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.
Longevity. Statistics. Greatness. Joe Thornton was drafted as the number one overall pick by the Boston Bruins in 1997. His early years in the NHL were slow due to the Bruins Head Coach, Pat Burns, monitoring his ice time. However, by his third season, Thornton became a regular fixture and…
Standing at 6' 9" and born in the former Czechoslovakia, Zdeno Chara was a Third Round Pick in 1996 by the New York Islanders, but while he made the team a year later, he never figured into their long-term plans. A trade to obtain the disgruntled Alexei Yashin sent Chara to…
A 17-year veteran, Duncan Keith was a Second Round Pick in 2002 by the Chicago Blackhawks; the native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, would slowly become of the most complete blueliners in hockey. Keith first made the Blackhawks in 2005, breaking out in the 2009-10 Season, where he not only won the…
Alexander Mogilny may not go down as the best player (though he is up there) to come from Russia but he may be the one who broke down the most barriers in the NHL. Mogilny was the first player from the Soviet Union to defect to the west, the first…
So…what does longevity mean? As far as we are concerned, it should matter a lot! As of this writing, Patrick Marleau is the most tenured player in the National Hockey League. The Canadian forward played 23 seasons (21 with San Jose) and logged 1,779 Games with 1,197 Points. Marleau was never a…
Is it possible to be one of the more inspirational players in hockey history yet have a career that is a somewhat cautionary tale to young players? With Theoren Fleury the answer appears to be yes.
On paper, how is it possible that a hockey player who logged only one game in the NHL and is best remembered as a coach for a too many men on the ice call that cost his Boston Bruins a chance at a Stanley Cup birth possibly enter the Hockey…
Some have said that John LeClair got off to a slow start in the NHL. There is certainly a level of truth to that as his stint with the Habs showed his defensive skill but not any real offensive proficiency. Upon becoming a Philadelphia Flyer, LeClair really began to use…
Claude Provost is the answer to a few unwanted trivia questions. He currently is the man who has his name etched on the Stanley Cup Trophy the most times without being in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He also has the most All Star appearances of any non Hall of…
During the mid 90’s, few goaltenders approached the level of success that Mike Richter did. After a few years of struggles, Richter took over the net in New York and embarked on a magical three year period. In the 1993-94 season, he posted 42 wins (and 16 more in the…
In the mold of a player he grew up watching (Cam Neely), the Massachusetts born Keith Tkachuk become the American power forward of his generation.
Bernie Nicholls was already a productive member of the Los Angeles Kings, but when the legendary Wayne Gretzky went Hollywood, Nicholls’ statistics reached the stratosphere. With attention paid toward the other star center, Nicholls set personal records. To this day, Bernie Nicholls is one of eight players to score 70…
Despite playing his entire career in an Original Six city, Henrik Zetterberg had a brilliant under the radar career. The Swedish Centre was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2003 and two seasons later he would develop into one of the most well rounded players in the National Hockey…
Getzlaf was a First Round Pick in 2003, and he would debut for the team two years later with a 39-Point rookie year. A member of the 2007 Ducks team that won the Stanley Cup, Getzlaf's play blossomed the season after, where he began four years of 50-plus Assist seasons, and…
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most iconic franchises in hockey and hold the record for the most Stanley Cup wins. Montreal, an Original Six team, has had many legendary goalies, but Carey Price holds the record for the most wins in a Habs uniform - 361 games. Price…
From Toronto, P.K. Subban won two Gold Medals in World Junior Hockey action before he joined the team that drafted him in the second round in 2007, Montreal. Subban was an All-Rookie in 2010-11, and two years later, in the strike-shortened 2012-13 campaign, he won the Norris Trophy on the strength…
A converted winger, J.C. Tremblay made the transition to defense look easy. As a converted forward, Tremblay understood the offensive aspects of the game and was a natural playmaker from the blue line. Tremblay’s last two years with the Habs saw him reach his best points totals, but it could…
Because of the sheer greatness of Dominik Hasek, Ryan Miller was never going to be the best Goalie in Sabres history. That being said, we know that Miller was pretty damned good. Miller joined the Sabres organization after three years at Michigan State, and in his fourth year of professional hockey,…
Although the bulk of the early era players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, a case could be made for the talented Lorne Chabot. The Montreal native was successful everywhere he went, posting winning records and winning two Stanley Cups. Chabot’s career saw him get 201 over eleven seasons…
It wasn’t that Dave Taylor wasn’t supposed to make the NHL, but when you are drafted 210th overall the expectations aren’t great. Dave Taylor shattered all expectations becoming part of the legendary Los Angeles Kings Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer. Taylor was an unexpected scoring machine…