Does Butch Goring Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Butch Goring won four Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe trophy. And he’s got more awards than Clark Gillies. But he’s not in the Hall of Fame.

That could be because he probably didn’t deserve that Conn Smythe. And his regular season and playoff numbers are hardly elite.

Listen to us discuss Goring’s case here:

Conn Smythe winers not in the Hall of Fame: Butch Goring, Bard Richards, Justin Williams

Butch Goring’s Career:

  • 1969-85; 16 seasons, 14 quality
  • Totals:
    • 375G,
    • 513A for
    • 888P,
    • -26 in
    • 1107 Games;
    • 69.5 PS
  • Draft: Drafted 51st overall in 1969, Goring is
    • 1st in Goals
    • 2nd in Assists
    • 2nd in Points
    • 31st in Plus/Minus
    • 4th in Point Shares
    • 2nd in Games
  • Era: Of the 9 skaters to play in at least 984 Games (12 modern seasons) between 1969 and 1985, Goring is
    • 5th in Goals and GPG
    • 6th in Assists
    • 7th (3rd last) in APG
    • 5th in Points
    • 7th (3rd last) in PPG
    • 7th (3rd last) in Plus/Minus
    • 6th in Offensive Point Shares
    • 7th (6th Forward) in Defensive Point Shares
    • 6th in Point Shares
  • 82-game average: 28G, 38A for 66P, -2
  • 3-year peak (1976-79): 80-game average of 34G, 48A for 82P, -5
  • No possession stats
  • Playoffs:
    • 38G
    • 50A for 
    • 88P,
    • +22 in
    • 134 Games (21st All Time at his retirement)
    • Era: Of the 58 skaters to play in at least 82 games between 1969 and 1985, Goring is
      • 17th in Goals
      • 21st in GPG
      • 17th in Assists
      • 29th in APG
      • 17th in Points
      • 22nd PPG
      • 21st in Plus/Minus
      • 9th in Games Played
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 322G
      • 451A for
      • 773P
      • 82-game average: 24G, 33A for 57P (-9P per 82 games)
      • Per Game: Obviously Goring is not on any leader-boards
    • VsX:
      • 348G
      • 543A
      • 786P
      • Per Game: Obviously Goring is not on any leader-boards
  • Trades:
    • Traded at 30 for Billy Harris (28) and Dave Lewis (26)

Butch Goring’s Accomplishments:

  • Conn Smyth (‘81)
  • Byng (’78)
  • Masterton (’78)
  • Top 5 in Calder voting
  • Never a Top Player by Point Shares
  • Goals:
    • 35 Goals twice
    • 30 Goals four times
    • 25 Goals eight times
    • 20 goals eleven times
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 10 once
    • Single-season totals:
      • 50 assists three times
      • 40 assists four times
  • Points:
    • 80 Points twice
    • 70 Points five times
    • 60 Points eight times
    • 50 Points ten times
  • All Star:
    • 1 All Star Game appearances
  • VsX Peak:
    • Best 7 Seasons:
      • Goals: doesn’t qualify
      • Assists: doesn’t qualify
      • Points: 216th All Time
    • Best 10 Seasons: 
      • Goals: 238th All Time
      • Assists: 235th All Time
      • Points: 202nd All Time

Butch Goring’s Great Teams:

  • NHL:
    • MVP (outscored by a teammate by 15 points over 18 games) on one Champion (‘81 Islanders)
    • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Champion (‘80 Islanders)
    • Top 9 Forward on two Champions (‘82, ‘83 Islanders) and one Runner Up (‘84 Islanders)
  • Canada/World Cup:
    • Top 6? Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘81 Canada)

3 thoughts on “Does Butch Goring Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

  1. Trying to figure what Roberto Luongo has done that got him into the hall of fame
    If Roberto gets in , why not butch goring. You have got me baffled. Please explain

    Thanks

    1. I haven’t listened to this episode in a while so if we said something about Luongo, I don’t remember it. But Luongo was one of the best goalies of his era, despite no Cups. Less importantly, he is way, way up at the top of some career leader-boards for goalies.

      Butch Goring shouldn’t have won his Conn Smythe. The rest of his case is…what? We don’t have ice-time for the year he won, but unless he was playing more than Bossy, Trottier and Potvin, it’s hard to understand why he won that award. (I was not born when that playoffs occurred.) And his case is based entirely on winning that award.

  2. Huge islanders fan but the hall is for great players not very good players. Goring doesn’t belong. And as much as I love gillies he also doesn’t belong. It’s about time for Turgeon, he belongs

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