The Hockey Hall of Fame has officially announced the Class of 2026, and history was made for the Nashville Predators.
Former Predators All-Star goaltender Pekka Rinne, who played his entire career with the franchise while winning numerous accolades, was named as part of the Class of 2026, and will officially become the first-ever Predators player to be enshrined in hockey immortality at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto later this year.
He joins fellow players Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, Keith Tkachuk of the St. Louis Blues and other clubs, and executive Brian Burke as part of the Class of 2026.
Rinne, selected with the 258th overall pick by the Predators in the 2004 NHL Draft, would go on to become the best goaltender in club history. He would make his NHL debut with the Predators in the 2005-06 season, playing in two games after being called up briefly from the American Hockey League affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.
He’d eventually become Nashville’s full-time starter in the crease in 2008-09, wrestling away the starting responsibilities from Dan Ellis. During his career, Rinne would be named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in February 2009 while earning four separate appearances in the NHL All-Star game. He also won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 as the NHL’s best goalie, along with the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2021.
He compiled a career record of 369-213-75 with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and 60 shutouts. He also went 45-44 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
His jersey No. 35 was also retired by the Predators in 2022.
The post Pekka Rinne pulls off Predators first with Hockey Hall of Fame honor appeared first on ClutchPoints.
