Ex-King Rob Blake among candidates for Hall of Fame induction

Defensemen Rob Blake, who played most of his career with the Kings, and Scott Niedermayer, who led the Ducks to their only Stanley Cup championship, are among the former players who might hear their names called when the Hockey Hall of Fame announces its class of 2013 on Tuesday.

The announcement is scheduled for noon (PDT).

Niedermayer figures to be a lock for induction, given his remarkable record of four Stanley Cup championships, including three with the New Jersey Devils, plus a Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the ’07 playoffs with the Ducks and a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in ’04.

Blake, who won a Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in ’01 and the Norris in 1998 with the Kings, probably won’t make it this time from a eligible group that includes Dave Andreychuk, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan and coaches Pat Burns and Fred Shero.

Other top contenders this year are: Rod Brind’Amour, Guy Carbonneau, Theoren Fleury, Bill Guerin, Phil Housley, Curtis Joseph, Paul Kariya, John LeClair, Eric Lindros, Kevin Lowe, Sergei Makarov, Markus Naslund, Gary Roberts, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk.

Kariya, who played most of his 15 seasons with the Ducks, and Lindros, who spent most of his 14 years with the Philadelphia Flyers, had their careers cut short by concussions and probably won’t make it this time despite stellar individual statistics.

Last year’s class was comprised of Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Pavel Bure and Adam Oates.

 

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