This time last year, Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]’ fans rejoiced when former captain and blueliner Shea Weber was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. This year, all eyes were on Carey Price to see if he would imitate his former teammate and get in his first year of eligibility. The 3:00 PM announcement came on Tuesday, and Price’s phone stayed silent. Instead, the phone rang for former nemesis and Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins]’ captain Zdeno Chara, Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks]and Team Canada mainstay blueliner Duncan Keith, San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] longtime forward Joe Thornton, long overdue Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] sniper Alexander Mogilny, Team USA’s Brianna Decker, and Team Canada’s Jenniffer Botterill on the players' side. On the builders’ side, Jack Parker and Daniele Sauvageau got the call. The Montreal Victoire GM became the first woman to be inducted into the builders’ category, a much-deserved honor, as she was the face of the women’s fight for a professional league and worked tirelessly to bring their dream to fruition. Canadiens: Potential First-Round Pick – Jack Nesbitt [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-potential-first-round-pick-jack-nesbitt] Could The Canadiens Swing A Big Trade With The Golden Knights? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/could-the-canadiens-swing-a-big-trade-with-the-golden-knights] Canadiens: A Quebecer Players Mount Rushmore [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-a-quebecer-players-mount-rushmore] While it’s no doubt disappointing for Price not to get in right away, it’s not a no; it’s only a not just yet. There is no doubt that his turn will come, but he was part of a strong crop of players in their first year of eligibility, including Chara, Keith, Thornton, Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Brown, and Tuukka Rask, to name a few. This year’s crop was superior to last year’s when Weber was elected. The 2024 first-year eligibility list included the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Pekka Rinne, Patrick Marleau, David Backes, Jussi Jokinen, and Mikko Koivu. It's hard to argue with any of this year’s inductees. Chara was the face of the franchise in Boston for years and led them to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years in 2011. He also played a whopping 1,680 games, scoring 680 points and accumulating 2,085 penalty minutes. Not only did he play a very physical style, but his size sometimes made him more susceptible to being called for penalties. On a lighter note, one could even add that he’s the sole ready Brad Marchand got away with some of his more questionable acts on the ice, hiding behind the Slovakian giant. As for Keith, he was a significant cog in the Blackhawks’ dynasty in the 2010s when the Chicago outfit won three Cups in six years. During that span, the blueliner won the James Norris Trophy twice as the top defenseman in the league and the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoffs’ MVP in 2014-15. Additionally, Keith won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014. While some will question why Price should be in the Hall since he didn’t win a Stanley Cup, it’s important to remember that it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame, but the Hockey Hall of Fame. Thorton got in this year, but hockey’s biggest prize always eluded him throughout his 24-year and 1,714-game career. Just like Price, Thornton only won the most significant individual awards in one of his seasons, grabbing the Art Ross and the Hart Trophies in 2005-06. There’s no deadline for induction, though, and Price will have to wait a bit longer. This year’s inducted Mogilny had been eligible since 2009 and had an exceptional career. He skated in 990 games, collecting 1032 points in the process, including 473 goals. The Russian right winger was a fifth-round pick by the Sabres at the 1988 NHL Draft and played for five NHL teams, winning the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] in 1999-2000. His only individual honor came in 2002-03 when he won the Lady Bring Trophy. The temporary snub is a deception for Price, especially considering fellow goaltenders who went without winning a Cup, Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo, both of whom got in on their first year of eligibility. While Lundqvist did win 459 games and had a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage (Price won 361 games, had a 2.51 GAA, and a .917 SV), the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] franchise cornerstone only ever won one of the league’s major awards, the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12. As for Luongo, he won 489 games, kept a 2.52 GAA and a .919 SV, and only netted one of the major individual awards, netting the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2010-11. Make no mistake, Price meets all the criteria, even though he could never raise Lord Stanley’s mug. Next year, Price will be battling it out with the next crop of first-year eligible players, which will include Bruins’ former captain Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel, and Eric Staal. The fight may just be a little easier, although Bergeron should get in right away. 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