TORONTO (AP) – Chris Pronger always seemed destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Going in this year is unprecedented, however, since he is still under contract as an NHL player. His inclusion took a bylaw change that specifies a player’s final game must be three full seasons ago. The fearsome defenseman last played in 2011 because of post-concussion syndrome.
“Nothing I’ve done has been the easy way, so I guess this would follow suit,” Pronger said on a conference call Monday, brushing off any awkwardness about going into the Hall with two years left on his contract.
He was named along with fellow Stanley Cup winners Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov and former NHL star Phil Housley. Rounding out the class of seven are Angela Ruggiero, Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos Jr.
Pronger, traded from Philadelphia to Arizona last weekend, works for the league’s department of player safety. He won the Hart Trophy as MVP and Norris Trophy as top defenseman and captured the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. He also led the 2006 Edmonton Oilers and 2010 Philadelphia Flyers to the final.