With a devastating wrist shot and smooth skating skills, Sergei Gonchar has quietly put together a very good career in professional hockey. Gonchar is a four-time All-Star and has had eight seasons with 50 points or more, which is very impressive for a defenseman. With over twenty campaigns in the National Hockey League, Gonchar had a great career, but without that elusive Norris Trophy, the Russian may not be considered for the Hall despite being a two-time Second Team All-Star. Perhaps his four All-Star Appearances and international play with Russia will assist his chances.

From Banff, Alberta, Ryan Smyth would play for his home province, the Edmonton Oilers, for the first eleven and a half seasons of his career.  Smyth would become one of the Oilers’ top scorers, known for his determination and scoring ability.  Smyth would have three 30 Goal seasons for the Oilers, and he was regarded by many as the team leader, taking Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Finals, though they would go down to defeat in seven games against the Carolina Hurricanes.  Smyth would be traded the following season to the New York Islanders, and afterward he would sign with the Colorado Avalanche as a Free Agent.  Smyth would return to Edmonton, where he would finish his career.

A long-time defenseman in the NHL, Roman Hamrlik has appeared on many power plays and sent numerous attackers into the boards. The former first overall pick has not disappointed with a long and productive career, scoring 638 Points. The three-time All-Star, though, likely does not have the stat accumulation for the Hall of Fame, but throughout his career, he was always one of the better blue-liners in hockey.

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 asset on the NHL roster. The problem was that at no point in his career was he good enough for a Canadian Olympic or World Cup roster. Whitney was a good player, but if he was not good enough throughout his career to represent Canada at the world’s biggest tournament, how can he be a legitimate Hall of Famer?  Anyone with over 1,000 NHL career points might be discussed.