Does Joseph Bernie Geoffrion Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bernie Geoffrion’s Career

• NHL: 1950-64, 1966-68; 16 seasons, 14 quality
• Totals:
  • 393G (5th All Time at his final retirement),
  • 429A (11th) for
  • 822P (8th) in
  • 883 games (24th);
  • 97.5 PS (15th)
• At his initial retirement, Geoffrion was
  • 10th All Time in GPG,
  • 9th in APG and
  • 5th in PPG
• At his initial retirement, Geoffrion was 7th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
• Era: Of the 16 players to play in at least 750 games between 1950 and 1964, Geoffrion is
  • 2nd in Goals, GPG, APG, Points, PPG and OPS,
  • 6th in Assists,
  • 4th in PS and
  • 14th in Games
• 82-game average: 37G, 40A for 76P
• 3-year peak (1958-61): 70-game average of 39G, 50A for 89P
• Playoffs: 58G, 60A for 118P in 132 games
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey-Reference:
    • 464G, 518A for 982P
    • Adjusted 82-game average: 43G, 48A for 91P
    • 23rd All Time in GPG
  • VsX:
    • 595G, 696A, 1,093P
    • 19th All Time in GPG; if the qualifier is set to 820 games, Geoffrion is 17th All Time in APG and 9th in PPG
• Waived while retired (so he could sign with the Rangers)

Bernie Geoffrion’s Accomplishments

• Hart (’61)
• Calder (’52)
• Art Ross (’55, ’61)
• Back Check MVP (’61)
• Back Check Best Player (’61)
• Top Player:
  • Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) twice (’55, ’61),
  • Top 10 four times (’52, ’60)
  • Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’61),
  • Top 5 six times (’52, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’60),
  • Top 10 eight times (’58, ’59)
• Goals:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Tied the single-season record for goals,
    • led the league in Goals twice,
    • Top 5 six times,
    • Top 10 eight times
  • GPG leader-boards:
    • Led the league in GPG three times,
    • Top 5 eight times,
    • Top 10 eleven times
  • Single-season totals:
    • Scored 50 goals once (1 of only 3 players to do so at the time of his initial retirement)
    • 35 goals twice (1 of only 10 players to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 30 goals four times (1 of only 7 players to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 25 goals seven times (1 of only 6 players to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 20 goals twelve times (1 of only 3 players to do so at his initial retirement)
• Assists:
  • Top 10 in Assists five times
  • Top 5 in APG thrice, Top 10 six times
  • Single-season totals:
    • Tallied 40 assists three times (1 of only 11 players to do so at his initial retirement)
• Points:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led the league in Points twice,
    • Top 5 three times,
    • Top 10 seven times
  • PPG leader-boards:
    • Led the league in PPG once,
    • Top 5 seven times,
    • Top 10 nine times
  • Single-season totals:
    • Scored 90 points once (1 of only 4 players to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 70 points three times (1 of only 10 players to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 60 points five times (1 of only 6 players] to do so at his initial retirement)
    • 50 points nine times (1 of only 6 players to do so at his initial retirement)
• All Star:
  • 1st Team All Star once,
  • 2nd Team twice
  • 11 All Star Games.

Bernie Geoffrion’s Great Teams

• NHL:
  • Best Player (by points) on one Champion (’53 Canadiens) and one Runner Up (’55 Canadiens),
  • Best Skater (Led the playoffs in goals and points) on one Champion (’57 Canadiens),
  • Top 3 Forward (Tied for the playoffs lead in points) on one Champion (’60 Canadiens),
  • Top 3 Forward (Led the playoffs in goals) on one Runner up (’54 Canadiens),
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on three Champions (’56, ’58, ’59 Canadiens), one Runner Up (’52 Canadiens) and one Final Four (’67 Rangers),
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on two Final Fours (’63, ’64 Canadiens),
  • Top 9 Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (’51 Canadiens) and one Final Four (’61 Canadiens),
  • Role Player (by points and briefly injured) on one Final Four (’62 Canadiens).

Geoffrion was second only to one other winger for much of his career, and that player was Gordie Howe.