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.
Known for his leadership, two-way hockey, and his wife, Carrie Underwood, Mike Fisher spent a lot of time with the Ottawa Senators, who would later captain the Nashville Predators. Fisher was regarded as a very good defensive forward, and he was three times in the top ten in Frank J.…
Wayne Simmonds contributed significantly to the legacy of black hockey players, and for a while, he was one of the top scoring threats for the Philadelphia Flyers. Simmonds started his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings after being drafted in the Second Round in 2007. Only a year later,…
Rob Ramage was the first overall draft pick in the NHL in 1979, though by that time he had already played professionally for the WHA’s Birmingham Bulls, where he had already established himself as an offensively potent blueliner. Ramage had a 62 Point season in his second year in Colorado,…
Generally, we think hockey fans can name every Hart Trophy winner, as almost all of them have made the Hockey Hall of Fame, but we are expecting that most of you have totally forgotten about Tom Anderson.
From the Czech Republic, Tomas Vokoun had a fantastic career in the NHL, most notably with the Nashville Predators, where he had three straight seasons where he finished in the top ten in Vezina Trophy voting with a 10th, 8th, and 4th place finish in the 2003/04, 04/05, and 06/07 respectively. …
The possessor of one of the coolest Scandinavian names in sports history, Ulf Samuelsson played 1,080 Games in the National Hockey League and was known for his hard hits and defensive play. Samuelsson may never have been an All-Star, but he was one of the better blueliners in his day,…
Mattias Ohlund spent the majority of his career with the Vancouver Canucks where he provided solid defensive play, which he combined with six 30 Point Seasons. An All-Star in 1999, the Defenseman had a respectable 343 career Points, and he represented Sweden four times in the Olympics, where he helped…
A member of the famed United States “Miracle on Ice” team, Mike Ramsey, continued his run as a defensive anchor in an over 1,000-game career in the National Hockey League. Ramsey played most of his career with the Buffalo Sabers, where his well-above-average defensive skill was complemented by five seasons…
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…
A four-time All-Star, Tomas Kaberle is the second all-time leading scorer among Toronto Maple Leaf Defensemen, which is no small feat considering we are talking about an Original Six Team.
Murray Oliver was a sweet playmaker who many regarded as the master of the “fake pass”. Oliver was used equally on the power play and penalty kill, and has an above-average hockey IQ. The Centre would be named to five All-Star Teams (four with Boston and one with Toronto) and…
Barry Pederson was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 1982 when he had a 92-Point Season for the Boston Bruins. In the next two years, he had 107 and 116 Points, respectively, both of which earned him a trip to the All-Star Game. He was fifth and sixth in…
Daniel Briere was another of those undersized, skilled forwards who had to rely on the non-physical aspects of hockey. Luckily, he was pretty good at it!
Before we begin, here are two interesting (at least we think so) trivia facts about Ivan Boldirev: The first is that he is the all-time leading scorer who was born in Yugoslavia. Now, considering that the other three players with that distinction have a combined seven, and that Yugoslavia is…
Mike Ridley had a pretty good career for someone who went undrafted.
Early in his career, it could be argued that Ab McDonald was in the right place at the right time. McDonald’s first two games in the NHL were in the 1958 Playoffs, where, with the Montreal Canadiens, he would win a Stanley Cup. McDonald would see his name etched into…
A bit of a late bloomer in terms of his offensive production, Glen Murray began his career quietly with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, but a trade to the Los Angeles Kings would see him gain two 60 Point seasons in the late 90s. He would be traded back…
Petr Svoboda quietly carved out a long and fruitful career in the NHL, where he played 1,028 Games. Svoboda didn’t actually enter the National Hockey League in the quietest of ways, as he was a Czechoslovakian defector, but it proved advantageous quickly as he was a member of the Stanley…
Already a Stanley Cup Champion (with Chicago) when Dustin Byfuglien was traded to the Thrashers in what would be their last year in Atlanta, he was moved back to his natural blueline position and essentially became a more valuable hockey player. In that lone year in Atlanta, Byfuglien scored 53 Points and…
Jimmy Thomson was the flashier of the “Gold Dust Twins,” but along with his partner Gus Mortson, he provided the defensive backbone for the Toronto Maple Leafs for many years. Like Mortson, Thomson was a very rugged player, but he was a better passer than his defensive partner, and he…
