Does Billy Burch Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Billy Burch won the Hart in a year when he was the 3rd best offensive player on his own team and the 6th best overall. That’s basically his only case for Hall of Fame inclusion.

But what if he did something else?

Listen to us talk about Billy Burch’s Hall of Fame case here:

Hall of Fame Class of 1974: Billy Burch, Art Coulter, Tommy Dunderdale Dickie Moor

Billy Burch’s Career:

  • NHL: 1922-33; 11 seasons, 5 quality by modern standard of PPG
  • Totals:
    • 136G (10th All Time at his retirement)
    • 60A for
    • 196P (14th All Time at his retirement) in
    • 390 Games (t-7th All Time at his retirement);
    • 40.2 PS (18th All Time at his retirement);
    • At his retirement, Burch was 12th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
    • Among Forwards, Burch was t-17th All Time in Defensive Point Shares
  • Per Game: Burch doesn’t qualify for any per game leader-board, but if we lower the qualifiers to 100G, 50A and 150P, at his retirement Burch was
    • T-17th All Time in GPG
    • (last in APG among all qualifying players)
    • T-24th All Time in PPG
  • Era: Among the 10 skaters to play in at least 328 Games (4 modern seasons), between 1922 and 1933, Burch is
    • 4th in Goals
    • T-4th in GPG
    • t-9th /last in Assists
    • 10th/last in APG
    • 5th in Points
    • 7th in PPG
    • 5th in Offensive Point Shares
    • 8th in Defensive Point Shares
    • 5th in Point Shares
  • 82-game average: 29G, 12A for 41P
  • 3-year peak (1922-25): 24-game average of 16G, 6A for 22P
  • Playoffs:
    • 0P in
    • 2 Games
  • Adjustment for Era:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 257G,
      • 292A for
      • 549P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 54G, 61A for 115P (+74P per 82 Games)
    • VsX: Doesn’t qualify
  • Trades:
    • Transferred to the Americans at 24
    • Traded at 31 to Boston for cash
    • Traded at 32 to Chicago for Vic Ripley (26)

Billy Burch’s Accomplishments:

  • Hart (‘25)
  • Byng (‘27)
  • Top Player:
    • Top 10 Player (by PS) once (‘24)
    • Top 5 Offensive Player (by OPS) once (‘24)
    • Top 10 four times (‘25, ‘26, ‘27)
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Goals twice
      • Top 10 four times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in GPG twice
      • Top 10 five times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 20 Goals twice (1 of only 25 players ever at their retirement)
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 10 twice
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Points once
      • Top 10 four times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in PPG once
      • Top 10 twice
  • VsX Peak: Doesn’t qualify

Billy Burch’s Great Teams:

  • NHL: no playoff success
  • Best Player (by points) on one Memorial Cup Champion (‘20 Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers)

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