The problem with running a Hall of Fame-related website is that many of the big ones we cover all have announcements within months of each other.  The backbone of what we do is list-related, resulting in a long push to revise what we already have, specifically now with our Football Hockey and Basketball Lists.

At present, we have a minor update as we have completed the next ten of the 2024 Hockey List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 61 to 70:

61. Teppo Numminen
62. Brian Bellows
63. Sandis Ozolinsh
64. John Vanbiesbrouck
65. Wendel Clark
66. Shane Doan
67. Rick Vaive
68. Larry Aurie
69. Tim Kerr
70. Adam Graves

Rankings are impacted annually based on your comments and votes.

Thank you all for your patience. We will soon unveil more changes to the football and basketball lists.

 

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.   

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the Lester B. Peasrson, awarded annually to the top MVP as voted on by the players of the National Hockey League.  We stay on the ice with the newest award, the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which was first awarded in 2007-08.  Named after Hall of Famer, Mark Messier, it is designed to honor an individual who leads by positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to community activities and charitable causes.

So how many Mark Messier Leadership winners have made the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

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

Chris Chelios, Detroit Red Wings, Defense: 11 G, 11 A, 22 P, 3.3 PS  2007

At age 45, Chelios had literally 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.

Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs, Center: 32 G, 46 A, 78 P, 9.8 PS  2008

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.

Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames, Right Wing 35 G, 54 A, 89 P, 9.5 PS  2009

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 Award.  Iginla would later play for Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

 

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

Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes, Right Wing: 22 G, 28 A, 50 P, 5.0 PS 2012   

Since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg to Phoenix, Shane Doan was the best and most important player for the franchise 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 #56 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators, Right Wing: 10 G, 16 A, 26 P, 2.7 PS 2013   

Alfredsson was in his 17^thand 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.

Eligible since 2017.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?        

Award in Question	Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF	Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF.
NBA MVP	100%	100%
NHL Art Ross	100%	100%
NHL Hart Trophy	93.6%	96.3%
NBA Finals MVP	91.3%	94.9%
NHL Norris	90.5%	96.4%
NHL Ted Lindsay Award	90.0%
NBA All-Star Game MVP	89.5%	91.7%
NHL Conn Smythe	74.2%	85.4%
NFL Bert Bell Award	73.7%	71.4%
NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year	73.1%	79.4%
NFL AP MVP	68.3%	74.0%
NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year	66.7%	66.7%
NHL Lady Byng	63.8%	76.0%
NFL Defensive Player of the Year	60.8%	71.1%
NFL Super Bowl MVP	60.6%	64.9%
NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award	60.0%	60.0%
NBA Defensive Player of the Year	58.3%	56.5%
NHL Vezina	57.1%	66.3%
NBA Rookie of the Year	56.5%	56.5%
MLB MVP	55.0%	60.2%
NFL Pro Bowl MVP	52.3%	54.8%
MLB Lou Gehrig Award	51.9%	51.9%
MLB Roberto Clemente Award	47.4%	47.4%
NHL Calder Trophy	46.5%	46.5%
NBA J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award	46.0%	46.0%
MLB/NL/AL Cy Young Award	44.4%	55.4%
MLB Babe Ruth Award	37.0%	39.3%
NHL King Clancy Award	36.8%	36.8%
NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy	33.3%	36.7%
MLB World Series MVP	33.3%	36.8%
MLB Hutch Award	33.1%	33.1%
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year	28.6%	28.6%
NHL Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy	27.9%	27.9%
MLB Edgar Martinez Award	26.7%	17.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Designated Hitter)	25.0%	30.8%
MLB Comeback Player of the Year	25.0%	25.0%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop)	23.5%	52.6%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove	21.7%	36.8%
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year	20.6%	20.6%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)	20.0%	22.5%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)	18.8%	39.8%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)	18.2%	35.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)	18.2%	20.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)	16.7%	32.7%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Outfield)	16.7%	30.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)	15.7%	25.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)	14.3%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)	13.6%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)	13.6%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year	13.3%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)	10.3%	15.2%
NBA Most Improved Player of the Year	5.3%	3.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)	3.8%	3.2%
NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year	0.0%	0.0%

So, who is up next?

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

None.

The following are the players who have won the Ted Lindsay who are still active.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, Center: 51 G, 58 A, 109 P, 14.7 PS, 2010

At age 23, it will be difficult to envision another Mark Messier Leadership Award winner to be younger than Sidney Crosby.  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.  Crosby is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion.

33 Years Old,Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins, Defense: 14 G, 30 A, 44 P, 10.0 PS 2011

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, largely on what the big man did.

43 Years Old,Playing for the Boston Bruins.

Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings, Right Wing: 15 G, 12 A, 27 P, 3.1 PS 2014 

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

36 Years Old,Playing for the Los Angeles Kings.

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, Center: 28 G, 38 A, 66 P, 9.4 PS 2015 

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 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner (2013).

32 Years Old,Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Shea Weber, Nashville Predators, Defense: 20 G, 31 A, 51 P, 9.5 PS 2016

Weber had been the core player in Nashville for years by this time and prior to 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.

35 Years Old,Playing for the Montreal Canadiens.

Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets, Left Wing: 26 G, 25 A, 51 P, 5.9 PS, 2017

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

33 Years Old,Playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Deryk Engelland, Vegas Golden Knights, Defense: 5 G, 18 A, 23 P, 4.5 PS, 2018

For the second year in a row, the winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award also won the King Clancy.  Engelland was the first Golden Knight to win this trophy.

38 Years Old,Free Agent.

Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators, Right Wing: 17 G, 13 A, 30 P, 1.9 PS, 2019

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, and this was mostly due to his overall contributions as a Flyer.

32 Years Old,Playing for the Buffalo Sabres.

Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames, Defense: 5 G, 26 A, 31 P, 5.4 PS, 2020

Giordano is a late-bloomer of sorts, winning his first Norris Trophy at age 35 and setting personal statistical bests.  To date, Giordano has played his entire career with Calgary, and has been their leader for years.

37 Years Old,Playing for the Calgary Flames.

Leadership in team sports is important, and as we see, they are often from players who could be considered the best player on the team.

So, what is up next?

We have one NHL Award left, the William M. Jennings, which is awarded annually to the team of Goalies that have the fewest Goals Against.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.

As such, it is important to us that the Arizona Coyotes have announced that they will be retiring the number 19 of Shane Doan, which will make it the first time in team history where this has occurred. This will take place on February 24 during their home game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Drafted 7th overall by the original Winnipeg Jets, Doan played his first hockey game in 1995 and his final one in 2017 for the Arizona Coyotes. He would play all 1,540 of his games in the National Hockey League for the same franchise and is without question the greatest player the team ever had since they relocated to Arizona.

Doan would represent the Coyotes in two All Star Games and he scored 972 Points while holding virtually every scoring record for the organization.

While Doan’s number is the first to be retired the team has “honored numbers” from the team’s history, which include Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Teppo Numminen.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Shane Doan for earning this prestigious honor.

A very significant retirement took place in the world of hockey and it should get more attention than it has.

Perhaps we can rectify that.

Shane Doan retired today after a twenty-one year career spent entirely with the Arizona Coyotes organization.

The defensive minded forward was the seventh overall pick of the team in 1995 when they were still located in Winnipeg. He served as the team’s captain from 2003 until this past season and he is the team’s leader in Games Played, Goals, Assists and Points. He retires with 972 career Points and was the winner of the King Clancy Award in 2010. Doan also played in two All Star Games (2004 & 2009).

While Doan is an unlikely entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame, he should be a lock to be honored in some capacity in the near future by the Coyotes. Frankly, it is a crime if they don’t.

At present the Coyotes have retired six numbers (#7 Keith Tkachuk, #9 Bobby Hull, #10 Dale Hawerchuk, #25 Thomas Steen, #27 Teppo Numminen, #97 Jeremy Roenick). Please note that the Coyotes still own the original history of the Winnipeg Jets.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Shane Doan for the on-ice memories and we wish him the best in his post playing career.

A long time player for the Phoenix Coyotes, Shane Doan starred in the desert for what seemed like an eternity. He is a good scorer, but what he is mostly known for in Phoenix is his long term leadership for the franchise. Doan was never in the top ten in scoring, but he was selected anyway to multiple National teams for Canada and scored the game-winning goal against Finland to win the 2004 World Cup. Doan has long been considered a player you want in your dressing room, though this might not necessarily translate into a Hall of Fame career though does make him the best Arizona Coyote ever.