Hockey
Established in 1943, and currently based in Toronto, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a quite simply a tribute to those who achieved excellence in hockey. Criticized by some for their failure to recognize international stars, the WHA, women and the high amount of players inducted from the Original Six era, the Hockey Hall of Fame is still one of the most impressive facilities despite its lack of size. The rich history of hockey is certainly well represented there. For our list, we have focused on players as opposed to the builders and journalists categories; although we have included some people whom we felt could not be ignored. Current enshrinement for players is based on receiving fourteen votes out of an eighteen member committee. In terms of NHL players, it is based on being out of the league for three years. We have selected one hundred figures of hockey (though honestly only a handful really has a reasonable shot) and again we encourage debate as to who you feel deserves enshrinement in Toronto.
Until Then, keep your stick on the ice.
Sincerely,
The Not in Hall of Committee.
Was Henrik Lundqvist the “King” in New York? Maybe. But, despite the lack of finger jewelry, Lundqvist was the greatest Goalie in Rangers history, and worthy of a Hall of Fame induction. From Sweden, Lundqvist was the definition of a value pick. Taken 205th Overall in 2000, the Goalie honed his skills in his…
Alexander Mogilny may not go down as the best player (though he is up there) to come from Russia but he may be the one who broke down the most barriers in the NHL. Mogilny was the first player from the Soviet Union to defect to the west, the first…
Is it possible to be one of the more inspirational players in hockey history yet have a career that is a somewhat cautionary tale to young players? With Theoren Fleury the answer appears to be yes.
The United States has really emerged as a major power in Hockey and players such as Jeremy Roenick was a big part of that; in fact he may go down as one of the top American born players in history.
On paper, how is it possible that a hockey player who logged only one game in the NHL and is best remembered as a coach for a too many men on the ice call that cost his Boston Bruins a chance at a Stanley Cup birth possibly enter the Hockey…
With a whopping 1,327 career NHL points, Pierre Turgeon was able to live up to the billing of the number one overall draft choice that he was. Twice, Turgeon was able to reach 100 points on a season, his highest being the massive 132 points he amassed for the Islanders…
Some have said that John LeClair got off to a slow start in the NHL. There is certainly a level of truth to that as his stint with the Habs showed his defensive skill but not any real offensive proficiency. Upon becoming a Philadelphia Flyer, LeClair really began to use…
Claude Provost is the answer to a few unwanted trivia questions. He currently is the man who has his name etched on the Stanley Cup Trophy the most times without being in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He also has the most All Star appearances of any non Hall of…
During the mid 90’s, few goaltenders approached the level of success that Mike Richter did. After a few years of struggles, Richter took over the net in New York and embarked on a magical three year period. In the 1993-94 season, he posted 42 wins (and 16 more in the…
Bernie Nicholls was already a productive member of the Los Angeles Kings, but when the legendary Wayne Gretzky went Hollywood, Nicholls’ statistics reached the stratosphere. With attention paid toward the other star center, Nicholls set personal records. To this day, Bernie Nicholls is one of eight players to score 70…
To simply say that Mike Vernon had a long and fruitful career is an understatement. Playing twenty years of professional hockey, Mike Vernon recorded 385 career wins. The impressive feat was that Vernon was the star of two Stanley Cup champions, the latter with Detroit where he won the Conn…
In the mold of a player he grew up watching (Cam Neely), the Massachusetts born Keith Tkachuk become the American power forward of his generation.
A converted winger, J.C. Tremblay made the transition to defense look easy. As a converted forward, Tremblay understood the offensive aspects of the game and was a natural playmaker from the blue line. Tremblay’s last two years with the Habs saw him reach his best points totals, but it could…
As a starting goaltender of two champion Pittsburgh Penguins clubs and as one of the greatest American goalies in history you would think that Tom Barrasso would have a decent shot for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Considering that Barrasso was far from a media darling, his chances become a…
As part of Buffalo’s vaunted “French Connection” line, Rick Martin was part of the most exciting lines in hockey in the 1970s. Martin was a lethal sniper and once he mastered his defensive skills was one of the better two-way players in hockey. With two 50 goal seasons (not exactly…
If you think about statistical enigmas, Curtis Joseph would top our list. As we have yet to rank that category, we are struggling to find the right place to rank him on the list that we actually do.
It wasn’t that Dave Taylor wasn’t supposed to make the NHL, but when you are drafted 210th overall the expectations aren’t great. Dave Taylor shattered all expectations becoming part of the legendary Los Angeles Kings Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer. Taylor was an unexpected scoring machine…
While Nikolai Khabibulin actually has a losing won/loss record in the NHL, nobody can say that he did not have a very good career in the National Hockey League. The “Bulin Wall” may never have been considered the top goaltender in the league (or maybe even in the top three),…
Although Peter Bondra was not born in Slovakia (he moved there when he was three), he is one of the best players to ever emerge from the Eastern European nation. After four years in the Czech league, Bondra joined the Washington Capitals and after a few years emerged as their…
A somewhat disrespected goaltender, Chris Osgood won three Stanley Cup Rings without anyone really saying that he was among the elite in his position. Granted, he played with a loaded Red Wings team, but he still backstopped the team to victory after victory.