While he was in the shadow (and actually played in it) of his big brother, “The Big M” Frank Mahovolich, Pete Mahovolich was quite the player in his own right.

Ron Ellis spent his entire professional career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where, as one of the team's young guns, he helped the Buds win the 1967 Stanley Cup.  Before that, Ellis established himself as the runner-up to the Calder Trophy in the 1964-65 season, and he was known in Toronto and throughout the NHL for his back-checking and excellent two-way play. He could score when needed, as shown by his nine 20 Goal seasons and 640 Points.  The Right Winger would also represent Canada in their iconic 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union.

While Gordon “Red” Berenson would win a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1965, he really did not have much to do with that title.  Unable to find a permanent spot on their roster, he would be traded to the New York Rangers.  Still, it was when he was traded to the expansion St. Louis Blues in the 1967-68 season that he would not just find a place in the professional ranks but in a starring capacity.

While Dennis Hull is thought of by some as Bobby’s brother or Brett’s uncle, we choose to remember him as a pretty good two-way hockey player who represented the Chicago Blackhawks five times in the All-Star Game.  Hull was a Second Team All-Star in 1973, a year after he represented Canada in the Summit Series against the Soviet Union.  He scored 654 Points overall in his career.

The NHL expansion sure was a friend to Bill White, as at the age of 28, he found a spot with the Los Angeles Kings and would emerge as their top blueliner.  White’s skills would increase into his 30s, and a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks would see him make three consecutive Second Team All-Stars while also being voted third in Norris Trophy voting each time.  He also went to six All-Star Games. 

With 477 career NHL points (and 283 in the WHA), the professional statistics speak to a very good player, but not that of a Hall of Famer. This is very much the consensus of most hockey pundits and fans alike. However, we are all familiar with the intangible legacy of the 1972 Canada/Soviet Union Summit Series. Coming off his most productive NHL year with 38 goals, Henderson was an afterthought selection to Team Canada. Henderson responded with the best hockey of his career, leading the tournament with ten points. Of course, it was that final point, a goal with thirty-four seconds remaining, that he will be known forever for. That goal won the series and made him an icon in Canada. It is a moment that is played over and over again on Canadian television and will be replayed for generations to come. When critics say that Paul Henderson would not be in the Hall of Fame discussion if he hadn’t scored “the goal,” but what they have to remember is one thing: HE DID score that goal.

The last survivor of the Original Six, Wayne Cashman, made the most of what he had. Cashman was not considered a gifted skill player, but he was an adept grinder and the last guy you wanted to fight for a puck in the corners. He was also known as one of the game’s best fighters, and although he was not known for his scoring, he finished in the top five in points during the 1973-74 season. A seventeen-year veteran of the Boston Bruins, Cashman remains one of the most beloved figures in Beantown. He will likely receive no such love from the Hall in Toronto.