gold star for USAHOF
Considered one of the game’s early promoters, Ambrose O’Brien was actually a decent player himself. With his playing days over, O’Brien did his best to get his beloved town of Renfrew into the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association. When that failed, he essentially started up a rival National Hockey Association which had an immediate impact. Perhaps more importantly, he founded the Montreal Canadians which would become the most vital professional team in history. To many people (including us) that alone makes him a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.

You may not know this name, but this is actually one of our favorite inductions as it shows that the Hockey Hall of Fame was serious about inducting people to show that it really is an institution that recognizes International achievements.
The winner of the 1959 Hart Trophy winner was one of the most complete forwards of his era, though had the misfortune of playing of having his peak while playing with below average New York Rangers squads. Bathgate was constantly in the top ten in scoring and did tie for the lead in 1962, losing out on the Art Ross to Bobby Hull who had more goals. However, Bathgate did win the assists title twice in the NHL. A spectacular stickhandler wick a devastatingly accurate slap shot, Bathgate could implore a physical game when needed, though was an outspoken advocate against violence for violence’s sake in the sport.
Angela James was considered to be the first great player in women’s hockey. She dominated every level she competed in and was easily the top female in the sport for years. Once the sport had a sanctioned tournament in the IIHF, James again was the dominant player, leading Canada to Gold in the first four World Championships; all of which were finals against the United States. James, however was inexplicably left off the 1998 Olympic roster, though medical conditions would take her out of the game shortly after.
Medalling in four consecutive Olympic Games, Angela Ruggiero is the fourth female hockey player in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ruggiero won the Gold with the United States in 1998 and the same colored medal in four World Championships.

Angus Daniel Campbell was the founder of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association which helped to grow the sport in the region. He would branch it with the Ontario Hockey Association and he would serve as an executive with both organizations. Many future hockey players from the Northern Ontario region owe a debt to Campbell.
Incredibly durable and freakishly strong, Art Coulter was a physical presence on two Stanley Cup Championship teams. Coulter was adept at both ends of the ice, could mix it up when needed (he led the NHL in Penalty Minutes in one season) and on four occasions was a Second Team All Star. Coulter was the captain when the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1940.
It is very possible that Art Ross may have done enough to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame just for his on ice endeavors, or even enough on his off ice ones. Seriously, he was that important to the game.
A somewhat dubious induction in our eyes to the Hockey Hall of Fame little seems to be known about Arthur Farrell (even on the Hockey HOF’s own website). Farrell was however a two time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Shamrocks and scored a good amount of goals in those series. Farrell did however go on to write three “How-to” books on how to play Hockey which were held in high regard; perhaps that was the main reason he got inducted.
Arthur Wirtz’ entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame was based on the financial support he gave the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, and he did legitimately make both franchises more viable. He formed a business partnership with James E. Norris to buy the Detroit Falcons (later renamed the Red Wings) and after helping to bring that team to prominence, he parted amicably with the estate of Norris (who passed away) and bought the Chicago Blackhawks. The team returned to the top of the heap when they won the Stanley Cup in 1961; there first in 23 years.
The 1934 Hart Trophy Winner, Aurele Joliat was a star for the Montreal Canadians for many years and was a popular star. The diminutive Joliat (he only stood five feet seven) was nicknamed the “Little Giant” and was a major part of four Stanley Cup runs by the legendary Montreal Canadians. The career Montreal Canadians Left Winger was rightfully inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.
Good enough to have become a professional Baseball player (Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics offered him $25,000 to sign with his team), Babe Dye elected to remain with his true love of Hockey and fans of the sport were rewarded with the spectacular sound of his blistering slap shot.
The winner of the 1944 Hart Trophy (albeit in a depleted NHL due to World War II) Babe Pratt was a offensive minded defenceman who was as tough on the ice as he was jovial off of it. Pratt was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams (New York in 1940 and Toronto in 1945) and was always considered one of the team leaders regardless of where he played.  
His physical style, checking ability and the letter “S” at the start of his last name made Babe Siebert the perfect complement to the scoring touch of Nels Stewart and the passing skills of Hooley Smith on the Montreal Maroons famed “S Line”. It was in Montreal where Siebert started his career and posted his best offensive statistics.
A very good, though not great Hockey player who starred in Western Canada, Barney Stanley was a part of the Vancouver Millionaires Stanley Cup win in 1915. Stanley would be a goal a game producer for various teams in the West, and his versatility to play multiple positions made him an asset on team’s benches. He would eventually make the NHL albeit for one game in Chicago in 1927. Ironically, he was hired to be their coach, though that did not last very long.
Some people have called Bernie Federko one of the most underrated players in Hockey history and others have openly questioned this induction. Federko played all but one season in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues and had a career of over 1,100 points. He was called the “Magician” for his ability to expertly put the puck in the perfect position for his teammates to score and was the first player to get 50 assists in ten consecutive seasons.
Named “Boom Boom” for his powerful shot and feisty temperament, Bernie Geoffrion, was a Hall of Fame Right Winger who always seemed to be in the shadow of others while playing for the Montreal Canadians. Nowhere could that statement be more accurate when looking at one of Geoffrion’s first scoring title, whereby his own fans booed him when he passed teammate Maurice “Rocket” Richard when the latter was suspended by NHL President, Clarence Campbell for the remainder of the 1955 season.
A decent (though not necessarily spectacular) Goalie in his first nine years in the NHL and WHA, Bernie Parent’s game elevated to a new level upon returning to Philadelphia for a second stint for the Flyers.
A star Left Wing with the Montreal Canadians, Bert Olmstead did not always receive a lot of the same accolades that his star teammates did, but within the locker room, his worth was well known. Olmstead was not necessarily a good goal scorer, but we was a brilliant passer (he led the NHL in assists twice) and was a very good checker and his tenacious play in the corners gave him the nickname of “Dirty Bertie”. His legacy may not have been one as the greatest player in hockey history, but one who found a way to achieve the maximum of efficiency with the skills that he did have. It inspired the players around him, and freed the coaches to concentrate on other players as Olmstead was considered to be a player who coaches did not need to help out. Overall, Olmstead was a Second Team All Star twice, and a five time Cup winner (four with Montreal and once with Toronto) and had a resume that probably could have gotten him in the Hall a couple of years sooner than he did.
Bill Barber was converted to Left Wing from his Center position by Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach, Fred Shero. As it turned out, the move put him on a first line with Bobby Clarke, and Barber never looked back. He was a strong player who was punishing when he needed to be (he was a member of the Broad Street Bullies after all), was offensively skilled and was underappreciated for his defensive skills. The NHL recognized his ability by naming him to three Post Season All Star teams and he was a major part of the Flyers two Stanley Cup wins. Barber was forced to retire early at the age of 31 due to the deterioration of his left knee. It prevented him from getting to the magical 1,000 point mark, but the Hall recognized his overall talent and he got inducted in 1990.