The Hockey Hall of Fame has announced the seven names who will comprise the Class of 2024

Colin Campbell, Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, David Polle, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, and Krissy Wendell-Pohl were chosen for the Toronto-based institution.

Colin Campbell had an 11-year career as a player, but he entered as a builder.  A Stanley Cup winner in 1994 as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers, Campbell took over as the NHL’s Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations in 1998.

Natalie Darwitz was a three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, leading the Golden Gophers to back-to-back National Championships.  Darwitz was on multiple U.S. National Teams, and won three World Championship Gold Medals.

Pavel Datsyuk, from Russia, played his entire NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings (2001-16) scoring 918 Points and helping his club win two Stanley Cups.  Datsyuk was one of the best defensive forwards of his day, winning three Frank J. Selke Awards and the Lady Byng Trophy four times.  He was also named to the NHL 100^th Anniversary Team.  Internationally, he won Gold at the 2018 Olympics and the 2012 World Hockey Championship.

David Poile took over as Washington’s General Manager in 1983 and held that role for 15 years before signing on with the expansion Nashville Predators.  He brought them to their first Stanley Cup Final in 2016, and when he retired last year, he had the most wins of any GM in NHL history. 

Jeremy Roenick finally enters the Hall after 12 years of eligibility.  Roenick scored 513 Goals and 1,216 Points over 20 seasons.  The American played for Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Jose and has Silver Medals in the 2002 Olympics and the 1991 Canada Cup.

Shea Weber was one of the best defencemen of the 2010s, having earned two First Team All-Stars and two Second Teams.  While Weber never won the Norris trophy, he finished in the top ten nine seasons in a row.  Weber also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015-16, which was also his last year in Nashville (he finished his career with Montreal).  Internationally, Weber won two Olympic Gold Medals (2010 & 2014), and also Gold in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.  

Krissy Wendell-Pohl scored 133 Points in two years at the University of Minnesota, where she won the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Award.  She would win Gold in the 2005 Worlds and also owns an Olympic Silver and Bronze Medal.

We at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Nashville Predators.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Nashville did not make the playoffs but they still, had several new entry and multiple elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a change:

1. Roman Josi

2. Shea Weber

3. Pekka Rinne

4. Filip Forsberg

5. David Legwand

You can find the entire list here.

Josi is still active, and the former Norris Trophy winner is putting more distance between himself and all others who played in Nashville.

Forsberg moved up one spot, overtaking Legwand for #4.

Defenseman, Matias Ekholm, who was traded to the Edmonton Oilers late last year did enough to move up one spot to claim the #9 spot.

Goalie, Jusse Saros, climbed two spots to #14.

Center, Ryan Johansen, who is now with the Colorado Avalanche, inched up one rank to #16.

Another Center, Matt Duchene, debuts on the list at #31.

A third Center, Colton Sissons, went from #35 to #33, and in keeping with Centers, Mikael Granlund, who is now a Pittsburgh Penguin made it to #45 from #48.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

If you had asked us in 2006, we would have said there is no need for another individual hockey award.  We were wrong.

In the 2006/07 Season, five players were honored monthly as selected by the NHL based on qualifications, with Mark Messier deciding the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award.  Those monthly winners were Brendan Shanahan (New York Rangers), Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks).  The year after, it was changed to being a yearly award.

There is no better player to name this after than Messier.  He is the only player to lead two NHL teams (Edmonton and New York) to a Stanley Cup as their captain.

The results are as follows:

There are currently five former Mark Messier Leadership winners who are Hockey Hall of Fame eligible, with four entering, yielding a percentage of 80.0. 

As this award has never been a repeat winner, the percentage by year remains the same.

The following are the past players who have won the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award and are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame, and have been enshrined.

2007:  Chris Chelios, Detroit Red Wings, Defense.  0 Goals, 11 Assists, 11 Points, +11, 3.3 Point Shares.

At age 45, Chelios had been a leader for decades, and despite his age, he was in the NHL for three more seasons.  The American Defenseman had won three Norris Trophies, was a five-time First Team All-Star, and won three Stanley Cups, one with Montreal and two with Detroit.  It is hard to debate that this award did not get off to a perfect start.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

2008:  Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs, Center.  32 Goals, 46 Assists, 78 Points, +17, 9.8 Point Shares.

This was Sundin’s penultimate year in the NHL and his last with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  A Maple Leaf since 1994, Sundin was a leader on the ice since day one and was Toronto's best player for over a decade.  He had previously been a Second Team All-Star twice.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

2009:  Jarome Iginla:  Calgary Flames, Right Wing.  35 Goals, 54 Assists, 89 Points, -2, 9.5 Point Shares.

Iginla was not just Calgary's leader but had been the Flames best player for years.  This was his third First Team All-Star season, and seven years before, he was the winner of both the Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson Awards.  Iginla would later play for Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado, and Los Angeles.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

2013:  Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators, Right Wing.  10 Goals, 16 Assists, 26 Points, +1.  2.7 Point Shares.   

Alfredsson was in his 17^th and final year as an Ottawa Senator, and while he couldn't lead them to a Stanley Cup, he was the leader on many good Senator teams.  He played one more year in Detroit and scored 1157 career Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

The following are the players who have won the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award who are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

2012:  Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes, Right Wing.  22 Goals, 28 Assists, 50 Points, -8, 5.0 Point Shares.    

Since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg to Phoenix, Shane Doan was the franchise's best and most important player when they were in Arizona.  Doan led the Coyotes to a Conference Final this year, and he was with Phoenix for his entire 21-year career.

Eligible since 2020.  Ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The following are the players who have won the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Hockey Hall of Fame:

2011:  Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins, Defense.  14 Goals, 30 Assists, 44 Points, +33, 10.0 Point Shares. 

A Second Team All-Star this year, Chara was the Norris Trophy winner two years previous, and he was a First Team All-Star and Second Team All-Star twice before.  Chara led by example, and the Bruins won the Stanley Cup this year, mainly on what the big man did.

Eligible in 2025.

2014:  Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings, Right Wing.  15 Goals, 12 Assists, 27 Points, +7, 3.1 Point Shares. 

Dustin Brown helped lead the Kings to a Stanley Cup in 2012 and did it again this season.  Brown was an All-Star in 2009.

Eligible in 2025.

2018:  Deryk Engelland, Vegas Golden Knights, Defense.  5 Goals, 18 Assists, 23 Points, +6, 4.5 Point Shares.

For the second year in a row, the Mark Messier Leadership Award winner also won the King Clancy.  Engelland was the first Golden Knight to win this trophy, but with all due respect to the former Defenseman, he is the least likely Mark Messier Award winner to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Eligible in 2023.

The following are the players who have won the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award and are still active.

2010:  Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, Center.  51 Goals, 58 Assists, 109 Points, +15, 14.7 Point Shares

At age 23, it will be difficult to envision another Mark Messier Leadership Award winner to be younger than Sidney Crosby.  Crosby is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion.  This season, Crosby was in his fifth NHL season and was a Second Team All-Star and a Rocket Richard winner.  He was already a Hart Trophy winner and would be again four years later.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2015:  Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, Center.  28 Goals, 38 Assists, 66 Points, +30, 9.4 Point Shares.

This season Toews led Chicago to their third (and his) Stanley Cup win of the decade.  The Center had previously been named a Second Team All-Star (2013), a Conn Smythe winner (2010), and a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner (2013).

35 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.

2016:  Shea Weber, Nashville Predators, Defense.  20 Goals, 31 Assists, 51 Points, -7, 9.5 Point Shares.

Weber had been the core player in Nashville for years by this time, and before this Mark Messier Award, he was twice a First Team All-Star, twice a Second Team All-Star, and had five top-four finishes for the Norris Trophy.

37 Years Old, Playing for the Vegas Golden Knights.

2017:  Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets, Left Wing.  26 Goals, 25 Assists, 51 Points, -4, 5.9 Point Shares.

Foligno also won the King Clancy Award this year, marking the first time a Blue Jacket won.  

35 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Bruins.

2019:  Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators, Right Wing.  17 Goals, 13 Assists, 30 Points, -16, 1.9 Point Shares.

This is the first and, to date, only Mark Messier Leadership winner who split his award-winning season between two years.  Simmonds was dealt from Philadelphia to Nashville for their playoff run, primarily due to his overall contributions as a Flyer, though do not discount what he did as a Predator.

34 Years Old, Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

2020:  Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames, Defense.  5 Goals, 26 Assists, 31 Points, +2, 5.4 Point Shares.

Giordano is a late bloomer, winning his first Norris Trophy at age 35 and setting personal statistical bests.   Giordano played most of his career with Calgary and was their leader for years.

39 Years Old, Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

2021:  Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins, Center.  23 Goals, 25 Assists, 48 Points, +27, 6.9 Point Shares.

Bergeron is one of the best two-way players of his generation (if not the best) and was already a four-time Selke winner (he won a fifth a year after).  He won a Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and captured the King Clancy award in 2013.

37 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Bruins.

2022:  Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, Center.  19 Goals, 48 Assists, 67 Points, -6, 5.7 Point Shares.

Kopitar already anchored Los Angeles to two Stanley Cups (2012 & 2014), and the Slovenian Center added to his already ample trophy case (he had two Selkes and a Lady Byng) with the acquisition of the 2022 Mark Messier Leadership Award.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Kings.

The Mark Messier Leadership Award is not exclusive to superstars, but the character requirement is off the chart.   

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Nashville Predators. 

The Predators made their debut in 1998, bringing hockey to the Volunteer State.

As a new team, the Predators have not yet won a Stanley Cup, but they did make it to the Finals in 2017 and have one of the more dedicated fan bases in American hockey.

Our Top 50 lists in hockey look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2020/2021 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Shea Weber

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Roman Josi

4. David Legwand

5. Kimmo Timonen

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.

While it was projected that Shea Weber was going to have a good career in the National Hockey League, the native of British Columbia turned out to be an absolute steal for the Nashville Predators, who landed him late in the Second Round.

A large and imposing Defenseman, Weber debuted for the Predators in 2005-06, appearing in 26 Games, but it did not accurately foreshadow what was to come.  Weber exploded with 40 Points in 2006-07, showing strong two-way play.  Using his size to lock down attackers, Weber became one of the most potent rushers, and his booming shot made him a terror on the power play.  Weber would net at least 40 Points as a Predator eight times, with all of those years netting 15 Goals or more.

Weber was the player who Nashville built their team around, and individually, he was a four-time post-season All-Star; two First Team and two Second Team.  He was not just their best player but emerged as the team leader and was recognized as such with the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2016.  It would be the last honor that Weber received in Nashville, as he was traded to Montreal for P.K. Subban.

With the Predators, Weber accumulated 443 Points in 763 Games, with a Plus/Minus of +48, a very impressive tally considering that Nashville was not a contender for much of his stay.