Canada’s Caroline Ouellette and Sweden’s Henrik Lundqvist lead the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame class

Henrik Lundqvist will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame with two of his idols.

And Caroline Ouellette will take her place alongside her teammate on the podium.

Lundqvist, Ouellette, Tom Barrasso, Mike Vernon and Pierre Turgeon round out the Hall’s goaltending-heavy class in the 2023 player category, which was announced Wednesday after a vote by the 18-member selection committee.

Former NHL head coach Ken Hitchcock and the late Pierre Lacroix, who was both agent and manager, will serve as builders for the November 13 induction in Toronto.

Lundqvist, the star netminder for the New York Rangers, got the nod in his first year of eligibility, while Ouellette, who won four Olympic gold medals with the Canadian women’s team, will qualify after skipping last year.

Lundqvist said on a conference call with reporters and officials that he had posters of Barrasso and Vernon, the two goalies, in his childhood bedroom growing up in Sweden.

“Really cool,” Lundqvist said. “There are so many players who inspire you when you start playing.”

Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender in 2012 and ranks sixth in league history in wins (459), ninth in games played (887) and 17th in shutouts (64).

The Swede’s 459 wins are the most by a European netizen. Lundqvist won 61 more in the playoffs before ending his career in 2020 due to heart disease.

A seventh-round draft pick in 2000, he backstopped the Rangers to the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals and led New York to the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2012 and 2015.

“Look at the goalies that play well,” added the 41-year-old Lundqvist, who also won Olympic gold in 2006. “How they play the game and how they compete.

“That’s how you get inspired.”

Ouellette is one of three women’s ice hockey players, along with Hall of Famers and former Canadian teammates Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford, to win four or more Olympic gold medals.

The 44-year-old forward from Montreal, who was unable to participate in Wednesday’s conference call, helped Canada to the Olympic podium in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Ouellette also won six world championships with the national team.

“Today was an unforgettable day,” Ouellette told The Canadian Press. “I was in Quebec City in Parliament to honor the Order of Quebec. Right after the ceremony, in a very special and emotional moment, I found out with my parents, sister and aunt.

“I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been able to experience over the years thanks to the incredible teammates, coaches and staff who shared the same journey.”

Eligible since 2006, Barrasso won both the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year and the Vezina in a magical 1983-84 season out of high school.

Two-time Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. His 369 career wins are third all-time among American-born goaltenders.

“I wasn’t really waiting by the phone,” Barrasso, 58, said with a laugh. “In fact, it was hard for them to catch me even after they had made up their mind.

“You’re competitive and you hold yourself in a certain sense in terms of what you think your career has been. This is obviously the biggest honor.”

“I’m just amazed”

Vernon won the Cup with his hometown Calgary Flames in 1989 and the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP along with that other title.

“The game has meant a lot to me throughout my life,” he said. “I’m just amazed.”

Vernon, who has been eligible since 2005, added that he thought Hall of Fame chair and former teammate Lanny McDonald was calling to arrange a golf game when his phone rang Wednesday.

Turgeon, who retired in 2007, scored 515 goals and 812 assists for 1327 points during his 19 NHL seasons. The 53-year-old also won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1993, which was awarded for sportsmanship and gentlemanly behavior combined with a high level of play.

“It’s been a great journey and a privilege,” said the former center from Rouyn, Que. “It’s crazy. I played hockey for a living…I still go there twice a week because I love the game so much.”

Hitchcock, 71, is fourth on the NHL’s all-time coaching wins list with 849.

“My career started with little kids coaching hockey, and to get to this stage is almost overwhelming for me,” said Hitchcock, who won a Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. “When the call came today … I was completely shocked and definitely not ready for it.

“This is an incredible honor for a guy who started out just coaching kids.”

He stood on the NHL bench for 22 seasons.

Lacroix, who died in December 2020 at the age of 72, began his career as a player agent before becoming general manager of the Quebec Nordiques in 1994.

He joined the franchise when it moved to Colorado and won Stanley Cups with the Avalanche in 1996 and 2001 with bold moves that included acquiring Patrick Roy from the Montreal Canadiens.

“We’re so excited,” said Lacroix’s son, Eric. “It’s a bit bittersweet because he’s been gone for a couple of years.

“We look forward to some amazing days in Toronto.”