The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its next seven members on Tuesday, with NHL stars Jeremy Ronick, Pavel Datsyuk and Shea Weber named to the Class of 2024.
Women's hockey stars Natalie Darwitz and Chrissy Wendell Paul were also named in the player's category, while executives Colin Campbell and David Poile were selected in the builder's category to round out the group.
The Hall of Fame selection committee voted on Tuesday in Toronto. The induction ceremony for the 2024 inductees is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Toronto.
Roenick was one of the NHL's early American stars, scoring 513 goals and 703 assists in 20 seasons from 1988 to 2009. He is best known for his time with the Chicago Blackhawks, but also played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
To this day, Roenick is the fourth-leading scorer in league history by an American-born player behind Brett Hull, Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk, and he has been eligible for the Hall of Fame for more than a decade.
“I'm so happy and can't thank everyone enough for all that helped make this honor possible,” Roenick said in a news release. “I'm at a loss for words. I've never been at a loss for words before. It means so much to me to have overcome this final hockey hurdle.”
Datsyuk began his professional career in his native Russia before joining the NHL in 2001 and playing 14 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, recording 918 career points (314 goals, 604 assists) and winning Stanley Cups with Detroit in 2002 and 2008. Datsyuk also won an Olympic gold medal in 2018 and is a four-time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly conduct.
Weber spent 11 seasons with the Nashville Predators and five with the Montreal Canadiens. The defenceman amassed 443 points (166 goals, 277 assists) in the NHL and won consecutive Olympic gold medals with Canada (2010, 2014). As a junior hockey player he won a Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets.
Darwitz scored the winning goal in Minnesota's win over Harvard in the 2005 NCAA championship game and went on to represent the United States in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games.
Wendell Pohl also played at the University of Minnesota, where she was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award for best female college hockey player in 2005. She was also named MVP of the 2005 IIHF World Championship, where the United States won its first gold medal, and served as captain of the 2006 Olympic team.
Campbell has served as a player, coach and executive throughout his 52-year hockey career, including the past 25 years as the NHL's Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, Officiating and Central Scouting. Campbell won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers in 1994.
Poile retired as general manager of the Nashville Predators last summer, but he remains the winningest and longest-tenured general manager in league history. He served as general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1982 to 1997 before taking the job in Nashville, a position he held for 27 years. During those two tenures, Poile's teams compiled a record of 1,533 wins, 1,172 losses, 192 ties and 178 draws.
“I'm happy for my family and for the life I've lived through hockey,” Poile said. “I'd like to thank the selection committee for this wonderful honor.”
–Field Level Media
