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.
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…
During the heyday of Pierre Larouche, there were few hockey players who had a more gifted scoring touch. Larouche was (at the time) the youngest player to net 50 goals per season and was the first to score 50 goals a season for two different teams. Scoring was never a…
From the Original Six, Sid Smith was a consistent star for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 50’s. Smith was a solid 20 goal scorer (a big deal for that era) but it always seemed that whenever Smith would put the puck in the net it would be in pivotal…
While the term of having a lot of heart is applied to athletes a lot, almost to the point of being a cliché, you can’t say that about Saku Koivu.
The talented Slovakian player was a very good scorer in the National Hockey League and in International play, but Pavol Demitra is probably best known these days for his tragic end. Demitra was killed in the tragic plane crash that killed the entire Lokomotiv squad from the Russian League. We…
Milan Hejduk played 1,020 Games in the National Hockey League all with the Colorado Avalanche, which is a franchise record. A solid scorer who accumulated 805 Points, the Czech born star would assist the Avs win the Stanley Cup in 2001. Two years later Hejduk would have his best individual…
Before Tiger Woods jumped upon the golf world, the most famous sports feline was that of Dave “Tiger” Williams. The rugged enforcer set the career mark for most penalty minutes of all time, and chances are if you saw a game with Tiger in it, he would be watching the…
The Montreal Canadians are one of the most successful franchises in NHL history and Jean Guy Talbot is a significant part of that success. Talbot was a member of seven Stanley Cup wins and would play in six All Star Games. A somewhat forgotten member of those teams, Talbot was…
One of two players that won the Hart Trophy without being elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Al Rollins would win the Hart in 1954, a season in which he actually led the NHL in Losses. Rollins then played for the Chicago Blackhawks, which were then the worst team…
While John Ross Roach may not have led the NHL in Goals Against Average he was a workhorse for years. Roach played every game in the net for nine of his fourteen NHL seasons with a very good career GAA of 2.80. Twice leading the league in Wins, Roach was…
A very potent offensive defenseman, Steve Duchesne went from undrafted to playing sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League. That in itself was an impressive feat but Duchesne would be an NHL All-Star three times and would finish fifth in Norris Trophy voting twice.
Physical stay-at-home defenseman don’t get a lot of love outside of their home but home fans know the value they bring. This is why there was never any issue in regards to limited offence that Terry Harper brought to the table.
Brad McCrimmon was an underappreciated Defenceman in terms of his overall performance in the NHL. While he played for seven NHL teams, he is (or at least should be) be best known for his time in Calgary where he helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup and was the NHL…
Evgeni Nabokov took his time to enter North America after being a late-round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in 1994. Six years later, the Goalie would make his debut with the San Jose and is, without doubt, the best backstop in franchise history.
A very good power forward, Owen Nolan combined skill and strength to create a solid career in the National Hockey League. Nolan had over 400 goals (and 400 assists) and was a staple on many power play units in his career. As good as he was, Nolan often was not…
Garry Galley may not leap off of the page as someone who had a really good career in the NHL, but this was a player who had an even 600 Points, an excellent number for a blueliner. Galley was a two-time All-Star who played well over 1,100 Games professionally. The…