Compatriot Guy Carbonneau has also been inducted to the hall of fame alongside Czech Republic's Václav Nedomanský, Sergey Zubov from Russia and sport builders Jerry York from the United States and Canadian Jim Rutherford.

Wickenheiser won four consecutive golds as a member of Team Canada's ice hockey team at Salt Lake City 2002, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, as well as claiming seven world championship titles.

During an illustrious international career she played in 276 matches, scoring 168 goals and providing 211 assists, topping the all-time lists for Team Canada.

In the IIHF Women's Ice Hockey World Championships, WIckenheiser is the all-time leader in goals, assists and points with 18, 33 and 51 respectively.

"Outside of winning an Olympic gold medal, for a personal accomplishment, this is probably the holy grail," ickenheiser, a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission, told Sportsnet .

"You’re with the best players to have ever played the game, male and female. 

"It’s pretty cool.

"Today I had just so many different people reaching out from both the male and female side. 

"It brought back a lot of memories from the different eras of my hockey career."

Carbonneau did not represent Canada as a player but an 18-year career saw him claim Stanley Cup titles with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 and 1993 and with Dallas Stars in 1999.

He did serve his country as assistant to head coach Wayne Fleming at the 2001 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships and took the reins of Canada's men's under-18 team at the 2010  IIHF Ice Hockey World Under-18 Championships.

Nedomanský helped Czechoslovakia earn the 1968 Olympic silver medal and the 1972 world championship.

In 421 National Hockey League (NHL) games he recorded a total of 278 points representing Red Wings, St Louis Blues and New York Rangers. 

Zubov has the highest points per game average of any Russian defenseman who played in the NHL with 0.772 and he finished his NHL career with 152 goals and 619 assists from 1,068 games.

Canada's Rutherford is best known as a long-time NHL general manager and three-times Stanley Cup champion.

York has been inducted for his head coach duties at collegiate level, where he has recorded more than 1,000 career wins.

He has won five national championships, one with Bowling Green in 1984, and four at Boston College.

The six new members are due to officially inducted at a ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on November 18.