This Week in the NHL: Hockey Hall of Fame welcomes Class of 2024

With 32 teams and seemingly infinite storylines, it’s hard to keep track of all the weekly goings on during the NHL season. That’s why I’m here to help. Every Monday from October to April, I’ll preview the key events, games, narratives and milestones in play for the week.

So what’s on tap for Nov. 11-17?

Nov. 11: Hall of Fame induction night

The Class of 2024 will be officially enshrined Monday night in Toronto. The player side includes three-time Olympian forward Natalie Darwitz; three-time Selke Trophy winner Pavel Datsyuk; 500-goal scorer Jeremy Roenick; perennial All-Star defenseman Shea Weber; and Krissy Wendell-Pohl, MVP of the U.S.’s first gold-medal women’s World Championship team. In the builder category: longtime NHL hockey operations czar Colin Campbell and David Poile, the longest-tenured GM in NHL history.

Nov. 13: Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s 1,000th game

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. ET

Unlike Johnson in Philly, OEL is a lineup fixture for Toronto, so he’ll reach 1,000 games this week, health permitting. Ekman-Larsson’s productive career has included two top-10 finishes in the Norris Trophy vote and a 2023-24 Stanley Cup as a Florida Panther.

Connor McDavid’s 1,000th point

The Edmonton Oilers superstar is back healthy and ready to resume his run at the record books. He opens the week five points back of 1,000, but Edmonton plays three times this week, which is more than enough runway. Could he do it Saturday when he visits his hometown Maple Leafs? Whenever it happens, McDavid will become the fourth-fastest player to get there after Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy.

Sidney Crosby’s 600th goal

Crosby already joined the 1,300 point club in October, and he could hit another big milestone this week. He sits just two goals back of 600. When he gets it, he’ll become the club’s 21st member.

Erik Johnson’s 1,000th game

Johnson may not have lived up to his billing as the 2006 NHL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, but when you make it to 1,000 games and win a Stanley Cup, you’re hardly a total flop. He’s been a healthy scratch on and off for the Flyers this season, so it’s difficult to predict when he’ll hit the milestone. The earliest it could happen would be Wednesday vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.