Selanne, Sakic, Koivu to be inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame
Some of the greatest to ever play in the NHL will be enshrined in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame this year.
Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, and Saku Koivu were announced as part of the 2017 class on Tuesday, and joining them will be Uwe Krupp, American 1998 Olympic gold medalist Angela Ruggiero, and builder Dieter Kalt.
A six-time Olympian, Selanne's a Finnish legend. His career began in incredible fashion with the Winnipeg Jets, when he scored 76 goals as a rookie. He finished with 684 goals and 1,457 pionts in NHL 1,451 games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
Sakic scored 625 goals and recorded 1,641 points in 1,378 regular-season NHL games. He was a monster in the playoffs, scoring 84 goals in 172 postseason games, winning two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. He represented Canada on numerous occasions internationally, and is a card-carrying member of the Triple Gold Club.
Koivu was part of Finland's first gold-medal-winning team at the world championships in 1995, after winning a bronze at the 1994 Olympics. He captained the Montreal Canadiens for 10 years, and finished his NHL career with 832 points in 1,124 games.
The class will be honored and inducted on May 21 in Cologne, Germany, on the final day of the 2017 World Championship.