Canada will once again be well-represented when the International Ice Hockey Federation inducts the Class of 2015 into the IIHF Hall of Fame during the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship next spring.

Olympic gold medallist Scott Niedermayer and women’s hockey icon Fran Rider will become the 28th and 29th Canadians enshrined when the induction ceremony is held in Prague, Czech Republic in May.

Niedermayer had a 17-year NHL career that saw him win every major North American championship at least once. The Cranbrook, B.C., native played 46 games with the Maple Leaf on his chest, recording 16 points (seven goals, nine assists).

It was undoubtedly his final appearance in the red and white of Team Canada that Niedermayer will be best remembered for – he donned the ‘C’ in his home province and helped lead Canada to the gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

The Vancouver gold capped off a remarkable international career that saw Niedermayer win an IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal (1990), an IIHF World Championship gold medal (2004), two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2010) and a World Cup of Hockey championship (2004). He is one of just seven Canadians in the IIHF Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, Worlds gold, Stanley Cup).

Rider established the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association in 1975, and became its first executive director, a position she continues to hold four decades later. She helped create the first national championship for women’s hockey in 1982, and played a major role in the inaugural world tournament in 1987.

The success in 1987 led to the first-ever IIHF World Women’s Championship in Ottawa, Ont., in 1990, a watershed moment in the history of the women’s game, with Rider leading the push.

Rider is the first builder to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame for contributions specifically to women’s hockey. Her dedication to the development and growth of the game is unrivalled, and she continues to work to make the game better, both in Canada and around the world.

Niedermayer and Rider will be joined by fellow inductees Dominik Hasek (CZE), Robert Reichel (CZE) and Maria Rooth (SWE), along with Lucio Topatigh (ITA), the first-ever winner of the Richard “Bibi” Torriani Award (for outstanding careers by players from non-top hockey nations) and Monique Scheier-Schneider (LUX), winner of the Paul Loicq Award (for outstanding contributions to international hockey).

The Class of 2015 brings the total number of IIHF Hall of Fame honourees to 200 players and builders from 23 countries.

CANADIANS IN THE IIHF HALL OF FAME (category, year of induction)
Father David Bauer (builder, 1997)
Roger Bourbonnais (player, 1999)
Mike Buckna (builder, 2004)
Murray Costello (builder, 2014)
Danielle Goyette (player, 2013)
Wayne Gretzky (player, 2000)
Geraldine Heaney (player, 2008)
Paul Henderson (player, 2013)
William Hewitt (builder, 1998)
Derek Holmes (builder, 1999)
Fran Huck (player, 1999)
Angela James (player, 2008)
Marshall Johnston (player, 1998)
Gordon Juckes (builder, 1997)
Dave King (builder, 2001)
Bob LeBel (builder, 1997)
Mario Lemieux (player, 2008)
Vic Lindquist (player, 1997)
Barry MacKenzie (player, 1999)
Seth Martin (player, 1997)
Jack McLeod (player, 1999)
Andy Murray (builder, 2012)
Scott Niedermayer (player, 2015)
Terry O’Malley (player, 1998)
Gordon Renwick (builder, 2002)
Fran Rider (builder, 2015)
Harry Sinden (player, 1997)
Harry Watson (player, 1998)
Steve Yzerman (player, 2014)

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER