This week, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the 2024 Class, consisting of eight new entrants and four via special awards.

The Class of 2024 are:

Natalie Darwitz: U.S.A.  Darwitz represented the United States from 199 to 2010, and won three Gold Medals and five Silver Medals in the World Hockey Championships.  The former Forward also had two Silvers and a Bronze in the Olympics and was named to the 2002 Olympic All-Tournament Team.  The native of Minnesota took the Golden Gophers to back-to-back NCAA Championships, and he is currently the General Manager of the Minnesota team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Mel Davidson: Canada.  Davidson coached Team Canada to Gold at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics and the 2000 and 2007 Worlds. 

Jaromir Jagr: Czech Republic & Czechoslovakia.  Jagr, who is still active for his Czech club team, Kladno, won a copious number of medals in International competition.  He won Gold in the 1998 Olympics and Bronze in 2006.  He also won two World Hockey Championships (2005 & 2010), Bronze at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and is arguably the greatest player n Czech history.

Kenny Jonsson: Sweden.  Jonsson was a defensive anchor on two Swedish Olympic Gold Medal Teams (1994 & 2006), the latter of which he was named the best Defenseman of the tournament.  He also won Bronze in the 1996 World Cup, and two World Hockey Championships (1994 & 2009).

Igor Liba: Czechoslovakia.  Liba is a Slovak, represented Czechoslovakia many times, winning Silver in 1984 and Bronze in the 1992 Olympics.  The Left Wing also won Gold at the 1985 Worlds, as well as capturing two Silvers and two Bronzes in other World Hockey Championship Tournaments.

Petteri Nummelin: Finland.  Nummelin played for Finland in 15 World Hockey Championships, where the Defenseman was highly decorated in competition, winning one Gold, four Silvers and two Bronze Medals.  He also represented his nation in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and won Silver at the 2006 Olympics.

Jaroslav Pouzar: Czechoslovakia.  Pouzar led Czechoslovakia to an Olympic Silver Medal in 1976 and in the World Hockey Championships, would win two Gold, three Silvers and one Bronze Medal.  He also won three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.

Ryan Smyth: Canada.  Smyth played 20 years in the NHL, but represented Canada often winning two Golds and a Silver in World Hockey Championship.  He also captured Gold in the 1995 World Juniors, 2002 Olympics and 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Desiderui Varga: Romania.  Varga is this year’s recipient of the Torriani Award, and he played in three Olympics and 17 World Championships.

Anatolii Brezvin: Ukraine.  Brezvin served as the President of Ukraine’s Ice Hockey Federation from 2006 to 2020, and this year’s winner of the Paul Loicq Award.

Al Michaels: U.S.A..  Michaels is the inaugural winner of the IIHF Media Award, and his “Do You Believe in Miracles?” call remains the most recognized in all of hockey.

1998 Men’s Czech Olympic Team.  This squad wins the Milestone Award (last awarded in 2013), and they had wins over Canada in the Semis and Russia in the final to get there.  This team was led by an incredible performance by Goalie, Dominik Hasek, who had a 0.97 GAA over six Games.  The team also had Goalies, Milan Hnilicka and Roman Cechmanek, Defenseman Jiri Sleger, Frantisek Kucera, Roman Hamrlik, Richard, Smehlik, Jaroslav Spacek, Petr Svoboda and Libor Prochazka, with Forwards Jiri Dopita, Martin Rucinsky, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Robert Reichel, Robert Lang, Pavel Patera, Martin Prochazka, Josef Beranek, Vladimir Ruzicka, David Moravec, Milan Hejduk and Jan Caloun.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the IIHF Hall of Fame.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2024, and as always, it is an eclectic bunch, with five new entries.

The ceremony will be a private one in New York City on June 13, 2014

Selected were:

Hillary Lindsey.  A competent singer in her own right, Lindsay has penned a plethora of hits for many artists, most notably, “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood, “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “Blue Ain’t Your Color” by Keith Urban and “Always Remember Us This Way” and “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga.  She is a three-time nominee for the Grammy Song of the Year, wrote 20 number one songs (in various categories) and has an Academy Award and Golden Globes Nomination.

Timbaland.  Known equally (perhaps more) for his work as a producer, Timbaland helped write Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”, Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On”, Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin” and hits from his own work, such as “The Way I Are” and “Give It To Me”.  He is a 21-time Grammy nominee.

Dean Pitchford.  Pitchford wrote many hits in the 1980s, including “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, “Fame” by Irene Cara, “Holding Out For A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler, “All The Man That I Need” by Whitney Houston and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Denise Williams.

Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills & Michael Stipe (R.E.M.).  From Athens, Georgia, R.E.M. was one of the most successful Alternative Rock bands of all-time.  Generating multiple hits and albums, the group entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Donald Fagen & Walter Becker (Steely Dan):  The duo were studio Gods throughout the 1970s and would have a huge comeback with a Grammy Winning Album in 2000.  They were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

We here at Notinhalloffame.co would like to congratulate the members of the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Class.

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 post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Chicago Cubs.

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

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

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

Last year, the Cubs did not make the playoffs, but there was one new entrant in the top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Cap Anson

2. Ernie Banks

3. Ryne Sandberg

4. Ron Santo

5. Billy Williams

You can find the entire list here.

The only addition was World Series Champion Pitcher, Kyle Hendricks, who edged in at #48.

We thank you for your continued support for our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will be doing updates every Wednesday.

Here is the seventh current top ten in Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 84 Cup Points:  43 Games, 26 G, 35 A, 61 P, +7, 7.4 PS. (#1 Last Week)

The Boston Bruins (like last year) have been the best team early in the season, and it is the Czech Republic’s David Pastrnak who has led their offensive threat.  He is the league-leader in Shots (212), is third in Points (61), sixth in Point Shares (7.0) and Goals (26), ninth in Assists (35) and is Boston’s leading scorer, and is in the top ten in most essential offensive categories.  Could he win his first Hart, but if not, maybe his first NIHOF Cup?   

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning.  78 Cup Points, 43 Games, 28 G, 44 A, 72 P, -3, 8.1 PS.  (#2 Last Week)

Kucherov is in his tenth season in Tampa, and is putting forth a season that could gain him another Hart or Art Ross.  He is leading the NHL in Points (67) and is second in Goals (28) and third in Assists (39).  It is a minor surprise that he is not first in Cup Points, but he is close.

3.  Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 70 Cup Points:  41 Games, 34 G, 16 A, 50 P, +6, 6.7 PS. (#3 Last Week)

The American sniper is back as the league’s top goal-scorer, holding the lead in that (34) and Even-Strength Goals (25).  If he holds that, Matthews will win his third Rocket Richard Trophy, though Kucherov is closing in fast.

4. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 67 Cup Points:  38 Games, 16 4, 42 A, 58 P, +13, 6.3 PS.  (#7 Last Week)

The Edmonton Oilers began the year as a disappointment, but they have been on fire as of late.  McDavid has not been lighting the lamp like he did last year, but he has however been a great playmaker, and is third in Assists (42) and sixth in Points (58).  Can he make it back to the top of the mountain and win the NIHOF Cup again?

5 (TIE). Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 60 Cup Points:  44 Games, 22 G, 26 A, 48 P, +7, 5.8 PS (#4 Last Week)

Forsberg is off to the best start of his career and should make his second All-Star Game, though other than Even-Strength Goals (3^rd with 19) and Game-Winning Goals (3^rd with 6), he is not in the top ten in any major offensive category. 

5 (TIE).  Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 60 Cup Points:  45 Games, 23 G, 49 A, 72 P, +11, 7.8 PS. (#5 Last Week)

MacKinnon returns to the top ten last week as, Mikko Rantanen fell off, though as we will see below, that was temporary.  He took over the league-lead in Assists (49) and is now tied for first in Points (72) with Kucherov.  He is also tenth in Goals (23). 

5 (TIE).  Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche, 60 Cup Points:  45 Games, 24 G, 34 A, 58 P, +2, 6.2 PS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

Rantanen returns to the top ten joining MacKinnon to give the Avalanche two players in the top ten; the only squad to do so.  He is sixth in Points (58) and ninth in Goals (24).

5. (TIE). Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 60 Cup Points:  43 Games, 32 G, 23 A, 55 P, +13, 7.7 PS.  (#7 Last Week)

Currently having the best year of his life, Reinhart is the current leader in Power Play Goals (16), Game-Winning Goals (9). and Shooting Percentage (27.8), and is also second in Goals (32), and tenth in Points (55).  Historically a good player, Reinhart has never had a first half like this before.

5 (TIE). Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 60 Cup Points:  42 Games, 26 G, 20 A, 46 P, +19, 6.3 PS.  (#9 Last Week)

We have to admit we are happy to see Sidney Crosby in the top ten, as even though “Sid the Kid” is over 35, we are still talking about a legend!  Crosby is sixth in Goals (26) and second in Even Strength Goals (20) as of this writing.

5 (TIE). Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks, 60 Cup Points:  44 Games, 23 G, 35 A, 58 P, +19, 6.7 PS.  (Not Ranked in the Top Ten Last Week)

The Canucks have returned a player to the top ten and this time it is the former Calder Trophy Winner.  Pettersson is sixth in Points (58), ninth in Assists (35) and Goals (23).

New York’s Artemi Panarin and Toronto’s’ William Nylander fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be next Wednesday.