Stick taps to Frans Nielsen and Zdeno Chara.
The International Ice Hockey Federation announced on Friday that two former New York Islanders will be inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Forward Frans Nielsen and defenseman Zdeno Chara were named to the 2025 class:
Nielsen spent 10 seasons of his 15-year career with the Islanders, recording 119 goals and 230 assists for 349. He represented Denmark at nine World Championships, tallying 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points in 83 games. He was the first Danish player to skate in the NHL.
Chara spent five of 21 years in the NHL with New York. In 303 games with the franchise, he recorded eight goals and 35 assists for 43 points, with his final game coming in an Islander sweater after leaving in 2001. The Slovakian played in 10 World Championships and three Olympic Winter Games.
He won a pair of silver medals at the World Championships in 2000 and 2012 and with Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In 82 international games, he tallied 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points.
The two will join Kim Martin-Hasson, David Vyborny, Vicky Sunohara, Kai Hietarinta, and Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the class. All will be inducted ahead of the IIHF World Championship’s Gold Medal Game on May 25 in Stockholm, Sweden.