Why 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class rocks despite its lack of Cups

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Of the five players elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, only one was a Stanley Cup winner. 

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But the class of 2026 has no shortage of great storylines to frame their contributions to the game, even if most never drank from the trophy.  

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Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and the long-delayed Keith Tkachuk are the newest members, all earning at least 75 per cent votes from the 17-member selection committee, with U.S. women’s pioneer Cindy Curley, and in the builder’s wing, the multi-tasking Brian Burke. 

Why the hall made room for Daddy

Keith had so much going on these past few days, with son Brady’s controversial trade to Florida to join brother Matthew, while their clan, including many grandkids, celebrated a family baptism, that at first Keith didn’t want to distract from the gathering. 

But with everyone there waiting more than a decade for Monday’s call, Keith was again centre of attention.  

“It’s been quite a weekend for the Tkachuks, a whirlwind,” Keith said on the inductees’ Zoom call. “It was great to see everyone’s reaction, especially my Mom. We wouldn’t be here without her and the sacrifice of blue-collar people from Boston who lived pay cheque to pay cheque so I could live my dream. 

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“This tops it off.” 

While Matthew and Brady were in the news for months with Team USA’s Olympic gold medal, Matthew’s injury and Brady’s contract uncertainty, this was a reminder the head of the household had 30 or more goals nine times, twice reached 50, is third in all-time goals by an American and on their first World Cup winner back in 1996. 

He had 2,219 penalty minutes, paving the way to the box for his sons. Keith is almost always found in the crowd by TV cameras when the siblings are scoring – or scrapping. 

Price is right 

Montreal Canadiens’ goalie Price had to wait after a crowded first-year field in 2025, but as selection committee chair Ron Francis observed, Hart Trophy winners usually end up in the Hall. 

The B.C. native was recognized for being tied for 13th in NHL career save percentage, for a time its most dominant stopper, and his Olympic gold and World Cup titles. His career just didn’t end how he envisioned, with injuries and off-ice issues, though he did earn the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance. 

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“I always kind of figured I’d play until my body told me it was time to do something else.” Price said. “I kind of made peace with that as I came along.” 

Both he and Rinne, who also had a .917 percentage, did not get Cups, though the latter put the Nashville Predators on the map as their first full-time Hall of Famer. 

“An unbelievable honour,” said the Finn, a Vezina Trophy winner and four-time finalist. “I met so many wonderful people in Nashville and I share this with them.” 

Centre of attention

To no one’s surprise, six-time Frank Selke Trophy winner and 2011 Cup champion Bergeron was elected as soon as his three-year retirement cleared him. 

Dominance in the faceoff circle was his hallmark, but he had 1,040 regular season points. He was quick to thank teammates, namely gargantuan fellow Hall of famer Zdeno Chara who helped him limit space for opposing forwards and defensive-minded coaches such as Claude Julien for “taking away the gray area and making it more black and white for me. Anticipation and using instinct is also something that have helped a lot.” 

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Bergeron was also asked if part of him saw the irony of having a Hall plaque in Toronto when the Bruins won four Game 7’s against the Leafs in 11 years to keep dash their Cup hopes. 

“Good question,” he said with a chuckle. 

Giving Burke his due

Burke’s journey has been one of hockey’s most eventful in both a competitive and personal sense. 

The player agent and league disciplinarian was also the tough talking general manager of several teams, including the big market Vancouver Canucks, Leafs and the ‘07 Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. 

But in 2010 he was devastated by the automobile death of son Brendan, who’d begun an off-ice career in hockey, soon after Brian supported his coming out. Burke campaigned tirelessly for inclusion in the game, for Pride causes and helped launch the PWHL. 

“My career has never been separated from those things,” Burke said. “When you have a son or daughter who’s gay and they come out, you have to become an advocate instantly or you’re not doing your job as a parent. It was as important as anything else I’ve ever worked on.” 

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Though Burke couldn’t duplicate his Cup success anywhere else in the NHL, he took great satisfaction in the complicated back channel dealing at the 1999 draft to get Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the Canucks. 

His greatest contribution? 

“At that point in my life it was making the (1973) hockey team at Providence College as a walk-on. And graduating from Providence like Cindy (the 5-foot-5 forward and furure coach who played for the U.SA, in the inaugural 1990 IIHF women’s championship). 

“No one starts their career and says ‘one day I’ll be in the Hall of Fame’. For me, I never thought about it.” 

Burke has been a long-time member of the selection committee, but was removed from this year’s vote once nominated.

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby    

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