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.
Real Cloutier was an absolute phenom in Quebec and rather than wait for the age restricted National Hockey League he would went directly from the Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL to the Quebec Nordiques of the WHA where he could play professionally as an 18 year old.
If you ask the fans of the Ottawa Senators, you already know the answer to this question. Alexei Yashin may have spurned the fans of Canada’s capital, but even they would agree that the Russian was a talented skill player. Now playing in Russia, Yashin had over 750 points in…
Glen Harmon played all nine of his NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens where he assisted the Habs in winning the Stanley Cup in 1944 and 1946. Harmon was a very efficient player who twice was named a Second Team All-Star but in terms of a modern look he more…
As of this writing, Dmitri Khristich is without question the greatest Ukranian player (born and raised there) that ever existed in the National Hockey League. The native of Kiev was a two-time NHL All-Star (1997 & 1999) and was a 70 Point scorer twice; one with the Washington Capitals and…
Alexei Zhitnik holds the distinction of being the first defenseman born in the former Soviet Union to play over 1,000 Games in the NHL. Early in his career Zhitnik was a member of the famed Red Army and he would join his “comrades” to North America. Zhitnik would go to…
An excellent two way forward, Simon Gagne starred for years with the Philadelphia Flyers and was one of the “glue guys” on Canada’s International wins in the 2002 Olympics and 2004 World Cup. Gagne however has only appeared in two All-Star Games and has never been considered for a post…
Swedish blueliner Fredrik Olausson proved to be excellent on the offence rush especially on the power play through his career. A Winnipeg Jet for the first eight seasons of his NHL career, Olausson would reach 50 Points four times and would hit that mark much later in his career with…
They say in baseball that you still have to be a good player if you lose 20 Games because that means that they have the confidence in you to go out there, and it is unspoken between the player and coach that the team around him just wasn’t that good. …
A Washington Capital for fifteen of his seventeen seasons in the NHL, Calle Johannson was an integral part of the Capitals making multiple playoffs. Johannson does not often get the credit that he deserved as Washington had many defensive stars at the time (Scott Stevens, Rod Langway, Kevin Hatcher for…
Marvin “Cyclone” Wentworth was known for being a steady rock on the defensive corps rarely missing games and even more rarely being penalized. Wentworth began his career with the Chicago Blackhawks where he would eventually be named the team captain but he would be traded to the Montreal Maroons where…
With over 600 NHL Points from the blueline in the NHL, James Patrick eclipsed the 50 Point mark four times. Patrick was best known for his time with the New York Rangers where he would finish twice in the top ten in Norris Trophy voting and represented Canada in the…
Falling six points shy of 800 over his NHL career, Ed Olczyk would play for six teams in the league, the best of which was when he would score 75, 90 & 88 Points respectively in his three full seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1987-88 to 1989-90).
While Ted Harris was not a goal scorer by any means (he never had a 10 Goal Season) he provided rugged defense and a physical presence over his career. Five times an All Star, Harris would win five Stanley Cups over his career (four with Montreal and one with Philadelphia)…
Charlie Huddy was a member of all five Stanley Cup wins for the Edmonton Oilers and while many of those Oilers stars are inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and Huddy has not been, it does not mean that his accomplishments for Edmonton should be discounted.
Arriving to the NHL at the age of 28, Mark Streit arrived as a brilliant swing player whose offensive sensibilities from the blueline position made him a very effective two way player. Streit would really come into his own as a member of the New York Islanders and would earn…
Alex Tanguay would score 863 Pints in the National Hockey League, which is no small feat considering he played in the dead puck era.
Carson Cooper would silently be a force in the National Hockey League where he would rarely be penalized and prove himself as a productive offensive force. In his second season in the NHL he was Point per Game player with 36 Points with the Boston Bruins and would put the…
Pit Martin is remembered by many for being at the wrong end of a lopsided trade that sent Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to the Boston Bruins and created a Stanley Cup Championship team, but Martin was a very highly regarded player in his own right. Martin would…
Bob Murray played his entire NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks where he was named a two-time All-Star. Murray was never ever considered among the upper echelon of NHL Defenceman but this was a hockey player who was in the league for 1,008 Games and it was all with one…
After the 1996 World Junior Hockey Tournament where he led Canada to their fourth straight Gold Medal, Jose Theodore, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens would slowly work his way up the organization’s depth chart and in the 1999-2000 he would share netminding duties before becoming the main Goalie…