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 Blackhawks.

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 National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

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

Last year, the Original Six team did not make the playoffs, and there was only one change on the list.

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

1. Stan Mikita

2. Bobby Hull

3. Patrick Kane

4. Glenn Hall

5. Duncan Keith

You can find the entire list here.

Notably Patrick Kane, was unable to move from #3 before he was traded to the New York Rangers.

The only change is the now-departed, Jonathan Toews, who advanced one spot to #12.

Let’s see if this season will impact the list in next year’s revision.

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

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 Buffalo Sabres.

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

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

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

Last year, Buffalo again failed to make the playoffs, but was still able to generate three new players on this list.

As always, we present our top five, which was not impacted by last season:

1. Dominik Hasek

2. Gilbert Perreault

3. Rick Martin

4. Ryan Miller

5. Mike Ramsey

You can find the entire list here.

Defenseman and two-time All-Star, Rasmus Dahlin, enters at #34.

Left Wing, Jeff Skinner, comes in at #44.

The third new entrant is Center, Tage Thompson, who debuts at #47.

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

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 Mondday.

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

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 57 Cup Points:  26 Games, 16 G, 23 A, 39 P, +8, 4.8 PS. (#1 Last Week)

The Boston Bruins (like last year) have been the best team early in the season, and it is David Pastrnak who has led their offensive threat.  He is not currently leading the league in any category, but is third in Points (39), is Boston’s leading scorer, and is in the top ten in most essential scoring categories.  Could he win his first Hart?

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning.  49 Cup Points, 28 Games, 19 G, 28 A, 47 P, -1, 5.3 PS.  (#3 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 Goals (19), Assists (28), Points (47) and Shots (137), and it is a little surprising that he is not atop the Cup Standings.

3 (TIE). Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 44 Cup Points:  27 Games, 17 G, 20 A, 37 P, +18, 4.9 PS.  (#4 Last Week)

It is a surprise to see Reinhart as the top Florida Panther, and he is on pace to have the best season of his career.  He is currently fourth in Goals (17) and Point Shares (4.9) and fifth in Points (37).

3 (TIE). Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators.  44 Cup Points:  21 Games, 11-10-0 Record, .904 Save Percentage, 2.93 GAA, 3.4 GPS. (Not in the top ten Last Week)

Saros is a shock to be the highest ranked Goalie and to be in third in general.  With the exception of Filip Forsberg, the Preds are not loaded, and Saros is able to steal points easier than most Goalies.

5. Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 43 Cup Points:  27 Games, 14 G, 16 A, 30 P, 0, 3.4 PS (Not in the top ten Last Week)

Nashville is the first team with two players?  Yep, and here are the quirks of the NIHOF Cup.  Forsberg is third in Even Strength Goals (12) and fifth in Shots (106).

6. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers.  41 Cup Points, 26 Games, 16 G, 22 A, 38 P, -1, 4.3 PS (#6 Last Week)

The Russian veteran scored over 90 Points the last two seasons, and should be able to do so again if he maintains his current production.  He is fourth in Points (38) and sixth in Points (16).

7. J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks.  40 Cup Points, 28 Games, 15 G, 25 A, 40 P, +11, 4.4 PS. (#9 Last Week)

Miller is second in Points (40), and is the league-leader in Short-Handed Goals (5).  He is also sixth in Point Shares (4.4) and sixth in Assists (25).

8 TIE. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils, 39 Cup Points:  21 Games, 10 G, 23 A, 33 P, -1, 3.5 PS.  (Not in the top ten Last Week)

Hughes returns to the top ten, and is currently second in Points per Game (1.57).

8 (TIE).  Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets, 39 Cup Points:  26 Games, 17 G, 11 A, 28 P, -4, 3.2 PS.

Connor is leading the surprising Jets, who as of this writing are in a playoff spot.  The Left Wing is leading the NHL in Even Strength Goals (14) and Game-Winning Goals (5).  Connor has yet to light the lamp 50 times in a season (his peak is 47), but he is on pace to do it this year.

10 (TIE). Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche. 38 Cup Points:  25 Games, 7 G, 27 A, 34 P, +15, 5.4 PS. (#3 Last Week)

Makar has more Cup Points than any other Defenseman and the former Norris Trophy winner is off to a blistering is topping start.  He is second in Assists (27) and Point Shares (5.4), and tenth in Points (34).

10 (TIE). Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks.  38 Cup Points:  20 Games, 13-7-0 Record, .916 Save Percentage, 2.48 GAA, 4.0 GPS. (Not in the top ten Last Week)

Demko, who was an All-Star last year, is second in Wins (13) and fifth in Goalie Point Shares (4.0).

Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes and Vegas’s Adin Hill fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be next Monday.

The sports we love to watch have changed dramatically from the date of their creation to the modern era: that’s part of what makes debates comparing athletes so compelling. We’ll never get a definitive answer to how prime Michael Jordan would’ve compared to prime LeBron James, if Wayne Gretzky could’ve continued his dramatic scoring pace in an era of the NHL with less offense than the free wheeling 1980s, if early MLB stars like Babe Ruth benefitted from weaker competition or if they could still hold their own today.

Looking at how sports have changed over time provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of the games we love, and the fact that we’ll never get an answer to these burning debates makes it even more fun to argue your case. Here are some of the best hidden athletic gems who you may never have heard of, as well as the mark they left on their respective leagues.

Dick Allen - MLB

A standout bat of the pitching-friendly 1960s and 1970s, Dick Allen played for a host of teams during his 15-year major league career. Allen hit 351 home runs with a .292 batting average in that time. While his counting stats aren’t quite what one expects out of a corner infielder, it’s critical to take the era he played in into account as well.

Allen’s career OPS+ of 158 is on par with the MVP-vote earning year that Freddie Freeman just had with the Los Angeles Dodgers: the only difference is that Allen sustained that production over the course of a decade and a half, not one single summer. Rather controversially, the famed slugger never made it into the hall of fame.

Baseball’s voting body for the honor has a reputation for letting personal relationships cloud their voting process, as writers bar the players they didn’t like from being immortalized in Cooperstown. Whether or not that’s the case with Allen, nobody knows for sure… but he’s not a bad bet with Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Codes to sneak in on a veterans ballot at some point down the line.

Keith Tkachuk - NHL

While Keith Tkachuk enjoyed an 18 year career in the NHL, playing with four different teams in that span, he may be better known for his accomplishments off the ice these days, as he’s the father of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, both of whom are well on their way to surpassing his career totals. Keith Tkachuk racked up 538 goals and 527 assists in 1,201 NHL games despite playing much of his career at the height of the neutral zone trap era. A prolific scorer despite that, he also never shied away from mixing things up, charged with 2,219 penalty minutes over the course of his career… including more than fifty fights.

Tkachuk is one of just 47 players in the entire history of the sport to score more than 500 goals, and he’s one of the only retired players of that group to not be in the National Hockey Hall of Fame.

Charley Trippi – NFL

Trippi is the lone hall of famer on this list, but his unique style of play earns him an honorable mention nonetheless. In the early days of the sport, football positions were far less specialized than they are today.

Rather than focusing solely on one position, players would rotate from quarterback to running back to wide receiver on practically every other snap, then do the same as cornerbacks while on defense, or maybe even contribute on special teams as a kicker, punter or returner.

Trippi did it all, lauded as a quintuple threat for his ability as a runner, passer, receiver, punter and defender. If that wasn’t diverse enough of a skillset, he also returned kickoffs and punts with gusto, compiling the most total offensive yards (3,506 rushing, 2,547 passing, and 1,321 receiving) in the history of the game at the time he retired. Trippi’s counting stats may pale in comparison to the stars of today, but it was a different game back then, and he helps tell the story of it.

Perhaps most impressive of all Trippi’s achievements is the fact that he helped the Chicago Cardinals — who now reside in Arizona — win their first and only NFL Championship. Trippi showed off his hallmark versatility in that game, dashing for a 44-yard rushing touchdown and a 75-yard punt return touchdown despite playing on an icy surface. Trippi lived to be the oldest NFL Hall of Famer ever, passing away in October 2022 at the age of 100.