A top player for the Hartford Whalers, Kevin Dineen twice scored 40 goals and was clearly one of the better players in the NHL during the late ’80s. Dineen also had a good run with the Flyers through the following decade. He was clearly a good player who had very good moments, but he was not labeled a great one. Had his run as a very good player lasted longer than his Whalers run, he might have a better shot than he currently does, but considering he had a nineteen-year career with over 700 points, Kevin Dineen had a career to be proud of.

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, who were known for their bruising nature. As Hodge was oversized (for that era), he was seldom known for having to rough it up. Although Hodge scored 800 points in his career, he was criticized for selfishness and poor defensive play. Those determinants may very well be the yoke that is keeping Ken Hodge from Hall consideration.

As one of the toughest members of the 1970s 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 skilled players, but he himself enjoyed a pair of 70-point-plus seasons and was an underrated defender. With 606 career points, Terry O’Reilly likely does not have the overall statistics for serious consideration from the Hall.  Still, his number was retired by Boston, an honor that he certainly deserved.

Like many Canadians of his era, Flash Hollett was a two-sport athlete (Lacrosse and Hockey). Thankfully for the Boston Bruins, Hollett, who focused on hockey, was among the first defensemen comfortable with rushing the ice. Flash held some of the early scoring records for defensemen. Because Hollett achieved his greatest offensive output during the war-depleted years of World War II, he does not receive as much respect as he likely should. Regardless, Flash Hollett was an effective player in the early years of the NHL and may still yet be considered by the Hall one day.