Does Chuck Rayner Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Chuck Rayner was one of the better goalies of his era.

But…he wasn’t the best. And given lack of accomplishments, and the relative brevity of his career compared to some other, bigger names, as well as how high the Hall of Fame’s standards on goalies have grown stricter, it’s really hard to understand why Rayner is in the Hall of Fame when some other goalies aren’t.

Listen to us talk about Chuck Rayner’s Hall of Fame case here:

Chuck Rayner’s Career:

• NHL: 1940-42, 1945-53; 10 seasons, 7 as a Starter
• Totals:
  • 138W (13th All Time at his retirement)
  • 207L (4th All Time at his retirement – Worters, Broda, Lumley)
  • 78T (5th All Time at his retirement – Broda, Lumley, Worters, Brimsek);
  • 25 SO (16th All Time at his retirement) in
  • 25,551 Minutes (10th All Time at his retirement)  over
  • 425 Games (9th All Time at his retirement);
  • 61.6 PS (13th All Time at his retirement)
• Averages:
  • 3.03 GAA (18th All Time at his retirement – last among qualifying players)
• Era: Of the 9 goalies to play in at least 205 games between 1940 and 1953, Rayner is
  • 5th in Wins
  • 2nd/2nd last in Losses
  • 2nd in Ties
  • 2nd/2nd last in Goals Against
  • 2nd last in GAA
  • 5th in Shutouts
  • 4th in Minutes
  • 5th in Goalie Point Shares
  • 3rd in Games
• Season average: 14-21-7; 3 SO; 6.2 PS in 43 Games
• 82-game average: 27-40-15; 5 SO; 11.9 PS
• Playoffs:
  • 9W (t-17th All Time at his retirement)
  • 9L (17th All Time at his retirement);
  • 1 SO in
  • 1134 Minutes (21st All Time at his retirement) over
  • 18 Games (18th All Time at his retirement);
  • Averages:
    • 2.43 GAA (Rayner doesn’t qualify for the leader-boards but if we lower the qualifier so he does he was 14th All Time)
  • Era: Of the 13 goalies to play in at least 10 playoff games between 1940 and 1953, Rayner is
    • T-8th in playoff Wins
    • t-9th/t-4th in playoff Losses
    • 8th in playoff GAA
    • T-10th (2nd last) in playoff Shutouts
    • 10th in playoff Games
• Adjustment for Era:
  • 3.25 GAA
  • (doesn’t qualify for other adjustments due to no saves recorded)
• Trades: never traded

Chuck Rayner’s Accomplishments:

• Hart (‘50)
• Top 5 in Hart voting one other time
• All Star:
  • 2nd Team All Star three times
  • 4 All Star Game appearances
• Top Player:
  • Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) three times (‘47, ‘49, ‘50)
  • Top 10 four times (‘51)
  • Top 5 goalie six times (‘46, ‘47, ‘49, ‘50, ‘51, ‘52)
  • Top 10 goalie ten times (‘41, ‘42, ‘48, ‘53)
• Wins:
  • Top 5 in Wins five times
  • Top 10 ten times
• Shutouts:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led the league in Shutouts once
    • Top 5 six times
    • Top 10 eight times
  • Totals:
    • 5 shutouts three times (1 of 19 goalies ever at his retirement)
• GAA:
  • Top 5 in GAA five times
  • Top 10 seven times
• Minutes:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Top 5 in Minutes five times
    • Top 10 ten times
  • Totals:
    • 4,000+ minutes once (1 of only 9 goalies ever at his retirement)

Chuck Rayner’s Great Teams:

• NHL:
  • Best Player? (led playoffs in goals against, played every game) on one Runner Up (‘50 Rangers)
  • Best Player? On one Final Four (‘48 Rangers)
• Memorial Cup:
  • Starter on one Memorial Cup Runner Up (‘37 Wesleys)