April 2021 Archives

Why is Bobby Bauer in the Hall of Fame?

Bobby Bauer was part of the famous Kraut Line. And he won two Stanley Cups, one Memorial Cup and one Allan Cup. (He might be the last hockey player to win all three.)

But he was never even the best player on his own team, let alone in the league. And he underperformed in the NHL playoffs.

Not only is it kind of strange that he’s in the Hall of Fame, but it’s extra strange he was inducted 40+ years after he retired and over 30 years after he died.

So why is Bobby Bauer in the Hall of Fame?

Listen as we try to find out:

Does Borje Salming Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Borje Salming was arguably the first European-trained (as opposed to European-born) NHL star. And for 6 years in a row he made the end of season All Star Team (though usually as a 2nd Team All Star).

But what about his lack of team success?

Does Salming still belong in the Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss his case here:

Does Bryan Trottier Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bryan Trottier won six Cups, a Hart, an Art Ross, a Conn Smythe (and should have won a second) and was among the all time leading scorers in NHL history when he retired.

Really the only blemish on his career is that adjustments for era hurt him a little bit.

So it’s obvious he belongs in the Hall of Fame and the question really is, where does he rank all time among NHL centres?

Listen to us talk about Trottier here:

Is Mario Lemieux the Greatest of All Time?

Through a career riddled by injuries – including one induced retirement – Lemieux was one of the most dominant forwards the game has ever seen. He temporarily led the NHL in both career Goals Per Game and Points Per Game, despite debuting after Gretzky and despite playing more of his career in the Dead Puck Era.

Tony McCune, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But Lemieux never reached Gretzky’s accomplishments either in terms of his peak or his longevity. He has fewer scoring titles and Cups than Gretzky, and Gretzky achieved Lemieux’s offensive feats many times over.

Listen to us discuss whether or not Lemieux is the Greatest Hockey Player of All Time, the Greatest Centre of All Time, or something else, here:

Does Roy Conacher Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Roy Conacher scored the second most goals of his era, behind only Maurice Richard. And he also won an Art Ross.

But it took the Hall of fame decades to induct him, and he wasn’t inducted until the late 1990s.

In this episode, we discuss Roy Conacher’s case for the Hall of Fame. Listen here:

Does Michel Goulet Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Michel Goulet was one of the great goal scorers of the 1980s and, by regular season stats, is arguably one of the greatest left wings of all time

However, his playoff numbers are not good. And how badly are his stats inflated by his era?

Listen to us talk about Michel Goulet here: