photo: © IIHF / Matt Zambonin
Prior to Sunday’s medal games at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the IIHF Hall of Fame inducted seven new members at a gala ceremony in Stockholm.
It was a storied class this year. The list includes two great Swedish goaltenders in Henrik Lundqvist and Kim Martin-Hasson, a towering Slovak legend on defence in Zdeno Chara, a Danish trailblazer in Frans Nielsen, a Czech ace in David Vyborny, a Canadian women’s hockey icon in Vicky Sunohara, and an important Finnish hockey executive in Kai Hietaranta, who was inducted in the Builder’s Category. The event was MC’d as usual by TSN’s Gord Miller, the 2013 winner of the IIHF’s Paul Loicq Award.
“We celebrate stars and people who did a lot for ice hockey, but this is also a time when they explain how they got there,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif in his introductory remarks. “The family, their journey, their coaches. That’s important to know about, because behind all these champions, there is always a team effort.”
Lundqvist earned his place in IIHF history by backstopping Sweden to the gold medal at both the 2006 Olympics in Turin and the 2017 WM in Cologne, not to mention his reign with the New York Rangers. “The King” set an NHL record as the first netminder to record 30-plus wins in each of his first seven seasons. Here, the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner reminisced about visiting his grandparents in Stockholm at age nine, seeing Avicii Arena (then Globen), and dreaming of playing there for Tre Kronor.
He talked about his feelings about putting on the blue-and-yellow jersey: “It’s pride, excitement. That feeling never changed for the next 20 years. When you start playing, I thought about stopping the puck. Now being retired, I reflect on how much the game has given me, not just as a player, but as a person.”
Martin-Hasson was just 15 when she got the call to start in the 2002 Olympic bronze medal game in which Sweden edged archrival Finland 2-1. And the Stockholm-born goalie was 19 when she backstopped Sweden to an historic silver medal at the 2006 Olympics, including a 37-save performance in the 3-2 shootout upset over the Americans in the semi-finals. The silver, coming against the defending champion Canadians, marked the first time an IIHF women’s tournament did not feature an all-North American final. Martin-Hasson spoke glowingly about her national team coach Peter Elander and captain Erika Holst from that seminal era in Nordic women’s hockey.
“Looking at where women's hockey is today, I'm in awe,” said Martin-Hasson, who now serves as the general manager of Frolunda’s SDHL team. “It’s incredible to see the growth, the recognition and the passion surrounding the sport. I feel so fortunate that I played a role in its development, and I'm excited to see where the future takes us.”
Chara is renowned among NHL fans for captaining the Boston Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup. Yet his legend shines even more strongly among Slovak fans, to whom the 206-metre icon gave a special shoutout in his native language during his speech. Among numerous other feats, Chara is a two-time Ice Hockey World Championship silver medalist (2000, 2012) – the 2000 silver was the first WM medal in Slovakia’s young history as an independent nation – and a three-time Olympian (2006, 2010, 2014).
His speech was certainly worthy of a captain, with tributes to family, friends, and other partners aplenty. The veteran of 1,680 NHL games, the most ever played by a defenceman, described hockey as “a way of life, a community, a culture.” “My gift was my strong will,” said Chara, adding that he cherished “every moment of pain and joy that led me to this incredible honour.”
Nielsen, the first Danish-trained player to compete in the NHL, couldn’t hide his emotions as he acknowledged his family and told his fellow inductees: “Thanks for all the good battles over the years!” He played 925 NHL games with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings before returning to Europe. A native of Herning, which co-hosted this year’s WM with Stockholm, he also helped Denmark return to the top division in 2003 after a 54-year absence.
The talented, heart-and-soul forward suited up in nine top-level Ice Hockey World Championships and was thrilled to join the Danish men at their first Olympics in 2022. Nielsen praised the incredible progress Danish hockey has made at every level this season, including appearing in its first WM bronze medal game en route to a best-ever finish.
Of course, there were lighter moments of nostalgia as well.
“My second NHL game was a derby at MSG,” Nielsen recalled. “That’s where I got my ‘welcome to the NHL’ moment. I was stuck on the ice against [Jaromir] Jagr, [Martin] Straka, and [Michael] Nylander for two minutes!”
Vyborny’s list of international achievements is probably as long as Chara’s stick. The gifted Czech centre racked up five WM gold medals between 1996 and 2005 as part of his nation’s “Golden Generation” and added an Olympic bronze medal in 2006, among many other decorations. As during his career, he preferred to let his play do the talking when he was inducted.
The former HC Sparta Praha and Columbus Blue Jackets star, who made special mention of his family, also said: “I’m so happy and excited about getting this honour. Special thanks to the Czech Republic. Big love!”
Sunohara amusingly described how she at first wondered if there was a problem when she saw that Tardif had phoned her in the run-up to the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, where she coached Canada to gold. Her induction reflected her tremendous accomplishments as a player, including two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2006) and seven world titles between the inaugural Women’s Worlds in Ottawa in 1990 and the 2007 edition in Winnipeg. Sunohara’s speech was replete with gratitude for everyone from Hockey Canada coaches like Mel Davidson and Daniele Sauvageau to teammates like Cassie Campbell and Jayna Hefford.
“It’s quite emotional,” said the pioneering Sunohara, who has coached with the University of Toronto for 14 years. “Wearing this Canada jersey never gets old. Watching my teammates in great moments and tough moments, it’s very special.”
Hietarinta, who led the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation from 1984 to 1997, presided over a special period of growth for hockey in Suomi. That included the historic gold medal at the 1987 World Juniors and silver medal at the 1988 Olympics. On Hietarinta’s watch, the number of indoor rinks in Finland mushroomed from 12 to to more than 100. That included the state-of-the-art Hartwall Arena, which opened to host the 1997 Ice Hockey World Championship.
His speech was laden with memories. Getting his first pair of CCM skates in the 1940’s. Travelling to see NHL icons like Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. Joining the IIHF Council in 1990 and watching the growth of the game worldwide. Hietarinta included special mentions of other Finnish hockey leaders like former IIHF Vice-President Kalle Kummola and Matti Nurminen, the IIHF’s current Director General/CEO.
“For Finland, the ultimate highlight was winning the first World Championship 30 years ago here in Stockholm,” said Hietarinta. “That victory gave the country a real boost and self-confidence. It proved that we also can be the best. The medals in the 1990’s paved the road for the later success of Finland in ice hockey.”
The IIHF will hold its next Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
It was a storied class this year. The list includes two great Swedish goaltenders in Henrik Lundqvist and Kim Martin-Hasson, a towering Slovak legend on defence in Zdeno Chara, a Danish trailblazer in Frans Nielsen, a Czech ace in David Vyborny, a Canadian women’s hockey icon in Vicky Sunohara, and an important Finnish hockey executive in Kai Hietaranta, who was inducted in the Builder’s Category. The event was MC’d as usual by TSN’s Gord Miller, the 2013 winner of the IIHF’s Paul Loicq Award.
“We celebrate stars and people who did a lot for ice hockey, but this is also a time when they explain how they got there,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif in his introductory remarks. “The family, their journey, their coaches. That’s important to know about, because behind all these champions, there is always a team effort.”
Lundqvist earned his place in IIHF history by backstopping Sweden to the gold medal at both the 2006 Olympics in Turin and the 2017 WM in Cologne, not to mention his reign with the New York Rangers. “The King” set an NHL record as the first netminder to record 30-plus wins in each of his first seven seasons. Here, the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner reminisced about visiting his grandparents in Stockholm at age nine, seeing Avicii Arena (then Globen), and dreaming of playing there for Tre Kronor.
He talked about his feelings about putting on the blue-and-yellow jersey: “It’s pride, excitement. That feeling never changed for the next 20 years. When you start playing, I thought about stopping the puck. Now being retired, I reflect on how much the game has given me, not just as a player, but as a person.”
Martin-Hasson was just 15 when she got the call to start in the 2002 Olympic bronze medal game in which Sweden edged archrival Finland 2-1. And the Stockholm-born goalie was 19 when she backstopped Sweden to an historic silver medal at the 2006 Olympics, including a 37-save performance in the 3-2 shootout upset over the Americans in the semi-finals. The silver, coming against the defending champion Canadians, marked the first time an IIHF women’s tournament did not feature an all-North American final. Martin-Hasson spoke glowingly about her national team coach Peter Elander and captain Erika Holst from that seminal era in Nordic women’s hockey.
“Looking at where women's hockey is today, I'm in awe,” said Martin-Hasson, who now serves as the general manager of Frolunda’s SDHL team. “It’s incredible to see the growth, the recognition and the passion surrounding the sport. I feel so fortunate that I played a role in its development, and I'm excited to see where the future takes us.”
Chara is renowned among NHL fans for captaining the Boston Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup. Yet his legend shines even more strongly among Slovak fans, to whom the 206-metre icon gave a special shoutout in his native language during his speech. Among numerous other feats, Chara is a two-time Ice Hockey World Championship silver medalist (2000, 2012) – the 2000 silver was the first WM medal in Slovakia’s young history as an independent nation – and a three-time Olympian (2006, 2010, 2014).
His speech was certainly worthy of a captain, with tributes to family, friends, and other partners aplenty. The veteran of 1,680 NHL games, the most ever played by a defenceman, described hockey as “a way of life, a community, a culture.” “My gift was my strong will,” said Chara, adding that he cherished “every moment of pain and joy that led me to this incredible honour.”
Nielsen, the first Danish-trained player to compete in the NHL, couldn’t hide his emotions as he acknowledged his family and told his fellow inductees: “Thanks for all the good battles over the years!” He played 925 NHL games with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings before returning to Europe. A native of Herning, which co-hosted this year’s WM with Stockholm, he also helped Denmark return to the top division in 2003 after a 54-year absence.
The talented, heart-and-soul forward suited up in nine top-level Ice Hockey World Championships and was thrilled to join the Danish men at their first Olympics in 2022. Nielsen praised the incredible progress Danish hockey has made at every level this season, including appearing in its first WM bronze medal game en route to a best-ever finish.
Of course, there were lighter moments of nostalgia as well.
“My second NHL game was a derby at MSG,” Nielsen recalled. “That’s where I got my ‘welcome to the NHL’ moment. I was stuck on the ice against [Jaromir] Jagr, [Martin] Straka, and [Michael] Nylander for two minutes!”
Vyborny’s list of international achievements is probably as long as Chara’s stick. The gifted Czech centre racked up five WM gold medals between 1996 and 2005 as part of his nation’s “Golden Generation” and added an Olympic bronze medal in 2006, among many other decorations. As during his career, he preferred to let his play do the talking when he was inducted.
The former HC Sparta Praha and Columbus Blue Jackets star, who made special mention of his family, also said: “I’m so happy and excited about getting this honour. Special thanks to the Czech Republic. Big love!”
Sunohara amusingly described how she at first wondered if there was a problem when she saw that Tardif had phoned her in the run-up to the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, where she coached Canada to gold. Her induction reflected her tremendous accomplishments as a player, including two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2006) and seven world titles between the inaugural Women’s Worlds in Ottawa in 1990 and the 2007 edition in Winnipeg. Sunohara’s speech was replete with gratitude for everyone from Hockey Canada coaches like Mel Davidson and Daniele Sauvageau to teammates like Cassie Campbell and Jayna Hefford.
“It’s quite emotional,” said the pioneering Sunohara, who has coached with the University of Toronto for 14 years. “Wearing this Canada jersey never gets old. Watching my teammates in great moments and tough moments, it’s very special.”
Hietarinta, who led the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation from 1984 to 1997, presided over a special period of growth for hockey in Suomi. That included the historic gold medal at the 1987 World Juniors and silver medal at the 1988 Olympics. On Hietarinta’s watch, the number of indoor rinks in Finland mushroomed from 12 to to more than 100. That included the state-of-the-art Hartwall Arena, which opened to host the 1997 Ice Hockey World Championship.
His speech was laden with memories. Getting his first pair of CCM skates in the 1940’s. Travelling to see NHL icons like Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. Joining the IIHF Council in 1990 and watching the growth of the game worldwide. Hietarinta included special mentions of other Finnish hockey leaders like former IIHF Vice-President Kalle Kummola and Matti Nurminen, the IIHF’s current Director General/CEO.
“For Finland, the ultimate highlight was winning the first World Championship 30 years ago here in Stockholm,” said Hietarinta. “That victory gave the country a real boost and self-confidence. It proved that we also can be the best. The medals in the 1990’s paved the road for the later success of Finland in ice hockey.”
The IIHF will hold its next Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.