Donat Raymond

A wealthy Canadian who would become a Senator, Donat Raymond’s contribution to Hockey was the formation of the Canadian Arena Company which was responsible for constructing the legendary Montreal Forum. Basically, this is the main reason he got inducted in the Builders Category in the Hockey Hall of Fame. This might be one of the Hall’s weaker inductions.
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Conn Smythe

After building the New York Rangers and developing a core that would become the Stanley Cup Champions, Conn Smythe bought the Toronto St. Pats and renamed them the Maple Leafs. The franchise would see their greatest success under Smythe’s ownership and he also financed Maple Leaf Gardens. It is likely that fans of the Buds probably wished that Smythe would have developed an elixir for immortality and never ceased to be the owner of that team.
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Ching Johnson

An inaugural member of the New York Rangers, Ivan “Ching” Johnson may not have been the best athlete in hockey (in fact he was far from it), but he mastered the art of defensive hockey with punishing body checks and slowing down offensive skaters with subtle clutching. Johnson was not paid to score (which is good, as he didn’t often) but his defensive acumen had few peers in his time and he was a four time post season All Star and two time cup winner for New York.
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Alec Connell

Nicknamed the “Ottawa Fireman” (Again, where are these cool nicknames today?) Alec Connell was a star Goaltender whose legacy might be higher had any of the teams he played on remained in the NHL with their original names (we are not counting the Senators who was resurrected scores later with the same name). Connell would backstop two squads (Ottawa in 1927, and the Montreal Maroons in 1935) to the Stanley Cup and remains the goalie with the lowest career Goals Against Average in NHL history. That alone makes him a legit Hall of Fame inductee.
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Nels Stewart

The man nicknamed “Old Poison” (and isn’t that one of the coolest nicknames you ever heard), retired as the NHL’s leading goal scorer in 1940 and held that status for twelve years. Nels Stewart was not just a great scorer, but an overall talented tough guy who was a physical presence everywhere on the ice. Stewart won the Hart Trophy twice as the league’s Most Valuable Player and led his Montreal Maroons to the Stanley Cup in his first year playing with the big boys. Although this would be Stewart’s lone Cup, he would remain a prolific goal scorer for his duration in professional hockey. Curiously, Stewart was never selected to a post season All Star roster perhaps due to playing for only one Cup winner and his less than sunny disposition. Regardless, Nels Stewart is a rightful inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame and did not have to wait too long for the accolade. Furthermore, he was the cornerstone of the 1952 class, and honor he rightfully deserved.
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Moose Johnson

A gifted scorer for the Montreal Wanderers dynasty that won four Stanley Cups in the late 1900’s, Thomas “Moose” Johnson essentially had two distinct careers in organized hockey. Johnson moved west to the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and shifted from Left Wing to Defense yet remained a perennial All Star. His other claim to fame was the use of what is believed to be the longest stick in history (there were no regulations at the time) which gave him a reported 99 inch reach. 
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Moose Goheen

Although he never played in any organized league in Canada, Moose Goheen was an amateur legend in Minnesota. Goheen played for years in Minnesota leading the St. Paul Athletic Club to McNaughton Trophy (symbolic of the top team in U.S. Amateur Hockey) in consecutive years and likely would have won more had he not entered the U.S. Army in World War I. Goheen would return and star for the States in the Olympics help scoring seven goals and winning a Silver medal for his country. Eventually, he would turn pro, but turned down overtures to play in the NHL so that he could play locally for St. Paul in the AHA. Goheen’s star would likely be higher in the memory banks of the hockey world had he played in the National Hockey League.
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Mickey MacKay

Although he did have four seasons in the NHL (culminating in a Stanley Cup win with Boston in his final season), Mickey MacKay made his biggest dent in the PCHL where he was a solid goal scorer and helped the Vancouver Millionaires win the Stanley Cup in 1915. After starring out west for years he wound down his career in the NHL, and though he was not nearly as productive, he was still good enough to help the Bruins win a Cup in 1929.
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Dickie Boon

Dubbed the “Little Man of Iron” due to his small stature and fierce tenacity, Dickie Boon was a two time star Stanley Cup winning defenceman for the Montreal Hockey Club. Boon historically is credited as the first player to use the poke check. After his playing days ended, he co-founded the Montreal Wanderers and managed them to four Stanley Cups. Boon’s induction is likely based on the combination of his management and playing as he may not have gotten in on just one or the other.
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