Hockey

Another small group of hockey legends will soon be enshrined in the sport's illustrious Hall of Fame. In fact, these six former players don't have much longer to wait.

On Monday night, the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame class will be inducted during a ceremony held at Meridian Hall Theatre in Toronto. The event will be the culmination of the various events that have been held throughout the city this weekend leading up to it.

Here's everything you need to know heading into this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Info
Date: Monday, Nov. 14

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NHL Network

Induction Class

Daniel Alfredsson: Forward for Ottawa Senators (1995-2013 and Detroit Red Wings (2013-14)

Herb Carnegie: Forward in various Canadian leagues (1944-1954)

Roberto Luongo: Goaltender for New York Islanders (1999-2000), Florida Panthers (2000-2006, 2014-2019) and Vancouver Canucks (2006-2014)

Riikka Sallinen: Forward for Finland's national women's hockey team (1998, 2002, 2014 and 2018 Olympics)

Daniel Sedin: Forward for Vancouver Canucks (2000-2018)

Henrik Sedin: Forward for Vancouver Canucks (2000-2018)

Preview

There's a bit of a Vancouver flavor to the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame class. That's because half of the class spent a substantial amount of time as teammates with the Canucks.

Twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin spent their entire NHL careers together, playing the same 18 seasons in Vancouver. They'll be inducted alongside goaltender Roberto Luongo, who played eight of his 19 seasons with the Canucks (although he's more known for his 11 seasons with the Panthers).

It's only fitting that the Sedin twins are now going into the Hall of Fame together. Each is deserving, too. Daniel was a two-time All-Star who tallied 393 goals and 648 assists in the NHL, while Henrik was also a two-time All-Star with 240 goals and 830 assists over his career.

Both Sedins and Luongo were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

“You never expect this to happen. And then you get the call," Daniel Sedin said, per the Associated Press.

Daniel Alfredsson had been eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame since 2017, so he had to wait a bit before getting that call. The 18-year NHL veteran spent all but one of his seasons with the Senators, and he became an integral part of that franchise's success.

Riikka Sallinen won two Olympic bronze medals while playing for Finland's women's national team. Herb Carnegie was a pioneer for the sport in Canada and is one of the best Black players to have not played in the NHL.

All six of this year's Hall of Fame inductees are deserving, each for their own reasons.

“You look around and see all the plaques, you see all the names,” Luongo said, per the AP. “It’s pretty special.”

Of the four former NHL players in the 2022 class, none won the Stanley Cup. However, that didn't stop any of them from having Hall of Fame careers and making a huge impact on the sport in the process.

Now, as Luongo alluded to, they'll be enshrined among the all-time greats once they participate in Monday's prestigious ceremony.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced Friday that the next World Cup of Hockey will not be held in February 2024 as originally planned.

In a statement, the NHL and NHLPA said "the current environment is not feasible" to hold the tournament next year, but they are hopeful it can return in February 2025:

The inaugural World Cup of Hockey was played in 1996, and the next installment did not occur until 2004 during the NHL lockout. The concept was revived in 2016 and was scheduled to be played again four years later in 2020, but the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement caused its cancellation.

The Canada Cup, the precursor to the World Cup of Hockey, was contested five times from 1976 to 1991 and featured six of the top hockey nations in the world each time.

Canada was victorious on four occasions, while the Soviet Union took home the Canada Cup in 1981.

When the World Cup of Hockey debuted to much fanfare in 1996, it was largely due to the anticipation of a Canada vs. United States final. In a three-game series played in Philadelphia and Montreal, Team USA prevailed.

Canada beat Finland in the final at the next World Cup of Hockey in 2004, and the concept was shelved for the next 12 years.

Upon the World Cup of Hockey's return in 2016, some changes were made to the format. It still included eight teams like the 1996 and 2004 editions, but two of them were unique mash-ups.

Along with Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and Czech Republic, there was a Team Europe featuring European players from countries other than those already involved, and a Team North America, featuring Canadian and American players aged 23 or younger.

Canada defeated Europe in the best-of-three final, and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby was named the MVP after scoring a tournament-high 10 points.

In recent years, the world's best players have not had many opportunities to compete on the international stage.

NHL players were not permitted to compete at the 2018 or 2022 Winter Olympics, leaving only the IIHF World Championship, which often doesn't attract the best of the best.

A 2025 World Cup of Hockey represents the next big opportunity for top NHL stars to compete internationally, followed by a potential return of NHL players at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was transported to the hospital and will undergo a procedure after suffering a "deep cut" to his wrist during Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena, per NHL on TNT.

Kane suffered the injury during the second period when Patrick Maroon's skate caught his wrist while trying to get up following a hit along the boards.

On Wednesday morning, Kane posted an update, saying he would be back on the ice in the near future:

Entering Tuesday's game, he had tallied five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 13 games this season.

The 31-year-old is in his second season with the Oilers and agreed to a four-year, $20.5 million deal with the franchise in July. He's under contract through the 2025-26 season.

Kane began his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization in 2009 when he was selected fourth overall in the NHL draft. He spent six seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons before being dealt to the San Jose Sharks.

The Vancouver native put together some of the best seasons of his career in San Jose, tallying 87 goals and 79 points for 166 points in 212 games across three-and-a-half seasons.

However, Kane's tenure with the Sharks came to an ugly end when he was suspended for 21 games in October 2021 for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. After he finished his suspension, the team sent him to the American Hockey League, and the remainder of his seven-year, $49 million contract was terminated in January for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.

Kane was in the fourth year of that deal and was due $19 million for the last three years of the contract. In September, he and the Sharks reached a settlement on the grievance the NHL Players' Association filed last season on his behalf in regards to his contract termination.

After his tenure with the Sharks came to an end, Kane signed a one-year deal with the Oilers for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign. In 43 games last season, he tallied 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points.

Kane has been mostly durable over his 14-year career, appearing in at least 63 games in nine seasons. The Oilers will hope his latest injury doesn't sideline him for too long as they need his offensive production alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are still sitting on a number of tradable assets this season, including team captain Jonathan Toews and star winger Patrick Kane, though both need to waive their no-movement clauses in order to be dealt.

However, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told ESPN's Emily Kaplan that the team has had "zero" conversations with other teams on a deal for Kane, adding that he doesn't "foresee anything" happening soon.

Davidson didn't provide any clarity on where things stand with Toews, but Kaplan reports she's "heard that some teams are looking at" the veteran center given his respectable start to the 2022-23 campaign.

The Athletic's Mark Lazerus reported in July that the Blackhawks hadn't had any trade discussions involving Kane, so things appear to be status quo on that front.

Kane is in his 16th season in the NHL, all spent with the Blackhawks, and is in the final season of an eight-year, $84 million deal worth $10.5 million.

The 33-year-old has helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups, been named an All-Star four times and has won the Art Ross, Hart, Calder and Conn Smythe Trophies. He has tallied 432 goals and 758 assists in 1,119 regular-season games.

Through 12 games this season, the 2007 first overall pick has tallied two goals and eight assists.

Toews has also spent his entire 15-year career in Chicago and was a member of the team's three Stanley Cup victories from 2010-15. The 2013 second-team All-Star has won the Smythe and Selke Trophies as well as the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

The 34-year-old has notched 364 goals and 497 assists in 1,026 games. He has tallied seven goals and two assists in 12 games this season.

In an interview with Lazerus in July, Toews said that remaining with the team through a rebuild "doesn't sound appealing to me at all." However, he added that he wasn't sure what his future would look like:

"I can't speak for Kaner, but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining. And exhausting. You have a guy like who was under Kaner's wing. And I like to think that Kirby [Dach] and I had that bond in some ways too. And out they go, out the door. Over and over, we've seen that turnover.

"I'm learning to be more patient, but there's no doubt that timeline is pretty daunting, and pretty exhausting to think about. So, I'm not going to sit here and say what I'm going to do or what the future holds for me, because I really don't know."

Like Kane, Toews is also in the last year of his contract, which is worth $10.5 million in 2022-23. It's unclear which teams might be interested in acquiring him.

Trade rumors surrounding Kane and Toews began around the 2022 NHL draft when the Blackhawks made a number of moves to signal they were entering a rebuild, including trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Dach to the Montreal Canadiens.

If Chicago (5-5-2) trades Kane or Toews ahead of the deadline in March, it will mark the end of an era.

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the team made a mistake in signing prospect Mitchell Miller.

"The timing of it was never probably going to be good," Neely told reporters Monday. "I think it got down to the point of [whether] we're doing it or not. And we made the wrong decision."

The Bruins received criticism after signing Miller, who admitted in an Ohio juvenile court in 2016 to bullying former classmate Isaiah Meyer-Crothers. On Sunday, the team announced it was parting ways with the player.

"We like to take pride in what we do in the community and we hold ourselves accountable," Neely said Monday. "We dropped the ball and I'm here to apologize."

Miller had been a fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, but the team renounced his rights after details of the player's history were revealed. There were multiple incidents of bullying and harassing Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with disabilities. Other students confirmed his repeated use of the N-word directed toward Meyer-Crothers.

Miller showed remorse after his signing with the Bruins, although he indicated it was a single action that took place when he was in eighth grade.

"I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual," he said in a statement. "Since the incident, I have come to better understand the far-reaching consequences of my actions that I failed to recognize and understand nearly seven years ago."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was not consulted before the Bruins signed Miller to a deal, adding the player is not currently eligible to play in the NHL:

Neely indicated Monday that he didn't expect as much backlash as the team received.

"Well initially, I was I was thinking it was going to be, 'OK, this kid deserves a second chance,'" he said. "And, you know, I thought there would be some people that were going to be upset about it, but to the extent of this, I misread that."

Miller, now 20, spent the 2021-22 season with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL.

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely announced Sunday the team has parted ways with recently signed prospect Mitchell Miller.

Neely wrote in part:

"Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins. We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth."

The Bruins were widely criticized for signing Miller after the move was announced Friday. In 2016, he admitted to an Ohio juvenile court that he repeatedly bullied and harassed Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. Miller was also accused of repeatedly using racist language toward Meyer-Crothers.

Neely apologized to Meyer-Crothers and his family.

"To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard," Neely stated. "We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused."

The Arizona Coyotes initially selected the 20-year-old Miller with the No. 111 pick in the 2020 NHL draft but renounced his draft rights after news of the bullying broke via a report from Craig Harris and José M. Romero of the Arizona Republic.

The Oct. 2020 report stated the following:

"Four years ago, Miller admitted in an Ohio juvenile court to bullying Meyer-Crothers, who was tricked into licking a candy push pop that Miller and another boy had wiped in a bathroom urinal. Meyer-Crothers had to be tested for hepatitis, HIV and STDs, but the tests came back negative, according to a police report.

"Meyer-Crothers, also 18 and who now lives in Detroit, said Miller had taunted him for years, constantly calling him 'brownie' and the 'N-word,' while repeatedly hitting him while growing up in the Toledo suburb. Other students at their junior high confirmed to police that Miller repeatedly used the 'N-word' in referring to Meyer-Crothers."

"It hurt my heart to be honest," Meyer-Crothers said when asked about the Coyotes drafting Miller.

"It's stupid that they (the Coyotes) didn't go back and look what happened in the past, but I can't do anything about it."

Miller didn't end up with the Coyotes and played last season with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, recording 83 points in 60 games and being named the league's player of the season.

The Bruins signed him to a three-year, $2,850,000 entry-level contract, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters that the league would conduct a full investigation into the bullying allegations if he was ever promoted from the minor leagues.

Joni Meyer-Crothers, Isaiah's mother, spoke with NBC10 Boston after the Bruins signed him.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's a monster," she said.

"He told our son that his Black mom and dad didn't love him, that's why he had white parents. On a daily basis, was called the N-word. [Miller] would ask Isaiah to sit with him on the bus, and as soon as Isaiah would sit with him, him and his friends would just punch Isaiah in the head nonstop, and all he wanted was friends. So he was an easy target for Mitchell."

No specifics were given regarding the "new information" that pushed the Bruins to reverse course. There has been no direct comment from Miller nor his representatives in response to his release.