10. Rogie Vachon
A two-time Stanley Cup Champion with Montreal, Rogie Vachon was traded to the Los Angeles Kings one Game into the 1971-72 Season, and it was a King where Vachon cemented his Hall of Fame resume.
Vachon's first year in L.A. was not very good, but he was easily the best player that the Kings had his next four years. In 1974-75 and 1976-77, Vachon was a Second Team All-Star and a Finalist for the Hart in both years. Had it not been for the greatness of Ken Dryden, he would have been a First Team All-Star at least twice. On the strength of Vachon, the Kings made the playoffs five times, and while they were not serious contenders, the fact that they made the post-season at all was because of Rogie.
The Los Angeles days of Vachon ended when he signed with the Red Wings in 1978, and Vachon gave them 171 Wins against 148 Losses and 66 Ties. In 1985, The Kings made him the first player in franchise history to have his number retired when number 30 was taken out of circulation.
Vachon was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.
A look at the new Hockey HOF Inductees
We thought it would be fun to take another look at the achievements of this year’s class.
The undisputed headliner this year is Eric Lindros who made it in to Hall in his seventh year of eligibility. This felt like it would it be his year, as in previous years, there had always been elite players with longer careers than Lindros, as shown by the fact last year was the first time he was ranked #1 by us at Notinhalloffame.com.
While concussions shortened his career considerably, this is still a man with a substantial resume of accomplishments. In 760 Games, he would tabulate 865 Points, well over a Point per Game. He would win the coveted Hart Trophy in the 1994-95 Season, and also won the Lester B. Pearson Award, the honor given to the Most Valuable Player as viewed by the NHL players. His accolades also include a First Team All Star, A Second Team All Star and six trips to the All Star Game.
Lindros may not have won the Stanley Cup but did very well internationally, helping Canada win the Gold Medal at the 1990 and 1991 World Junior Championships. As a Senior, he would win the Silver Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games and Gold at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake.
Eric Lindros may be the headliner, but for us, Sergei Makarov is the sentimental favorite.
Makarov has been ranked in our top six (last year at #3) since we first began our site in 2009. Considered the best of the Red Army in the 1980’s, Makarov would help the Soviet Union win eight Gold Medals at the World Championships and two Gold Medals. He would finally enter the NHL in the 1989-90 season where he won the Calder Trophy and overall had 384 Points in 424 Games. As the Hockey Hall of Fame openly includes international accomplishments, the induction of Sergei Makarov is long overdue. It took seventeen years for him to get in.
The third player to get in this year, and perhaps a bit of a surprise (even to the former player) is that of former Goalie, Rogie Vachon. Vachon, who in the last Notinhalloffame.com ranking was #21 (though the second highest rated Goaltender) was a three time Stanley Cup Champion with the Montreal Canadians, and would win the Vezina Trophy with them in 1968. Many remember Vachon best however during his time with the Los Angeles Kings where he would receive two Second Team All Star selections and two top three Hart Trophy finishes. Arguably, he made Los Angeles a far better team than they had any right to be at the time. This was Vachon’s thirty-first year of eligibility.
The fourth and final inductee is former Head Coach, Pat Quinn, who will be inducted posthumously. As a Head Coach in the NHL, Quinn would have a record of 684-528-145 combined with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton. Quinn was a two time Jack Adams Trophy winner as the NHL Coach of the Year and while he did not win a Stanley Cup, he would take Team Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal in 2002 and the World Cup in 2004.
Once again we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this years inductees and we look forward to seeing whom they will induct next year!
Eric Lindros headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame Class
Today the Hockey Hall of Fame announced the 2016 Hockey Hall of Fame Class and without any clear cut nominees it opened up the chance for other entries to enter the hallowed halls of Toronto. This is exactly what happened today.
Eric Lindros, the former NHL Hart Trophy winner will headline this year’ class. Lindros was forced to retire early due to concussions but was still able to be a Point per Game player with 865 career Points. Lindros was a seven time NHL All Star and was ranked #1 on our Notinhalloffame.com Hockey List.
Lindros will be joined by Sergei Makarov, the former star of the Soviet Red Army of the 1980’s. Makarov would take the Soviet Union to eight World Hockey Championships and two Olympic Gold Medals. He would later join the NHL and played 400 Games. Makarov is ranked #3 on or Notinhalloffame.com list.
Goalie, Rogie Vachon also made the cut. Vachon won the Stanley Cup three times with the Montreal Canadians and was a three time All Star. Vachon was ranked #21 on our Notinhalloffame.com list.
These three players will be joined by the late coach, Pat Quinn, who also was a one time chair of the Hall of Fame.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this year’s class and assure you that in three weeks we will have the new list up.
Rogie Vachon
In all likelihood the best goaltender of the 1970’s not yet in the Hall of Fame would have to be Rogie Vachon. The Quebec born net minder was a part of three (two of which he was the starting goalie) Stanley Cups for the fabled Montreal Canadians. Vachon’s star would actually rise in the mid 70’s, when he put up huge years for the Los Angeles Kings and took that team to places that they had no real business going to at the time. In that same time frame, Vachon backstopped Canada to victory in the 1976 Canada Cup and was easily the best player of the tourney. Rogie has been eligible for twenty five years now and with a crop of good eligible goalies around him, he may very well be forgotten by the Hall.