Former Vancouver Canucks star Alex Mogilny won’t be attending his own Hall of Fame induction
Alex Mogilny waited 17 years before he was finally chosen to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Now, he reportedly won’t even be at his own induction.
The Hockey Hall of Fame confirmed today that Mogilny won’t be attending his induction on Monday, Nov. 10.
Instead, he will record a video message that will be aired during the induction ceremony.
Induction Celebration Notice:
Class of 2025 Inductee Alexander Mogilny has confirmed that he is unable to attend the Induction in person. He will be sharing his acceptance speech through a video message that will be aired during the Induction Celebration on Monday, November 10th. pic.twitter.com/Fd5X9DGyvt
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) October 24, 2025
A request was made to the Hockey Hall of Fame for further details, but they have yet to respond.
Mogilny scored 1,032 points during his 990-game NHL career with the Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Russian star spent five of his 16 NHL seasons with the Canucks, posting 139 goals and 308 points in 312 career games in Vancouver.
Aside from being one of the NHL’s top offensive producers throughout his career, Mogilny also had success on the international stage. He’s a member of the Triple Gold Club, with a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, and World Championship gold medal on his resume. He also won a World Junior Championship gold medal with Russia back in 1989.
Most notably, Mogilny was the first player to defect from the Soviet Union and join the NHL.
That alone suggests that he should have been named to the Hall of Fame sooner. That, coupled with the fact that he was an elite player, makes his 17-year wait a travesty.
Although it’s not clear why Mogilny won’t be at his induction, there are a couple of plausible theories. His fear of flying was well-documented earlier in his career. Or perhaps, he’s firing a subtle shot back at the Hockey Hall of Fame for taking this long to honour him.
It’s not common for players to skip their induction, but it has happened before.
Detroit Red Wings defenceman Ted Lindsay didn’t attend his induction back in 1966, as the ceremony was a male-only event, which meant his wife and children couldn’t attend. His protest prompted the committee to change its policy the following year.
Montreal Canadiens defenceman Doug Harvey skipped his induction in 1973 after an infamous beef with the committee. He told reporters that he’d be fishing instead.
