Does Real Cloutier Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Real Cloutier was one of the WHA’s greatest stars but his NHL career was cut short by injuries.

Is his remarkable WHA career enough to get him in the Hall of Fame?

Listen to us talk about Real Cloutier’s Hall of Fame case here:

Real Cloutier’s Career:

• NHL:
  • 1979-85, 6 seasons, 4 quality
  • Totals:
    • 146G,
    • 198A for
    • 344P,
    • +16 in
    • 318 Games
  • Era: Of the hundreds of skaters to play in at least 318 Games between 1979 and 1985, Cloutier is
    • 60th in Goals
    • 31st in GPG (doesn’t qualify)
    • 75th in Assists
    • 34th in APG (doesn’t qualify)
    • 65th in Points
    • 24th in PPG (doesn’t qualify)
    • T-128th in Plus/Minus
    • t-50th in Offensive Point Shares
    • Not in the Top 200 in Defensive Point Shares
    • 93rd in Point Shares
  • 82-game average: 38G, 51A for 89P, +4
  • 3-year peak (1979-82): 80-game average of 43G, 55A for 98P, +11
  • Playoffs:
    • 7G,
    • 5A for 
    • 12P,
    • -22 in
    • 25 Games
    • Era: Of the hundreds of skaters to play in at least 20 playoff games between 1979 and 1985, Cloutier is
      • T-110th in playoff Goals
      • T-74th in playoff GPG (doesn’t actually qualify)
      • Not in the Top 200 in playoff Assists
      • T-185th in playoff APG (doesn’t actually qualify)
      • T-169th in playoff Points
      • T-129th in playoff PPG (doesn’t actually qualify)
      • Not in the Top 200 in playoff Plus/Minus
      • Not in the Top 200 in playoff Games
  • Adjusted for era:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 114G,
      • 157A for
      • 271P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 29G, 40A for 70P (-19P per 82 games)
    • VsX: Doesn’t qualify
  • Traded at 26 with a 1st Rounder (Adam Creighton) to Buffalo for Tony McKegney (25), J.F. Sauve (23), Andre Savard (30) and a 3rd Rounder (Iiro Jarvi)
• WHA:
  • 1974-79: 5 seasons, all quality
  • Totals:
    • 283G (3rd All Time – Tardif, Hull)
    • 283A (11th All Time)
    • 566P (t-4th All Time – Lacroix, Tardif, Hull)
    • +133 (9th All Time) in
    • 369 Games
  • Per Game: At the dissolution of the WHA, Cloutier was
    • 2nd All Time in GPG (Hedberg)
    • 2nd All Time in PPG (Hull)
  • Era: can’t calculate
  • 82-game average: 63G, 63A for 125P, +30
  • 3-year peak (1976-79): 80-game average of 70G, 72A for 142P, +30
  • Playoffs:
    • 33G (4th All Time – Hull, Mark Howe, Hedberg),
    • 30A (14th All Time) for
    • 63P (t-7th All Time),
    • +4 in
    • 48 Games
    • Per Game:
      • At the dissolution of the WHA, Cloutier was
        • 4th All Time in playoff GPG (Walton, Hedberg, Hull)
        • 10th All Time in playoff APG
        • 6th All Time in playoff PPG
    • Era: can’t calculate
  • Never traded

Real Cloutier’s Accomplishments:

• NHL:
  • All Star:
    • 1 All Star Game appearance
  • Goals:
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Top 10 in GPG once
  • Assists:
    • APG leader-boards:
      • Top 10 in APG once
  • Points:
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Top 10 in PPG twice
• WHA:
  • Bill Hunter (‘77, ‘79)
  • All Star:
    • 1st Team All Star once
    • 2nd Team All Star three times
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Goals once
      • Top 5 four times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in GPG once
      • Top 5 four times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 75 goals once (1 of only 2 players ever – Hull)
      • 65 goals twice (1 of only 2 players ever – Tardif)
      • 60 goals three times (only player ever)
      • 55 goals four times (only player ever)
      • 25 goals every season he was in the league
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Assists twice
      • Top 10 three times
    • APG leader-boards
      • Top 5 in APG twice
      • Top 10 three times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 70 assists twice
      • 50 assists four times
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Points twice
      • Top 5 four times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in PPG once
      • Top 5 three times
      • Top 10 four times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 140 points once (1 of only 4 players ever – Tardif, Lacroix, Hull)
      • 120 points three times (1 of only 2 players ever – Nilsson)
      • 110 points four times (1 of only 3 players ever – Nilsson, Lacroix)
      • 50 points every season he was in the league
  • Plus/Minus:
    • Top 5 in Plus/Minus once
    • Top 10 twice

Real Cloutier’s Great Teams:

• NHL:
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Final Four (‘82 Nordiques)
• WHA:
  • Best Player (by points) on one Final Four (‘78 Nordiques)
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Champion (‘77 Nordiques) and one Final Four (‘79 Nordiques)
  • Top 9* Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘75 Nordiques)