Hockey
Established in 1943, and currently based in Toronto, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a quite simply a tribute to those who achieved excellence in hockey. Criticized by some for their failure to recognize international stars, the WHA, women and the high amount of players inducted from the Original Six era, the Hockey Hall of Fame is still one of the most impressive facilities despite its lack of size. The rich history of hockey is certainly well represented there. For our list, we have focused on players as opposed to the builders and journalists categories; although we have included some people whom we felt could not be ignored. Current enshrinement for players is based on receiving fourteen votes out of an eighteen member committee. In terms of NHL players, it is based on being out of the league for three years. We have selected one hundred figures of hockey (though honestly only a handful really has a reasonable shot) and again we encourage debate as to who you feel deserves enshrinement in Toronto.
Until Then, keep your stick on the ice.
Sincerely,
The Not in Hall of Committee.
910 career points is nothing to sneeze at, but it is not the first thing that people think about with Gary Roberts. He was the type of player that every General Manager wanted to have, and every player wanted as a teammate. He made everyone on his team just want…
Considering that the highest season points output for Ray Whitney is 83, it is incredible that he became the 79th player in NHL history to hit the 1,000 mark in a career. This shows that he is very durable, underrated as many have claimed, and as many of stated, an…
A solid goal scorer during his sting with Montreal, Stephane Richer gave Montreal fans a blast from the past and hope for a future with a French Canadian offensive star playing for Les Habitants. Richer was the first Montreal player since Guy LaFleur to score 50 goals a season. Richer…
As one of the toughest members of the 1970’s Boston Bruins (which really says something) Terry O’Reilly was a rough enforcer who was able to score. The emotional leader of Boston was a rugged protector of the skill players, but he himself enjoyed a pair of 70 points plus seasons…
A very good goalie that lost out on the Hart trophy to Wayne Gretzky in 1981, Mike Liut seemed destined for a stellar career after his amazing 1980-81 season. That year he won the Lester B. Pearson award (MVP as selected by their peers) and would be the starting goalie…
Rick Nash was the first overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft and he would quickly prove to the Columbus Blue Jackets that they made a good selection. As a sophomore Nash would put he puck in the net 41 times, which was enough to win the Maurice Richard trophy…
Just how incredible was 2004 for Brad Richards? The product of Prince Edward Island won the Conn Smythe Award (with 7 Game Winning Goals) as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping to bring the Tampa Bay Lightning their first taste of hockey’s holy grail. That regular season also…
The last survivor of the Original Six, Wayne Cashman made the most of what he had. Cashman was not considered a gifted skill player but he was an adept grinder and the last guy you wanted to fight for a puck in the corners. He was also known as one…
It is always impressive when a man plays 964 games in the National Hockey League. What made Doug Jarvis’ 964 games so special is that he played them in a row setting the “iron man” mark for consecutive games played. Jarvis didn’t just play in those games: he was a…
Possibly one of the most versatile players in NHL history, Doug Mohns spent the first half of his career as a defenseman with the Boston Bruins. In Beantown, Mohns had a flair for offense and was able to help his team at that side of the ice. Later, Mohns was…
Although Brian Rafalski did not enter the National Hockey League until he was 26, he still managed to achieve a 500 point career which is a very respectable total for a defenseman. He spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils where his powerful shot and defensive skills…
Called the “second goalie” for his penchant for throwing himself in front of the puck to stop any offensive burst, Bob Goldham was one of the premier defenders of his era. Goldham's career started a little late as he was a member of the Canadian Navy during World War II,…
One of the better two way defensemen in Hockey, Ed Jovanovski is not the player that will put up monster point totals, but he will contribute and consistently shut down attackers. He is also one of those great teammates that does all the little things well and makes your team…
It did not take long for the number two choice of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft to establish himself as a force on the Vancouver Canucks. Trevor Linden would be named the Canucks captain at the age of 21, and his nickname of “Captain Canuck” could be one of the…
A star for the Chicago Black Hawks and the United States National Team, Tony Amonte enjoyed a solid career. His career zenith was as a Black Hawk where the consistent American Right Winger enjoyed a five-year stretch where he did not miss a game and was among the best players…
Like many Canadians of his era, Flash Hollett was a two-sport athlete (Lacrosse and Hockey). Thankfully for the Boston Bruins, Hollett focused on hockey was one of the first defensemen who was comfortable rushing the ice. Flash held some of the early scoring records for defensemen. Because Hollett achieved his…
While Gordon “Red” Berenson would win a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1965, he really did not have much to do with that title. Unable to find a permanent spot on their roster, he would be traded to the New York Rangers but it was when he was…
John Ogrodnick was at his best when he played for the Detroit Red Wings in the first half of the 1980’s, which was where he went to five All Star Games. Unfortunately for Ogrodnick, Detroit was not particularly good when he played there, but while he was in Motown he…
Mats Naslund was a star with the Montreal Canadiens throughout the 1980’s and while Patrick Roy received the bulk of the credit for the Has shocking Stanley Cup win in 1986, it was Naslund who was the offensive star of the team. The Swedish star was a Second Team All…
Although Ken Hodge got off to a slow start in the NHL, a trade to the Boston Bruins saw him reach new heights on a line with the legendary Phil Esposito. Hodge was able to show off his offensive abilities and he was a great compliment to the other Bruins…