Chara is a Hall of Famer for sure, but what about PK?

The tallest freestanding structure in hockey history is a shoo-in for induction three years from now, but it promises to be a crowded field for Subban and a few others

Fierce rivals Zdeno Chara and P.K. Subban announced their retirements on the same day.

It’s a good thing Jaromir Jagr has announced he intends to play another season for Kladno in Czechia this season. Otherwise, the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee would have an even more difficult time trying to figure out how to jam four players into the Class of 2025 three years from now.

With Zdeno Chara and P.K. Subban announcing their retirements on the same day, it’s getting pretty crowded in there. And it will become even more so if Joe Thornton doesn’t find a team to play for in 2022-23 and hangs up his skates for the last time. (In the past, Jumbo Joe has said he might play out his career in Switzerland once his NHL days end and it has been speculated he will become head of sports for the Spengler Cup once he decides to call it quits.)

If we go on the assumption that Thornton will not play at any professional level this season, that means Chara, Subban and Thornton would join Duncan Keith, Ryan Getzlaf and Tuukka Rask in vying for induction in 2025. That’s six players for only four spots on their first ballot. And even though it’s impossible to predict what the 18 people on the selection committee will decide on any given afternoon, any of the six would be viewed by most as worthy Hall of Famers.

Here are the six players in order of their Hall of Fame chances on the first ballot: