Tommy Gorman’s family purchased the Ottawa Senators, and gradually Tommy worked his way up the ranks to the point where he ran the franchise. Gorman was part of the group that formed the National Hockey League in 1917 and he would become the manager and part owner of the Senators that won three Stanley Cups. After selling his interest in Ottawa, he would become the coach in Chicago and took them to a Stanley Cup. He had a dispute with the Blackhawks owner, left to join the Montreal Maroons and coached them the following year to the final Cup in that franchise’s history. Again proving he was a certified winner, he joined the cross town Montreal Canadians and became the General Manager of a team that won two more cups! Tommy Gorman became (and remains) the only General Manager to win a championship four times in the big four North American sports.

A somewhat puzzling induction, Tom Hooper’s induction is largely based on his performance in the Kenora Thistles Stanley Cup win in 1907 where he scored three goals in the second game. Hooper would win another Cup, but was largely ineffective in that win for his Montreal Wanderers. Hooper had a good career, but his is one of the pre-NHL inductions that we will openly question.

Wilfred “Shorty” Green actually wasn’t that short (he was 5 ft 10) but his slender frame made him appear so. Green was an amateur star and joined the pro ranks relatively late, but he was an instant leader on his team and a fan favorite for his hard hitting style despite his small frame. Green’s offensive production though is not one that resembles a Hall of Fame career, but it was he who led the first ever strike in the NHL feeling that his team (Hamilton) was underpaid and demanded that each player receive a 200 dollar bonus when he learned the franchise was not as hard up as claimed. The strike did not yield a bonus and the team was sold to New York and became the Americans. Green’s induction is largely based on being an early advocate for player’s rights.

Thought to be one of the fastest skaters in his day, Samuel “Rusty” Crawford was a very good goal scorer who had his best run in a five year stint with the Quebec Bulldogs in the old National Hockey Association. Crawford out in over sixty goals in that period and won a Cup. Later, he finally joined the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Toronto Arenas. Crawford would not stay in the National Hockey League, but would continue to play semi-pro until the age of 45.