Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2021-22 revision of our top 50 Boston Bruins.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NHL. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note, that this is our first revision in one year, but several players climbed in the rank.

As always, we present our top five immediately, though nothing has changed in this upper-tier.

1. Bobby Orr

2. Eddie Shore

3. Ray Bourque

4. Phil Esposito

5. Milt Schmidt

You can find the entire list here.

Patrice Bergeron, who has won four Frank J. Selke Trophies as the NHL’s top Defensive Forward, moved up one spot to #13.

Brad Marchand, who is now a four-time post-season All-Star, climbed five spots to #23.  

David Krejci, who was a two-time leader in Plus/Minus inched up one spot to #34.

2020 Rocket Richard winner, David Pastrnak, also moved up by one.  He is now #36.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that Boston Celtics have announced that they will be retiring Kevin Garnett’s #13 on March 13, 2022 during their home game against Dallas.

Last season, during their game against the Clippers on February 13, the team made the announcement that Garnett’s jersey retirement would be impending.

Garnett, who entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020, was with the Minnesota Timberwolves for his first twelve years, was traded to the Celtics in 2007.  Boston also signed Ray Allen, and along with Paul Pierce, the trio won the NBA Championship that year.

Garnett stayed with the Celtics for six seasons, went to four All-Star Games and was also the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year.  As a Celtic, Garnett was chosen for one First Team All-NBA Selection, three First Team All-Defensive Selections and one Second Team All-Defensive Selection.

His #5 will join Robert Parish (#00), Walter Brown (#1), Red Auerbach (#2), Dennis Johnson (#3), Bill Russell (#6), JoJo White (#10), Bob Cousy (#14), Tom Heinsohn (#15), Tom Sanders (#16), John Havlicek (#17), Dave Cowens (#18), Don Nelson (#19), Bill Sharman (#21), Ed Macauley (#22), Frank Ramsey (#23), Sam Jones (#24), K.C. Jones (#25), Cedric Maxwell (#31), Kevin McHale (#32), Larry Bird (#33), Paul Pierce (#34), Reggie Lewis (#35) and Jim Loscutoff (LOSCY).

We would like to congratulate Kevin Garnett for earning this honor.

When a major athlete retires from a major North American sports league, we always pay attention.  As such, the retirement of Henrik Lundqvist is major to us, and worth a dissection of the Swedish legend’s career.  

From Sweden, Lundqvist was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2000, which would be the only NHL team he ever played for.  

On Broadway, Lundqvist amasses a record of 459-310-96 and a 2.43 GAA and won the Vezina in 2012 with a GAA of 2.43.  In addition to his Vezina, from 2006 to 2014, he finished in the top six for that hardware, and was a First Team All-Star in 2012 and Second Team All-Star in 2013.  He also twice led the NHL in Goalie Point Shares.

Internationally, Lundqvist owns an Olympic Gold Medal (2008), Silver Medal (2014), World Hockey Championship Gold Medal (2017), Silver Medal (2003 & 2004), and World Cup of Hockey Bronze Medal (2016).

Lundqvist, who last played in the 2019-20 season, following have to sit out the last year due to a heart condition, is eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Henrik Lundqvist the best in his post-playing career.

Detroit baseball lost one of its greats as their former Catcher, Bill Freehan, passed away at 79 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

For a ten season stretch (1964-73), Bill Freehan was one of the top Catchers in the American League.  In each of those years, he would be named an All-Star, and he would add an 11th one in 1975.

A member of the Tigers for his entire career, the apex of his career was in 1968, which was the season he staffed a roster of pitchers who took the Tigers to a World Series win.  Freehan himself was the runner-up to the MVP Award that year, and he was third the year before.  A five-time Gold Glove winner, Freehan would smack an even 200 Home Runs with 1,591 Hits.

In our latest Notinhalloffame.com rank of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Freehan was ranked at #35, and he is #17 on our greatest Detroit Tigers of all-time.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Bill Freehan.