Craig Button names Bruins' Stanley Cup champ, Habs' Hart Trophy winner, among other greats as automatic locks for 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 12, 2024 14:59 GMT

NHL Analyst Craig Button has named four players he sees as clear picks for the 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction. These names include Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, and Carey Price. Button pointed to their strong careers making them 'automatic' choices for the Hockey Hall of Fame honor.

"I think when we use the term automatic lock, I think there's four players. It's (Zdeno) Chara, it's (Carey) Price, it's (Joe) Thornton and it's (Duncan) Keith. And you know, you get different cohorts that come up for eligibility for the Hockey hall of Fame. And it's clear cut in my view that those four players should be automatic in their first year of eligibility," Button said (via @JayOnSc on X).

Button further advocated their candidacy for the Hockey Hall of Fame based on their dominance in different areas of their game.

"Everything they did, it doesn't matter which player you look at, they dominated their position," Button said. "They dominated different areas of the game for long stretches of time. They won major awards. They were big-time players."

Joe Thornton retired in October 2023 with 1,539 career points, ranking 14th all-time in NHL history after playing for 24 seasons. He is one of only 15 players to reach 1,500 points and is also known for achieving 1,000 assists. Thornton’s career included a Hart Trophy, a scoring title, and gold medals in the Olympics and World Juniors.

Duncan Keith retired in 2022 after a successful career as a top defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks. He helped the team win three Stanley Cups and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy and two Norris Trophies. Keith is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada.

Carey Price, still under contract, is considered one of the most influential goaltenders of his time. He holds the Montreal Canadiens' record for wins (361) and is one of only seven goaltenders to win the Hart Trophy. Price has also won the Vezina, William M. Jennings, and Bill Masterton trophies, along with Olympic and World Cup golds with Canada.

Zdeno Chára played 24 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals. He is the tallest player in NHL history at 6 ft 9 in.

Known as "Big Z," Chára was the Bruins' captain for 14 years and led them to three Stanley Cup Finals, winning in 2011. He won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and holds the record for most NHL games played by a defenseman, with 1,652 games. He has represented Slovakia several times in the Olympics and World Championships.

---

Button's opinion on Eric Staal and Ryan Getzlaf's potential induction into Hockey Hall of Fame

Craig Button also acknowledged other deserving players, like Eric Staal and Ryan Getzlaf for induction into Hockey Hall of Fame. However, he believes that their induction may be delayed due to this year’s strong group.

"Eric Staal, I think is a Hall of Famer. I think that Ryan Getzlaf is a Hall of Famer. don't think there's any question. It's just that their time isn't going to be next year," Button added.

Staal and Getzlaf have also had impressive NHL careers. Although, Button believes Chara, Thornton, Keith, and Price are clear choices for this year.