Committee Chairman

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Night

Nov 18, 2014

It’s here! This weekend the Hockey Hall of Fame honors the cream of the crop with the induction of the Class of 2014, and with this year’s group, we have a true international flavor, mimicking the great powers of the winter’s greatest game.

Starting in the Czech Republic, we have the man who we feel is the headliner of this year’s class in Dominik Hasek. In the NHL, Hasek won two Hart Trophies, made six First Team All Star Teams, and won six Vezina Trophies while making the Buffalo Sabres a relevant team. He took Buffalo to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999, when the team from Western New York was eliminated by a controversial goal by Brett Hull who had his skate in the crease. Hasek would be traded to Detroit and though he was no longer the top Goalie statistically in the NHL, he was now with a loaded Red Wings team and helped them win two Stanley Cups.

Those accomplishments are incredible, but whenever anybody asks Dominik Hasek was his greatest accomplishment on the ice was, he always answers backstopping the Czech Republic to the Gold Medal in the 1998 Olympics. At that point, it was the greatest sporting achievement for the young country, and Hasek, who had a 0.98 Goals Against Average, with the Czechs was an instant legend in Prague.

The continent of Europe is represented a second time via Sweden. Like Hasek, Peter Forsberg enters on the first ballot, and he was widely regarded for his physical and intelligent style of play. In the NHL, Forsberg had 855 Points which may not seem like a lot in comparison to the career leaders, but when you look at the fact that he did this over 708 Games making him 8th all time in Points per Game, his stats are presented in a far better light.

Forsberg would stock up his trophy case, winning the Calder Trophy win the Quebec Nordiques (in the final year there), earned three First Team NHL All Star selections, and the Art Ross and Hart Trophy in the 2002-03 seasons, and with Colorado, would be a vital part of two Stanley Cup Championships in 1996 and 2001. Internationally, he kept his higher than a Point per Game average with his native Sweden and he earned two Olympic Gold Medals and two World Championship Golds.

From the United States, former Dallas Star, Mike Modano enters the Hockey Hall of Fame. Modano is also entering on the first year of eligibility, and he played all but his final season of professional hockey with the Stars. His career saw him reach 1,374 Points, participate in seven All Star Games and lead Dallas to the Stanley Cup in 1999. Modano retired as the man with the most Points and Goals scored by an American.

Unlike Hasek and Forsberg, Modano does not own an Olympic Gold Medal, but in 1996, he was a major part of the United States win in the World Cup of Hockey, a tournament as star studded as any Olympic tournament.

The fourth and final player elected this year is Canadian Rob Blake who was a member of the Gold Medal winning team in 2002. Blake played professionally with the Los Angeles Kings, the Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks and would win the Cup with the Avalanche in 2001. Blake would win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top Defenceman in 1998 and was a three time First Team NHL All Star. He would have 777 career points in the NHL.

Former Head Coach, Pat Burns is posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. Burns, who passed away due to cancer in 2010, was part of a large online campaign to get him inducted before he died. Burns would win the Stanley Cup in 2003 with New Jersey and had a Coaching record of 501-353-151.

Former Referee Bill McCreary rounds out the 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame Class.

The Hockey Hall of Fame will be broadcast on TSN2 tonight. Congratulations again to this year’s class!

Ronaldo and Ferenc Puskas to the Goal HOF

Nov 14, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

The final two inductees from the online vote for Goal.com Hall of Fame have been announced and two more legends will be joining Diego Maradonna, Zinedine Zidane and Pele to this new Hall.

The fourth man announced on Thursday was Hungarian superstar, the late Ferenc Puskas. Puskas scored 84 Goals in 85 Games internationally for Hungary and took his team to the World Cup Finals in 1954. The Hungarians did not win, but the Puskas was named the MVP for the tournament. On the club level, Puskas starred for Budapest Honved and for Real Madrid, helping them with European Cup three times.

The final selection was two time World Cup Champion and three time FIFA Player of the Year, Ronaldo. Regarded as one of the most complete forwards of all time, Ronaldo was as talented as he was popular.

We would like to congratulate Goal.com, for what could easily become the gold standard for soccer related Halls of Fame.

The Pro Football HOF intends to expand

Nov 13, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Those of you who are have followed us here at Notinhalloffame.com know about our admiration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When people travel to Canton, Ohio, chances are it is this Hall that they are going to see. Recognizing this, the Pro Football Hall has announced that its board of trustees has approved a major expansion project that should it come to fruition would make Canton the “Disneyworld of Football”.

The crux of the plan would be the creation of a “Hall of Fame Village” complete with restaurants, retail shops and a residential portion for former athletes. A conference center is also planned, as is a Center for Performance and Safety

A four to five star hotel will also be added, with them noting that when the Hall of Fame Game is played, the participants stay in Cleveland as opposed to Canton.

Apparently, this generated from the need to refurbish Fawcett Stadium, where the 22,000 seat facility hosts the Hall of Fame game and other High School games in the area. As opposed to rebuilding, the plan moved to regenerating and creating a full Hall of Fame experience and village.

Finances still have to be raised to see all of this through, but based on the growth of American Football in the last quarter-century, and even with the recent issues the sport has had, would you bet against this? Neither would we.

Diego Maradona to the Goal HOF

Nov 13, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

This week Goal.com announce that from an online vote, that the greatest player in the history of France, Zinedine Zidane and the best player ever from Brazil (and arguably the world) Pele, has been selected to be a part of their first Hall of Fame class. It should therefore be no shock that the most famous (and infamous player) from Soccer mad Argentina, has also been chosen.

Diego Maradona was raised in a Buenos Aries ghetto and like virtually all South American youngsters he gravitated toward soccer. Maradona would make his Senior cub debut with Argentinos Juniors, a few days before his 16th birthday. Scoring over 100 Goals over his five seasons there, Maradona would be transferred to Boca Juniors, his favorite club team and one of the elite programs in the Argentine League. He was only there for a season and a half, but it was with Boca that he secured his first league championship.

After the 1982 World Cup in which Diego starred for Argentina, he would be transferred to FC Barcelona in the Spain, where his winning ways continued. He would lead them to wins in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, though Europe was seeing what a hot head Maradona would be and the superstar ran afoul of FC Barcelona management.

Maradona would be transferred to Napoli in the Italian league where he would be viewed as the club’s savior, which essentially is what he would become. Not considered to a top player in Italy, Napoli would ascend to the top of the table and in 1987 would win their first ever Serie A title. They would win again in 1990, and in Naples, Diego Maradona was a God, which considering the year before he was involved with “The Hand of God” was a great label for him.

In 1986, Diego Maradona took Argentina to the World Cup and led the to victory. Maradona was the dominant force in the tournament, scoring five goals and assisting on five more. The most famous goal was the one he netted against England (whom the Argentines were at war with over the Falkland Islands) which replay clearly showed it was deflected off of his hand, hence the “Hand of God” goal. Four minutes later, he would put in another, in a brilliant play that was one of the most beautiful looking scores in the world stage.

On the pitch, there was brilliance on it, but turmoil off of it. Maradona developed a serious cocaine habit and was suspended for fifteen months. He was involved in a scandal over an illegitimate son, and for a few years was considered a disgrace.

Still as time healed his perception, and today Maradona is remembered for what he accomplished as opposed to what he threw away late in his career. We congratulate Diego Maradona for this latest accomplishment.