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.
While Glenn “Chico” Resch was only part of the first New York Islanders Stanley Cup in their dynasty (albeit in a backup role to Billy Smith) his role in building up that team cannot be discounted.
Gaye Stewart had one of the most unique first three seasons imaginable in the National Hockey League. Listen to this start:
Claude Lemieux was known for being a playoff superstar, which he was! He is currently fourth all-time in Playoff Games and he scored 158 Points in those post-season contests. Lemieux is one of only ten players to have captured the Stanley Cup with three different teams (Montreal, New Jersey and…
A Defenceman with significant offensive skill, Dave Babych had five consecutive seasons where he accumulated 55 Points or more. Babych was with the Winnipeg Jets for the first of those four seasons and the fifth would see him traded mid-way through to the Hartford Whalers. That year he finished sixth…
Likely because he played the bulk (and peak) of his career with the Washington Capitals, a lot of hockey fans were not watching Kevin Hatcher. The durable defenseman was able to score a lot of points and netted 34 goals in the 1992-93 campaign. On four occasions, Hatcher was able…
Before we continue, can we state how much we love the hockey name of “Moose Vasko”? It is awesome right? Let’s continue…
A top player for the Hartford Whalers, Kevin Dineen twice scored 40 goals and was clearly one of the better players in the NHL during the late ’80s. Dineen also had a good run with the Flyers through the following decade. He was clearly a good player who had very…
This is an interesting one for sure. During World War II, there was certainly a level towards what could be considered elite in professional hockey but in the 1943-44 season Herb Cain shocked the statisticians, as he would become an NHL league leader in Points with 82 Points.
A large and imposing blueliner, Jerry “King Kong” Korab was a large cog in the Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup appearance in 1975. Korab owned a booming shot, which helped him display solid offensive skills. With Buffalo, Korab would score 40 or more Points five times and a row and had…
Jere Lehtinen was easily one of the unsung heroes of the Dallas Stars run to the Stanley Cup but considering he played all 14 of his seasons in Texas, the team clearly knew what they had.
Vic Hadfield had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde career in the National Hockey League. In his early years, Hadfield was an enforcer who in the 1963-64 season finished first Penalties in Minutes. While he performed that role admirably he would be placed on a line later in the…
Seeing limited action with the San Jose Sharks, Miikka Kiprusoff was traded to the Calgary Flames where he would be a sensation for the team leading the NHL in Save Percentage in Goals Against Average finishing second in the Vezina in the 2003/04. The NHL Lockout prevented him from repeating…
Though the focus on the 1970’s Buffalo Sabres lied with the French Connection line, Danny Gare showcased a few seasons that matched what any sniper was doing at the time. Gare enjoyed a pair of 50 goal seasons and was even the co-goal scoring champion in the 1979-1980 campaign. The…
In terms of interesting stories on this hockey list there are few that can match Wilf Cude. The native of Wales holds the distinction of being the main Goaltender for the Philadelphia Quakers’ lone season in 1930/31 and was the “Spare” Goalie after. That did not last long as he…
A three time NHL All Star and one time Canada Cup player for the United States, Reed Larson had eight seasons where he had at least 60 Points. Larson was never an All Star though the Calder Trophy runner-up had more than an good career in the National Hockey League.…
Sometimes people forget just how good Bill Guerin was. Winning the Stanley Cup twice over his 18-year career, Guerin became the first player in NHL history to score over 20 goals in a season for seven different teams. That shows us two things, one, he was quite the scorer and…
Lorne Carr had a very good career where he averaged .74 Points per Game over a 13-year career in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Carr could best be described as an above average player but he would see his numbers increase during World War II where many of the top talent…
A member of the Boston Bruins for his entire 13-year career in the NHL, Jack Crawford was known for his hardnosed play and hence why the Bruins never seriously considered dealing him. Early in his playing days he would help the Bruins win Stanley Cups in both 1939 and 1941…
One of the last players to be manufactured from the U.S.S.R., Vyacheslav Kozlov played for the Soviet Union as a Junior and was a two-time Silver Medalist in the World Junior Hockey Championship. Entering the NHL two months before his 20th birthday, Kozlov would provide a solid scoring touch for…
While Kelly Hrudey was never an All Star, the flashy goaltender was actually better than people remember. Hrudey was never fortunate to play for teams that stressed defensive skill and as such he was in the top five in Shots Against four times including facing the most in the 1988-89…