Does Valeri Kharlamov Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Valeri Kharlamoov never played in the NHL.

This website is about players who have played in the NHL, or players who played in the forerunners of the NHL.

But Kharlamov was inducted, in great part due scaring Canada at the ’72 Summit Series. (Kharlamov also died very young.)

So, does he belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen to us try to talk about this case here:

Valeri Kharlamov’s Career:

• NHL: no Games Played
• Soviet League:
  • 1967-81; 14 seasons, 12 quality
  • Totals:
    • 293G (12th All Time),
    • 214A* (11th All Time) for
    • 507P (7th all Time) in
    • 438 GP
  • Per Game:
    • Kharlamov is 5th All Time in Soviet League history in Points Per Game
  • 44-game average: 29G, 21A for 51P
  • Playoffs: Playoff stats may be included in what we would regard as “regular season” stats
  • “Merited Master of the Sport”

*Prior to 1973-74 it seems assists were rarely awarded and apparently secondary assists were rarely if ever awarded in Kharlamov’s day.

Valeri Kharlamov’s Accomplishments:

• Soviet League:
  • Soviet League Player of the Year (‘72, ‘73)
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards*:
      • Led the league in Goals twice, 
      • Top 5 in Goals five times, 
      • Top 10 eight times
    • GPG leader-board information unavailable
    • Single-season totals:
      • 40 goals once
      • 35 goals twice
      • 30 goals four times
      • 25 goals five times
      • 20 goals seven times
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards*:
      • Led the league in Assists once
      • Top 5 in Assists ten times
      • Top 10 in Assists eleven times
    • APG leader-boards unavailable
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards*:
      • Led the league in Points once
      • Top 5 in Points eight times
      • Top 10 in Point eleven times
    • PPG leader-boards unavailable
    • Single-season totals:
      • Scored 50 points once.

*Leader-board information may not be correct.

We are currently unable to determine how rare his leader-board or single season totals are relative to other Soviet League players. (If you have data, please let us know in the comments.)

Valeri Kharlamov’s Great Teams:

• Olympics:
  • Best Player (by points) on one Champion (‘72 USSR)
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘80 USSR)
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Champion (‘76 USSR)
• Summit Series:
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Champion (‘74 USSR)
  • Top 3 Forward (by points, deliberately injured by Bobby Clarke because he was considered such a threat) on one Runner Up (‘72 USSR)
• World Championships:
  • Media All Star (best player by points???) on one Runner Up (‘76 USSR)
  • Media All Star (Top 3 Forward by points) on one Champion (‘73 USSR) and one Runner Up (‘72 USSR)
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on four Champions (‘69, ‘71, ‘75, ‘79 USSR) and one Bronze (‘77 USSR)
  • Top 6? Forward (by points) on three Champions (‘70, ‘74, ‘78 USSR)