(WXYZ) — Former Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk will be joining a number of his teammates as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Mike Gartner, Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, announced Datsyuk would be honored in this year's class on Tuesday. This was his first year of eligibility.
"I have been lucky in my hockey life to this point," said Datsyuk in a news release. "I would like to thank all of the people who have helped me along my way."
Datsyuk's Hall of Fame biography reads as follows:
Pavel Datsyuk was born in Sverdlovsk, Russia on July 20, 1978. After playing in the KHL he joined the Detroit Red Wings in 2001 and played 14 NHL seasons, scoring 314 goals and 604 assists in 953 games. A four-time Lady Byng trophy winner, he also won Stanley Cups with Detroit in 2002 and 2008. In international play, Pavel played for Russia at the Olympics in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 (where he was team captain) and 2018. He won Olympic gold in 2018 and bronze in 2002.
"Congratulations to Pavel on this extremely well-deserved honor,” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said in a release. "Pavel’s world-class skills made him one of the best one-on-one players of all time, but his high-end compete and work ethic separated him from his peers. He was a dynamic force who excelled at both ends of the ice and in all situations. He was an exceptional player and will rightfully take his place (among) the game’s greats in November."
Datsyuk is one of the seven individuals announced today as the Hall of Fame's 2024 class — two from the Builder category and five from the Player category. The vote was held Tuesday.
"The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these hockey legends as Honoured Members," said Gartner in a news release. "Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved."
In the Builder category, Colin Campbell and David Poile were elected.
In the Player category, the four individuals elected in addition to Datsyuk are Natalie Darwitz, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, and Krissy Wendell-Pohl.
The honorees will officially be inducted during the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration on Monday, November 11, in Toronto.
