Chris Chelios and Scott Niedermayer were elected into the Hall in their first year of eligibility. Joining them are Brendan Shanahan, who made the cut in his second year, Canadian national team defenseman Geraldine Heaney — the third woman to be elected as a player — and Fred Shero, coach of the 1974-75 Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
Chelios ranks fifth all-time on the NHL’s career games played list with 1,651 and spent his 26-year career with the Montreal Canadians, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers. The three-time Norris Trophy winner also has three Stanley Cups and 11 All-Star nods on his resume, and the gritty defenseman represented the United States in four Olympics.
Niedermayer, a defenseman who played for the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks, was the third overall selection in the 1991 draft and played 17 seasons in the NHL. Niedermayer won three Stanley Cups with the Devils and one with the Ducks in 2007, in which he was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. Throughout his successful career, the defenseman won two Olympic gold medals with the Canadian national team and racked up 740 points in 1,263 career games. Niedermayer is now an assistant coach with the Ducks.
Shanahan played 22 seasons in the NHL with the Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers and Red Wings. The winger won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and scored 656 career goals in 1,524 regular-season games. Now the league’s chief disciplinarian, Shanahan recorded over 2,000 penalties during his playing career.
The five newest inductees will be recognized in November at a ceremony in Toronto.
