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.
Jason Spezza was the second overall pick in the 2001 Draft, chosen by the Ottawa Senators and selected behind Ilya Kovalchuk. Breaking out in 2005-06 with a 90 Point Season, Spezza followed that with 87 and 92 Point years, respectively, and was a top player on a contending team, though Ottawa…
It is funny how Ron Hextall may be known more for the one goal (though he did do it again in a playoff game), he scored as opposed to the many he prevented. Hextall was a fearless player who had no qualms leaving the net, showcasing his skating acumen. In…
As the second selection in the 1982 NHL draft, Brian Bellows struggled with the initial comparison to Wayne Gretzky. Once he shook off the yoke of living off the disappointment, Bellows settled into a solid career, becoming one of the key players for the Minnesota North Stars. Bellows became the…
If the rabid fan base in Toronto had anything to say about it, the hard-hitting Wendel Clark would have skated into the Hockey Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Clark was the bright spot on dismal Leaf teams, and his gritty take-no-prisoners style of play made him one of…
Although it can be argued that almost all hockey players take a pounding from the game, few may have put themselves in harm's way more than Tim Kerr. Dubbed “the Sultan of Slot”, Kerr would park himself in front of the net and do whatever it took to get the…
A part of the Edmonton Oilers “Kid Line” (With Joe Murphy and Martin Gelinas), Adam Graves was part of the successful tonic that gave the Oilers their last Stanley Cup in 1990. It was, however, when Graves signed with the Rangers that he was removed from the checking line and…
Regardless of the era, scoring 50 goals in three consecutive seasons is a remarkable achievement. Even though it was the wide-open early 1980s that saw Rick Vaive accomplish that feat, remember he did so for a brutal Harold Ballard organization that was at its worst during the Toronto Maple Leafs'…
Typically, if you are considered the best hockey player in your family, it isn’t much of an accolade. This was not the case for Brent Sutter, who may have been the most talented of what could be the most storied set of siblings in professional hockey. The Sutters were known…
In the world of the National Hockey League, you wouldn’t normally think that any player who amassed over 3,000 career penalty minutes could potentially have over 1,000 points, but the notorious Dale Hunter is currently the only player to have accomplished this feat. Hunter may not have led the league…
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…
Known for his strong defensive skills as a hockey player, Don Marshall did not naturally possess those skills. Upon joining the loaded Montreal Canadians, he was asked to focus on the defensive and checking attributes. It worked, and as Marshall would venture across various teams, he was able to use…
One of the slickest playmakers ever to come out of the United States, Doug Weight reached the magical 1,000 career point mark predominantly with assists. Weight was a consistent offensive threat throughout his career and once reached a 100-point season with the Oilers. He achieved the ultimate in team sports,…
910 career points are nothing to sneeze at, but it is not the first thing that people think about with Gary Roberts. He was the type of player that every General Manager wanted to have, and every player wished to have as a teammate. He made everyone on his team…
Considering that the highest season points output for Ray Whitney is 83, it is incredible that he became the 79th player in NHL history to hit the 1,000 mark in a career. This shows that he is very durable, underrated as many have claimed, and as many have stated, an…
He may not be on this list for his career statistics, which, although good (465 career points over 17 years), do not indicate a Hall of Famer. However, Eddie Shack was one of the true characters of the game and, at times, the most popular. Shack could always be counted on…
A solid goal scorer during his stint with Montreal, Stephane Richer gave Montreal fans a blast from the past and hope for a future with a French Canadian offensive star playing for Les Habitants. Richer was the first Montreal player since Guy Lafleur to score 50 goals a season. Richer…
One of the most interesting Hall of Fame cases belongs to Adam Foote, a player who was never an All-Star in his professional career and never finished higher than tenth in Norris Trophy voting. Despite this, there is no doubt that Foote carried significant value for every team he played…
From Savonlinna, Finland, Tuukka Rask was drafted in the First Round (21st Overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he never played there as he was traded to Boston for fellow Goalie Andrew Raycroft. It was a deal that historically would favor the Bruins, the team in which Rask played his entire…
The last survivor of the Original Six, Wayne Cashman, made the most of what he had. Cashman was not considered a gifted skill player, but he was an adept grinder and the last guy you wanted to fight for a puck in the corners. He was also known as one…
Mats Naslund was a star with the Montreal Canadiens throughout the 1980s, and while Patrick Roy received the bulk of the Habs' offensive credit for the shocking Stanley Cup win in 1986, it was Naslund who was the offensive star of the team. The Swedish star was a Second Team…
