Chelios Tops 2013 Hockey Hall Class

TORONTO (AP) — Defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Chris Chelios, along with forward Brendan Shanahan have been picked for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

They'll be joined in the class of 2013 by Geraldine Heaney, the third woman to be enshrined in the hall, and coach Fred Shero, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup in 1974 and '75. He was selected posthumously in the builder category.

Chelios and Niedermayer earned hockey's biggest individual honor in their first year of eligibility.

The official induction ceremony is scheduled for November.

Niedermayer won four Stanley Cups in 17 full NHL seasons to go along with a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy.

Chelios played 23 full seasons and parts of three more, taking part in his final NHL game at age 48. Among the game's best U.S.-born players, Chelios won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman three times.

Shanahan finished his career with 656 goals and 698 assists. He won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, an Olympic gold medal and was the quintessential scoring power winger of his era.

Heaney was a defenseman on Canada's gold-medal-winning team at the 2002 Olympics and is considered one of the best female players in history.

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