Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is among 15 active NHL players expected to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame, according to The Athletic. The sports publication published the selection of active players expected to be inducted after completing their careers on its website.
Five Russian hockey players made the list. Joining Capitals captain Ovechkin, who holds the NHL regular season goal-scoring record, are Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Kucherov, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The list also includes ten other active players: Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, and Connor Hellebuyck.
Additional contenders and current members
The Athletic also noted that four other Russian players could claim inclusion in the Hall of Fame if they complete several successful seasons. Those potential candidates are Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Artemi Panarin, and Kirill Kaprizov.
Currently, 11 Russian players are listed in the Hockey Hall of Fame. That group includes Pavel Bure, Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Fedorov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Alexander Mogilny, Vladislav Tretiak, and Alexander Yakushev.
