Hockey
Established in 1943, and currently based in Toronto, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a quite simply a tribute to those who achieved excellence in hockey. Criticized by some for their failure to recognize international stars, the WHA, women and the high amount of players inducted from the Original Six era, the Hockey Hall of Fame is still one of the most impressive facilities despite its lack of size. The rich history of hockey is certainly well represented there. For our list, we have focused on players as opposed to the builders and journalists categories; although we have included some people whom we felt could not be ignored. Current enshrinement for players is based on receiving fourteen votes out of an eighteen member committee. In terms of NHL players, it is based on being out of the league for three years. We have selected one hundred figures of hockey (though honestly only a handful really has a reasonable shot) and again we encourage debate as to who you feel deserves enshrinement in Toronto.
Until Then, keep your stick on the ice.
Sincerely,
The Not in Hall of Committee.
Lorne Carr had a very good career where he averaged .74 Points per Game over a 13-year career in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Carr could best be described as an above average player but he would see his numbers increase during World War II where many of the top talent…
Jim Pappin would win two Stanley Cups (1964 & 1967) with the Toronto Maple Leafs and he really broke out in the 1967 playoffs where he led all skaters in Goals (7) and Points (15) and netted the winning goal in Game 6. A trade to the Chicago Blackhawks would…
Vic Hadfield had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde career in the National Hockey League. In his early years, Hadfield was an enforcer who in the 1963-64 season finished first Penalties in Minutes. While he performed that role admirably he would be placed on a line later in the…
Though the focus on the 1970’s Buffalo Sabres lied with the French Connection line, Danny Gare showcased a few seasons that matched what any sniper was doing at the time. Gare enjoyed a pair of 50 goal seasons and was even the co-goal scoring champion in the 1979-1980 campaign. The…
A three time NHL All Star and one time Canada Cup player for the United States, Reed Larson had eight seasons where he had at least 60 Points. Larson was never an All Star though the Calder Trophy runner-up had more than an good career in the National Hockey League.…
When you think of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970’s you automatically come up with the images of the bruising “Broad Street Bullies”, the pounding and bruising team that won and fought a lot. That is all fine and good (and it was pretty good) but you still needed hockey…
While Kelly Hrudey was never an All Star, the flashy goaltender was actually better than people remember. Hrudey was never fortunate to play for teams that stressed defensive skill and as such he was in the top five in Shots Against four times including facing the most in the 1988-89…
A very good defenseman from Slovakia, Lubomir Visnovsky has showcased offensive flash, though not many people outside of his markets appeared to be aware. Visnovsky finished 5 points shy of 500, still a good number for a defenseman but that number and only one All-Star appearance isn’t likely to get…
A lot of the success of the Buffalo Sabres can be claimed by their netminder, Don Edwards. Edwards was twice named a Second Team All Star (1978 & 1980), the second of which was a Vezina Trophy winning campaign (along with Bob Sauve).
Sometimes people forget just how good Bill Guerin was. Winning the Stanley Cup twice over his 18-year career, Guerin became the first player in NHL history to score over 20 goals in a season for seven different teams. That shows us two things, one, he was quite the scorer and…
While Dennis Hull is thought of my some as Bobby’s brother or Brett’s uncle, we choose to remember that of a pretty good two-way hockey player who represented the Chicago Blackhawks five times in the All-Star Game. Hull was a Second Team All-Star in 1973, a year after he represented…
Right when Todd Bertuzzi was hitting his stride in the National Hockey League, he derailed his career. His attack on Steve Moore from behind (which ended his career) caused Bertuzzi to be suspended for over a year. When he returned, he was not nearly the productive player he was, as…
While there are many that can’t envision the idea of a Scandinavian power forward, that was an excellent way to describe what Sweden’s Tomas Sandstrom was.
In terms of the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jean Pronovost would make franchise history as the first player to score 100 Points and 50 Goals in a season.
Born in Berlin (Ontario, Canada that is) Ehrhardt “Ott” Heller played all of his Games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers. Heller provided a solid defensive presence for many years helping the team from Broadway win the Stanley Cup in 1933 & 1940. Heller was a…
From Finland, Olli Jokinen had a long and healthy career in the National Hockey League where he played over 1,200 Games in the most important professional league in Hockey. The Finnish star would have three straight seasons with the Florida Panthers where he scored 70 or more Points and he…
Kenny Wharram played his entire career with the Chicago Blackhawks where he would help the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961. Wharram would have four 65 Point seasons and two of which would see him nab a First Team All-Star nod. His best season took place in 1963-64 where…
The Calder Trophy winner in 1954, Camille Henry would stumble afterwards and toiled in the AHL before coming back with a vengeance earning Second Team All Star honors along with the Lady Byng in 1958 where he accrued no penalty minutes. In fact, the Centre had less than 100 Penalty…
Along with Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg would become one of the first European stars in the North America when the pair joined the Winnipeg Jets who were then with the World Hockey Association. Hedberg would be named the Lou Kaplan Trophy winner as the WHA’s version of the rookie of…
Honestly, it is difficult to make a Hall of Fame case for Brian Rolston for the Hall of Fame, but we do tip our caps off to one of the most versatile players in hockey history. Rolston was comfortable at any forward position, and often quarterbacked the power play; a…