gold star for USAHOF

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.

An All Star four times over his career, Bob Nevin provided solid two way hockey in his 1,100 plus games in the NHL.  After helping the Toronto Maple Leafs win two Stanley Cups in 1961 and 1962 he was traded to the New York Rangers where he would accrue five…
Although the career of Sean Burke was a long and prosperous one, it can be argued that he didn’t live up to the overall expectations that he came with when he entered the National Hockey League. Burke was a star for the Canadian National Team. Many thought that his first…
Jim Neilson spent the majority of his career with the New York Rangers where he studied under the great Doug Harvey and mentored a young Brad Park.  Part Cree, “Chief” was an underrated presence in the league but he did represent the Rangers twice in the All-Star Game and was…
Was Kevin Stevens a superstar forward in the shadow of Mario Lemieux or was he was only a superstar because of Lemieux? Many asked that question as Kevin Stevens topped over 100 points twice and was among the league leaders. The answer may have been somewhere in between. Stevens may…
The sniper of the fabled Triple Crown Line, Charlie Simmer scored an impressive 56 goals two seasons in a row for the Los Angeles Kings. Simmer was definitely at his best with L.A., but it wasn’t long before serious injury after serious injury would take their toll. Simmer’s peak would…
It took a while before Miroslav Satan found his groove in pro hockey, but once he did he emerged as the scoring star for the Buffalo Sabres in the late ’90s. Satan was good, but leading Buffalo in scoring still did not put him among the elite in the NHL…
It might surprise you to learn that Carol Vadnais is a six-time All-Star.
One of the more successful Finnish players in professional hockey history, Kimmo Timonen is one of the few players in the National Hockey League to accrue over 1,100 Games.  A Stay-at-home blueliner, Timonen represented Finland Internationally multiple times which resulted in four Olympic medals.  Timonen is also a Stanley Cup…
Before he played his first game for the Montreal Canadiens, Bobby Rousseau was a member of the Canadian Team that won the Silver Medal at the 1960 Olympics.  Rousseau was one of the main stars of that team and he would parlay that success to a very good career in…
Rene Robert is best known in hockey for his time with the Buffalo Sabres where he was a member of the famed “French Connection” Line with Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin.  Robert helped Buffalo reach the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals (they would lose to Philadelphia) and that was the season…
One of the members of the Chicago Blackhawks three Stanley Cup wins of the 2010’s (2010, 2013 & 2015) Patrick Sharp was one of the better defensive forwards of his era.  Sharp spent the majority of his professional career with Chicago and he was often a fringe contender for the…
A long time defensemen in the NHL, Roman Hamrlik has appeared on many power plays and punished a lot of attackers into the boards. The former first overall pick has not disappointed with a long and productive career and it isn’t over yet. The three time All Star though, likely…
Ron Greschner played 984 Games in the National Hockey League, all of which were the New York Rangers.  While the blueshirts were not always a star team when Greschner was there but the popular Ranger was more than capable of showcasing his exceptional skill against one in the league.  Greschner…
Derian Hatcher was not the type of Defenseman who was going to light the lamp on a regular basis but he was the type of blueliner who was going to keep you from doing it.
Dany Heatley is known for two things.  The first is the disaster that took place when he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers, where he was responsible for his teammate’s death from a car crash.  The second is what he accomplished on the ice where he was a former…
When you have a nickname of “Old Hardrock” you kind of get an idea of just what type of Defenseman that Gus Mortson was.  From Northern Ontario he was paired with another youngster in Jim Thomson and they would become the ”Gold Dust Twins”. 
From the famous Boucher hockey family (two of his brothers, Frank and George are in the Hockey Hall of Fame) Billy Boucher was a very good player in his own right and was Stanley Cup Champion in 1924 with the Montreal Canadiens.  Bucher debuted in Montreal in the 1921/22 season…
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.
Considering that Steve Thomas went undrafted, the fact that he made the NHL is an impressive feat. Throw in that he lasted 19 seasons and that feat is extraordinary. Steve Thomas became a solid goal scorer and a dependable player on both ends. He managed to get over 900 points…
Born in Liverpool, England, Alex Smith was raised in Ottawa and would become one of the best players ever to come out of that area.  Smith was a star with the original Ottawa Senators where he helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1927.  Twice as a Senator he would…