Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a many-splendored thing.
For many players and builders, it’s a supreme accolade in a long line of success. For others, it can validate their career, especially if they didn’t win the Stanley Cup.
Prestige aside, how does it translate into their post-play marketability?
Through added leverage.
“Lift in terms of brand value for someone who goes into the Hall is somewhere between 15 and 25 percent,” said Michael Naraine, associate professor, sport management at Brock University. “The benchmark anchor or the base case is how valuable they were during their playing career.”
Prime areas where this can be measured are memorabilia/collectibles, endorsement deals and broadcasting opportunities.
This year’s induction ceremony was held in Toronto on November 10. Three days earlier, at sports collectible house Frozen Pond, Joe Thornton wrote the simple but well-earned inscription “HHOF ‘25” on any signed item. This fetches more from collectors which earns him more for an appearance fee, if he chooses.
It was $65 to get Joe Thornton in cursive or 90 bucks to get him in cursive with his newly initialed accolade.
Frozen Pond owner Hersh Borenstein said he has a longstanding relationship with “fan friendly” Thornton. He said Thornton could increase his appearance fee, but hasn’t, though they are paying him “a little bit more” for the inscriptions.
That’s an increase of 27.78 percent, which even when factoring in the middleman, in this case Frozen Pond, falls in line with Naraine’s increased value range.
There is no hard and fast rule on how much a player’s rate will increase but Borenstein, who has been in the business of promotions and autograph sessions with pro athletes and celebrities for 32 years, can cite cases where there has been substantial increase.
Joe Thornton’s “classmate” Alexander Mogilny, who did not attend his induction ceremony, signs items for Frozen Pond for a much higher rate. Wilie O’Ree (HHOF 2018) was another former player whose ask price went up considerably after his call to the Hall.
“It will be the same or more,” said Borenstein. “The demand for them has gone up for eternity.”
Borenstein said he has not seen an impact on the women’s side of the autograph market, but endorsements for women’s Hockey Hall of Fame inductees may see a big jump.
The size of the women’s pro sports market has doubled over the last two years according to data released by Canadian Women & Sport, a women’s sports advocacy group. Their numbers show that the market is currently $380-400 million and that figure is projected to grow to $570 million over the next five years.
While the greatest benefit will be to current players, Brianna Decker and Jennifer Botterill may have a shot at leveraging their induction into the increasing pool of advertising dollars allotted to women’s sports campaigns.
Botterill is already on the air as a broadcaster with Hockey Night in Canada.
Broadcasting opportunities are coveted by many former and current players. In a flooded pool an engaging, informed personality is paramount but a recently inducted player inquiring about the chance to be on-camera will automatically be noticed.
“If they are a Hall of Famer, right away you want to make that call or you wanna take that call,” said Sherali Najak, former executive producer of Hockey Night in Canada and current executive producer of CBC Olympics. “You are in that negotiation grind a little longer.”
So are Duncan Keith and Zdeno Chara – also members of the 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame class – TV broadcast shoe ins? Not exactly.
Paul Bissonnette will never make the Hall of Fame but his popularity and acumen allows him to sit on a panel with Hall of Famers like Henrik Lundqvist and Wayne Gretzky on TNT. A former player like Thornton, renowned for his personality, now has extra ammo as a double threat in the broadcasting world.
Overall, entering the Hockey Hall of Fame goes a long way to increasing a player’s residual earning opportunity. Aside from the aforementioned areas, there are also speaking engagements and appearances, as well as potential book deals.
The Hockey Hall of Fame’s downtown Toronto location in a distinguished, architecturally impressive building was the head office of a major bank until 1949. It’s a fitting site for any inductee who has vaulted into the pantheon of hockey’s best. Their enshrinement here offers the opportunity for even greater payoffs.
Follow Neil Acharya on X: @Neil_Acharya
