Dave Christian is best known for being a member of the United States 1980 Olympic Gold Medal-winning team, but he was far more than just a member of the Miracle on Ice Team.  Christian was never a top-five finisher in any major individual award, but he was the recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy and Frank J. Selke Award voting, and he would have three 70 Point Seasons, two with the Winnipeg Jets and one with the Washington Capitals.  Christian scored 773 Points over his NHL career.

Joel Otto came from Elk River, Minnesota where he went starred for Bemidji State University.  Otto would go undrafted but after what must have seen like an eternity, he was signed with the Calgary Flames.  Otto would become a permanent fixture in the pro ranks in the 1985/86 season and found a niche excelling at the less than sexy aspects of the game.  He had size that he could use was an excellent faceoff man and he would become an excellent defensive Centre.  Otto never won the Frank J. Selke Award as the NHL’s best defensive Award but he finished 3^rd on two occasions, was in the top ten another two times and received votes another four seasons.

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 fundamental offensive proficiency. Upon becoming a Philadelphia Flyer, LeClair began to utilize his size and mobility effectively. He was placed on a line with Eric Lindros and Michael Renberg, and the line dubbed the “Legion of Doom” became a highlight reel staple with their goals and bruising nature. LeClair became the first American to net 50 goals three seasons in a row. The question for the Hall is whether John LeClair’s tenure on Broad Street was enough to secure a spot.

Here is another interesting one.  The always-controversial and outspoken Tim Thomas was quite a story, becoming an elite netminder at the age of 34 and having two spectacular seasons in pro hockey, when most players have hung up their pads.  Thomas is one of the rare players to win two Vezina Trophies and backstopped the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup win; however, the reality is that his run at the top was too brief to cement a Hall of Fame spot…though stranger things have happened.

In the mold of a player he grew up watching (Cam Neely), the Massachusetts-born Keith Tkachuk became the American power forward of his generation.