Henrik Lundqvist headlines goalie-heavy Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2023

The Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2023 is here, and it's a good year to be a goalie.

Headlining the class is legendary New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, entering the Hall in his first year of eligibility. The selection committee also voted in players Tom Barrasso, Mike Vernon, Pierre Turgeon and Caroline Ouellette, as well as coach Ken Hitchcock and builder Pierre Lacroix.

Lundqvist was selected by the Rangers with the 205th pick of the 2000 NHL Draft and made his debut with New York in the 2005-06 season. The Are, Sweden native would go on to spend 15 seasons in the Rangers crease, appearing in 887 career games while sporting a .918 save percentage and 2.43 goals-against average. The 41-year-old was awarded the Vezina Trophy in 2012, was selected to five All-Star Games and guided the Rangers to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014.

Lundqvist was very successful on the international stage as well, capturing a gold medal at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics and silver at the 2014 Sochi games. He also led Sweden to gold at the IIHF World Championships in 2017, also winning silver medals in 2003 and 2004.

Barrasso spent 19 seasons in the NHL with six different teams, most notably representing the Pittsburgh Penguins for 12 years. He owns a career 369-277-86 record, with an .892 save percentage and 3.24 goals-against average. The Boston, Massachusetts native was a 1985 All-Star, was awarded the Calder, Vezina and Jennings trophies over his career, and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992.

Turgeon scored 515 goals and registered 1,327 points in 1,294 career games over 19 NHL seasons, split between six franchises. He put up a career-best 58 goals and 132 points with the New York Islanders in the 1992-93 season. Taken with the first-overall pick of the 1987 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, the Quebec native would retire in 2007 with four All-Star appearances and a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Vernon also played in the NHL for 19 seasons, spending the first 13 years of his career with the Calgary Flames as a third-round pick of the 1981 draft. The five-time All-Star won the William Jennings Trophy in 1996, and backstopped teams to a Stanley Cup in 1989 (Calgary) and 1997 (Detroit), taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy for his efforts in the Red Wings' championship run.

Ouellette is one of the most decorated women's hockey players of all-time, winning four Olympic gold medals and six world championship gold medals for Canada. Ouellette is one of only five athletes to win gold in four consecutive Olympic games, along with former teammates Jayna Hefford and Hayley Wickenheiser. The Montreal native is the sixth top scorer of all-time in women's college hockey history, putting up 229 points in 97 games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Ouellette spent parts of 11 seasons in professional hockey — almost all of which in Montreal — before retiring in 2018.

Hitchcock ranks fourth on the NHL's all-time coaching wins list with 849 and won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.

Lacroix started his career as a player agent before taking over as general manager of the Quebec Nordiques. He then stayed with the franchise when it moved to Colorado, and won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 and 2001.

Players passed over for the Hall in 2023 include Rod Brind'Amour, Jennifer Botterill, Curtis Joseph, Alexander Mogilny, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk and Henrik Zetterberg.