The 2011-12 hockey season is reaching its zenith. The World Championship is about to begin in Helsinki and Stockholm, and the Stanley Cup finals have started its second round of play in cities across North America.

As a result, the next few weeks will determine who, if anyone, will join the exclusive ranks of the Triple Gold Club. The possibilities are slim, but there are a few candidates remaining.

Technically, there are nine active players who can join the TGC with a gold medal at the World Championship. Two players can be discounted almost immediately, however – Martin Brodeur and Alexei Kovalyov. Brodeur is still playing goal for New Jersey, so the Devils would have to lose quickly and Brodeur get a late invite to Team Canada for him to become a TGCer this year. Not likely to happen.

Kovalyov, now in the twilight of his career and playing in the KHL, is not on the Russian roster so far and doesn’t seem likely to be a late addition either.

Three other Canadians, though, have a legitimate chance. Duncan Keith, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry are all going to be in Helsinki, and all have won Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup during their careers to date (Keith two years ago with Chicago, Getzlaf and Perry with Anaheim in 2007). Canada is always among the favourites to win gold at the Worlds, and it if does this year, we can add three more names to the 25 who form the Triple Gold Club.

Milan Hejduk played for Colorado this year, and although the Avs didn’t make the playoffs, he is not joining the Czech Republic.

Two Swedes are in a similar position. Tomas Holmström and Samuel Pahlsson were both first-round losers in the playoffs, with Detroit and Vancouver, respectively, but they aren’t joining the Swedish national team for the Worlds.

Dan Boyle, another Canadian with Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup, isn’t on Canada’s team this year.

Incredibly, there is just one NHL player in the playoffs who has a chance to become a TGC member. Nashville defenceman, and soon to be premier free agent, Shea Weber won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 and won World Championship gold with Canada in 2007, the last time the country claimed top spot.

As unlikely as it is right now, a Cup win by the Predators would make Weber TGC member number 26. If he doesn’t win this year, one would think he will win the Cup at some point during his career, but you never know until it happens (or doesn’t).

There is no rhyme or reason to when new TGCers emerge. The first three came as a result of Sweden’s Olympic win back in 1994 (Tomas Jonsson, Mats Naslund, Hakan Loob), and three more arrived with the Avs’ Cup win two years later (Valeri Kamenski, Alexei Gusarov, Peter Forsberg). This marked the only time new members from different countries joined at the same time.

Detroit contributed two Russians in 1997 (Vyacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov), and New Jersey added two more in 2000 (Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Malakhov). Three Canadians came on board after Salt Lake 2002 (Rob Blake, Joe Sakic, Brendan Shanahan), and one more in 2004 (Scott Niedermayer).

Two Czechs followed the 2005 World gold (Jaromir Jagr, Jiri Slegr), one Swede in 2006 with the Olympics (Fredrik Modin), and a Canadian after that 2007 gold (Chris Pronger). In 2008, three Swedes were added when the Red Wings won the Cup (Niklas Kronwall, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson), and two Canadians and the only coach came on board after Vancouver 2010 (Eric Staal, Jonathan Toews, Mike Babcock). Canada’s Patrice Bergeron was the only new member last year.

There has been a new member every year since 2004 with one exception (2009). Will this year be another exception, or will one or more new members join? We’ll know in the next few weeks.

ANDREW PODNIEKS