Does Matt Cullen Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Why are we even writing about Matt Cullen? Obviously he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, right?

Well, he’s 20th All Time in NHL Games Played. And he has 3 Stanley Cups at a time when that’s pretty rare.

So, the question is, are the standards so low now that he might make it in?

Listen to us talk about Matt Cullen’s (lack of a) Hall of Fame case here:

Matt Cullen’s Career:

• 1997-2019; 21 seasons, 9 quality
• Totals:
  • 266G, 
  • 465A for 
  • 731P, 
  • -24 in 
  • 1516 Games (20th All Time); 
  • 15:48; 
  • 66 PS
• Draft: Drafted 35th overall in 1996, Cullen is
  • 2nd in Goals
  • 2nd in Assists
  • 1st in Points
  • 19th last in Plus/Minus
  • 7th in Point Shares
  • 2nd in Games Played
• Era: Of the 12 players to play in 1230 games (15 seasons) between 1997 and 2019, Cullen is
  • 10th in Goals and GPG
  • 9tth in Assists
  • 10th in APG
  • 10th in Points
  • 11th (2nd last) in PPG
  • 10th in Plus/Minus
  • 12th (last) in Offensive Point Shares
  • 10th (8th Forward) in Defensive Point Shares
  • 12th (last) in Point Shares
• 82-game average: 15G, 25A for 40P, -1
• 3-year peak (2005-08): 82-game average of 20G, 34A for 54P, +2
• Possession (since 2007-08):
  • 47.9 CF%
  • -3 CF% Rel
  • 48.2 FF%
  • -3 FF% Rel
• Playoffs:
  • 19G
  • 39A for
  • 58P,
  • -7 in
  • 132 GP
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey-Reference:
    • 296G, 514A for 810P
    • 82-game average: 16G, 28A for 44P
    • Obviously Cullen is not on any PG leader-boards
  • VsX:
    • Doesn’t qualify for goals,
    • 550A
    • 762P
    • Cullen is obviously not on any PG leader-boards
• Trades:
  • Traded at 26 with Pavel Trnka (26) and a 4th Rounder for Sandis Ozolinsh (30) and Lance Ward (24)
  • Traded at 30 for Andrew Hutchison (27), Joe Barnes and a 3rd Rounder (Evgeny Grachev)
  • Traded at 33 for Alexandre Picard (22) and a 2nd Rounder (Martin Marcincin)

Matt Cullen’s, um, Accomplishments:

• Scored 25 goals once, 
• 20 goals twice

Matt Cullen’s Great Teams:

• NHL:
  • Top 6 Forward on one Champion (‘06 Hurricanes) and one Final Four (‘09 Hurricanes)
  • Top 9 Forward on two Champions (‘16, ‘17 Penguins)
• World Championships:
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Bronze (‘04 USA)