Though it appears that all of the key members of the 1980’s Oilers dynasty are in the Hall, there is a very strong case that one still remains.  Kevin Lowe was a steady two way defenseman who was with the Oilers for the duration of Edmonton’s stellar run.  He was overshadowed by his offensive juggernauts, but as he watched them slowly depart Alberta, he remained steadying the blue line and becoming more important with each Cup run.  Lowe provided the same leadership (and was under similar shadows) when he was part of the Rangers Cup win in 1994.  A seven time All Star and six time Stanley Cup winner, Kevin Lowe was not just along for the ride; he helped steer the bus.  If any one left of those great Edmonton teams gets in, our bet is on Kevin Lowe.

During the 1980s and early ’90s, Steve Larmer was a vital cog in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He won the Calder Trophy in 1983 and, as a ten-year member of the Blackhawks, was a model of consistency and durability. While averaging a point a game, Larmer went on a streak of playing in 884 consecutive games and could have had a shot at breaking the all-time record held by Doug Jarvis had a contract dispute not gotten in the way. Steve Larmer was not someone you would get an exciting sound bite on, so when he did have criticisms to say, people took notice. It wasn’t often that the man known for his class sought the spotlight, but when he did, it was usually due to a firm conviction on his part. He retired when he felt he could no longer be the consistent player he once was, and he easily could have padded more statistics had he chosen to keep playing a few more years.

You have to think that if you were a kid growing up in Montreal, your hockey-related dreams might involve winning a Stanley Cup for your beloved Habs.  If this was the case for Vincent Damphousse, then Mission Accomplished! Damphousse hoisted the Stanley Cup as a first-line centre for his hometown Montreal Canadians in 1986.

Generally, when General Managers engineer trades, both hope for some sort of accurate equity in return. The New York Rangers certainly did not gain that equity when they traded Rick Middleton to the Boston Bruins for Ken Hodge, who was nearing the end of his career. Middleton, however, was just getting started. The man dubbed “Nifty” scored 898 points for his new team and proved to be the best offensive threat for the Bruins for nearly a decade.