10th in power-play points (427), and had at least 50 points in a season nine times. By comparison, Zubov is 21st among defensemen in points with 771 (152 goals, 619 assists) in 1,068 games, an average of 0.72 points per game. Gonchar won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Joseph had 454 wins, more than Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk (445), Jacques Plante (437), Tony Esposito (423), Glenn Hall (407), Grant Fuhr (403) and Dominik Hasek (389). But they each won the Stanley Cup at least once; Joseph never even played in the Cup Final. He never won the Vezina Trophy either, although he was a finalist three times. The lack of postseason success and regular-season hardware could continue to prevent Joseph from getting his Hall call.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Leach was part of the Philadelphia Flyers' "LBC line" with Hockey Hall of Famers Bill Barber and Bobby Clarke during the 1970s. He had 666 points (381 goals, 285 assists) in 934 regular-season games, scored 30 or more goals in a season six times, 50 or more goals twice and led the NHL with 61 goals in 1975-76. He had 69 points (47 goals, 22 assists) in 94 playoff games and won the Stanley Cup with the Flyers in 1975. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1976 after he scored an NHL record (since tied) with 19 goals in 16 playoff games. He remains the only skater to win the award playing for the team that didn't win the Stanley Cup (the Montreal Canadiens swept Philadelphia 4-0).

Alexander Maltsev

Like Boris Mikhailov (candidacy below), Maltsev won the Olympic gold medal twice (1972, 1976) and is a nine-time IIHF World Championship gold-medal winner. He had 202 points (102 goals, 100 assists) in 150 games with the Soviet national senior team. He played for Dynamo Moscow in Russia from 1967-84, scoring 329 goals in 530 games.

Boris Mikhailov

Aleksander Yakushev's induction in 2018 could be a signal that Mikhailov eventually is going to get in too. The 79-year-old was the right wing on the Soviet national team's top line with Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov. The captain of the Soviet national team from 1972-80, he won a gold medal at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics and the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics and helped the Soviet Union win the IIHF World Championship eight times. Mikhailov was inducted in the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

With Paul Kariya inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, it stands to reason Mogilny should be too. A forward, Mogilny played 990 NHL games, one more than Kariya, and scored 71 more goals (473-402) and had 43 more points (1,032-989). Mogilny won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000; Kariya never won the Cup. They each won a gold medal at the Olympics (Mogilny with the Soviet Union at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, Kariya with Canada in 2002), and at the IIHF World Championship (Mogilny 1989, Kariya 1994).

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Osgood is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2008); he was the starter in 1998 and 2008. Osgood also took the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Final as their starter in 2009, when they lost in seven games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is 13th all-time in regular-season wins (401) and ninth all-time in playoff wins (74).

Caroline Ouellette

Oullette is one of three female players who has won at least four Olympic gold medals, joining Canada women's national team teammates Hayley Wickenheiser (five) and Jayna Hefford (four). Wickenheiser and Hefford are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ouellette won gold at the Olympics in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, totaling 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 20 Olympic games. Ouellette won the gold six times at the IIHF Women's World Championship and earned silver at the other six tournaments she played in from 1999-2015. Ouellette also won the Clarkson Cup playing for the Canadiennes de Montreal in the Canadian Women's Hockey League four times and an NCAA Division I title at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

The Nashville Predators outgoing general manager would go in to the Hall of Fame in the Builder's category and join his father, Bud Poile. David Poile, who is retiring effective June 30, was a GM for 41 years, starting in 1982 with the Washington Capitals and holding that role for 15 seasons before he was hired to start the Predators from scratch. Poile is the only person who has been a GM for at least 3,000 regular-season games (3,075); next is Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello (2,756). Poile also is the only GM with at least 1,500 wins (1,533); Lamoriello is second with 1,405. His teams have made the playoffs in 29 of his 39 seasons as a GM. That includes 14 straight in Washington to begin his career. Nashville missed the playoffs four times in the past 19 seasons. The Predators went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Roenick has the second-most points (1,216) and the fourth-most goals (513) among eligible players not in the Hall of Fame. But he never won the Stanley Cup or a major NHL award. He also never won a gold medal on the international level with the United States, but he got silver at the 1991 Canada Cup and the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Tkachuk has the most goals of any Hall of Fame-eligible player who has not yet been inducted with 538, and he had 1,065 points in 1,201 games. He won a gold medal with the United States at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey but never won the Stanley Cup or a major NHL award.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Turgeon has the most points of any eligible player not in the Hall of Fame with 1,327 (515 goals, 812 assists) in 1,294 games. He also had 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 109 playoff games. Turgeon never won the Stanley Cup and his only major individual award was the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play in 1992-93.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Vernon was the starting goalie on two Stanley Cup championship teams, with the Flames in 1989 and the Red Wings in 1997. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1997 after he went 16-4 with a 1.76 GAA and .927 save percentage in 20 games. He also helped the Flames get to the Stanley Cup Final in 1986 and the Red Wings get there in 1995. Vernon won 385 regular-season games and went 77-56 in the playoffs.

Video: NHL Tonight: 2023 HOF candidate discussion

Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008, when he had 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 22 games to lead the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup. He had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 23 games during the 2009 playoffs, when the Red Wings fell one win short of winning the Cup for the second straight year. Zetterberg is fifth in Red Wings history in goals (337), assists (623) and points (960), with Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Alex Delvecchio and Nicklas Lidstrom ahead of him. He is fifth in Red Wings history in playoff points (120) despite being 10th in games played (137). Zetterberg, who was selected in the seventh round (No. 210) in the 1999 NHL Draft, also won gold with Sweden at the 2006 Torino Olympics and the 2006 IIHF World Championship, making him a member of the IIHF Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, World Championship gold).