The Hockey Hall of Fame is set to announce its Class of 2026 on Monday, with a ballot led by first-year candidates Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel and Eric Staal, as well as returning names such as Carey Price, Patrick Marleau and Rod Brind’Amour.

According to TSN’s preview of the Hockey Hall of Fame vote, the announcement will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on TSN2, TSN.ca and the TSN App. The Hockey Hall of Fame also lists NHL Network among the broadcasters for the announcement.

Bergeron leads the first-year names

Bergeron enters the discussion with one of the clearest cases on the ballot. He spent his entire NHL career with the Boston Bruins, won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and became the league’s modern standard for two-way centre play.

His record six Selke Trophies remain the centrepiece of his candidacy, but the résumé runs much deeper. Bergeron also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the Mark Messier Leadership Award and two Olympic gold medals with Canada. He finished his NHL career with 427 goals and 1,040 points in 1,294 regular-season games, plus 128 points in 170 playoff games.

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As described by Risto Pakarinen in the IIHF’s report from Bergeron’s 2026 IIHF Hall of Fame induction, Bergeron became a member of the Triple Gold Club after winning the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and the World Championship. At that ceremony, Bergeron said: “This is not about me, it’s about all the people who’ve supported me along the way. Hockey is the ultimate team game.”

Kessel and Staal bring different cases

Phil Kessel’s candidacy rests on scoring, longevity and championships. The American winger won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins and again with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. He also holds the NHL ironman record after playing 1,064 consecutive regular-season games.

Kessel ended his NHL career with 413 goals and 992 points in 1,286 games across stops with Boston, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Vegas. He also represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, winning silver in Vancouver and earning top forward honours in Sochi.

Eric Staal also appears on the ballot for the first time. Drafted second overall by Carolina in 2003, he became one of the defining players in Hurricanes history and helped lead the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2006.

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According to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s official list of first-year eligible players for 2026, Staal finished with 455 goals and 1,063 points in 1,365 NHL games. He retired as Carolina’s leader since relocation in games, goals, assists and points, and the Hurricanes retired his No. 12 on Jan. 12, 2025.

Price remains a major goaltending question

Carey Price is one of the most closely watched returning candidates. He did not get in during his first year of eligibility, but his case remains one of the strongest among modern goaltenders.

Price built his playing career in Montreal, where he became the Canadiens’ all-time leader in wins. His peak came in 2014-15, when he won the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and William M. Jennings Trophy in the same season.

He also carried Canada to major international success, winning gold at the 2007 World Junior Championship, the 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In the NHL, he helped take Montreal to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the franchise’s first appearance in the final since 1993.

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Although his contract was later moved to San Jose, Price has not played in the NHL since 2022, and his Hall of Fame case is built on what he accomplished in Montreal and with Canada.

Marleau and Brind’Amour wait again

Patrick Marleau is back on the ballot with a record no other NHL player can match. He played 1,779 regular-season games, breaking Gordie Howe’s long-standing mark in 2021.

Marleau spent most of his career with the San Jose Sharks, who retired his No. 12 in 2023. He also won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014, giving him the kind of international success that often matters in Hall of Fame debates.

Brind’Amour’s case is more layered. As a player, he had 452 goals and 1,184 points in 1,484 games, won two Selke Trophies and captained Carolina to the 2006 Stanley Cup. His No. 17 was retired by the Hurricanes in 2011.

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His standing in Carolina has only grown since. Brind’Amour won the Jack Adams Award in 2021 and coached the Hurricanes to the 2026 Stanley Cup, completing a rare franchise arc as both championship captain and championship coach. Coaching achievements are considered separately from the player category, but they add to the weight of his overall hockey legacy.

A deep field beyond the favourites

The ballot also includes several other notable names, including Henrik Zetterberg, Ryan Getzlaf, Keith Tkachuk, Sergei Gonchar, Jason Spezza, Curtis Joseph, Ryan Miller, Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask.

The Hall of Fame can select up to four male players and two female players in a single year, leaving the committee with more qualified candidates than available spots. Bergeron appears to be the strongest first-year name, while Price, Marleau, Brind’Amour and others continue to test how voters weigh peak performance, longevity, leadership and international success.

The result will be known Monday afternoon, when the Hockey Hall of Fame reveals which careers will be honoured in Toronto this November.

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