Before Tiger Woods jumped upon the golf world, the most famous sports feline was that of Dave “Tiger” Williams. The rugged enforcer set the career mark for most penalty minutes of all time, and chances are if you saw a game with Tiger in it, he would be watching the game too from the confines of the penalty box. Williams was not juts a thug, he was actually a capable scorer who netted 35 goals one year and finished with 513 points in his career. Not bad for someone who was barely on the ice.

It might seem a little laughable now, but there was a time when all Russian players were considered soft. Vladimir Konstantinov may have been part of the 1980s Soviet Red Army team, but he was a man who seemed to be bred for the NHL, as he was anything but “soft.” Konstantinov had an instant impact on the pros with the Red Wings. He was literally a pest who made it exceptionally difficult for opponents to score. This was reflected by his high plus/minus tallies. Konstantinov’s last season saw him as the Norris Trophy runner-up and hoist the Stanley Cup. Less than a week after that triumph, Konstantinov was in a horrible limousine accident that put him in a coma and literally put him in the fight of his life. Needless to say, Vladimir never played again, though if he had, it can be argued that he might be a much stronger candidate for induction than he is now.

Called the “second goalie” for his penchant for throwing himself in front of the puck to stop any offensive burst, Bob Goldham was one of the premier defenders of his era. Goldham's career started a little late because he was a member of the Canadian Navy during World War II. However, upon his return to the professional game, there was little doubt that he was among the best at pure defensive hockey. Goldham became best known to many for his work with the CBC during the Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts in the ’70s. Maybe it is that combination of on and off-ice work that could help him reach the Hall.

A very good goalie that lost out on the Hart trophy to Wayne Gretzky in 1981, Mike Liut seemed destined for a stellar career after his impressive 1980-81 season. That year, he won the Lester B. Pearson award (MVP as selected by their peers) and would be the starting goalie for the 1981 Canada Cup Canadian contingent. Liut’s career tapered off, and he was unable to keep up the prediction that so many made about him in the early 80s. Still, he racked up 294 career NHL wins and was one of the top netminders of the 1980s.