Back Check

Does Buddy O’Connor Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Buddy O’Connor as Montreal Canadien
team publicity photo
1940s
Montreal Canadiens
(Life time: pre-1949. copyright expired)

Buddy O’Connor was the first ever Hall of Fame inductee of the old Veteran’s Committee. He is one of only 4 Rangers to ever win the Hart Trophy.

But we’re not sure O’Connor deserved his Hart. And, if he didn’t deserve the trophy, his case isn’t so good. He had some good seasons but he was arguably never the best player in the league.

So, does Buddy O’Connor belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss it here:

Is Vladislav Tretiak the Greatest Goalie of All Time?

The induction of Vladislav Tretiak into the Hockey Hall of Fame officially made the Hockey Hall of Fame an international hall of fame, not just an NHL-focused North American hockey hall of fame.

So that’s an area of controversy for some, but if the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto wants to be the Hockey Hall of Fame of the World, it’s a step that needed to be taken.

So where does Tretiak rank? How do we compare him to NHL goalies when Soviet League goalie stats are even worse than Soviet League skater stats?

What do we do with the very notable fact that Tretiak’s GAA (not save percentage) increased drastically every time he played against NHL competition in international tournaments?

Listen to us attempt to talk about Vladislav Tretiak’s Hall of Fame case here:

Is Darryl Sittler the Greatest Maple Leaf of All Time?

Darryl Sittler has a claim to be the Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of All Time, as the former franchise record holder for Points, among other things. And though he was never clearly the best player in the league, he was one of the better ones for over half a decade, and a consistent offensive performer much longer.

Does his lack of NHL playoff success hurt him?

In this episode, we discuss whether or not Darryl Sittler belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

Does Gilbert Perreault Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Engines On, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The most iconic Sabre in history (except for Hasek, perhaps), Perreault never won a Cup or led the league in any offensive category.

But his playoff numbers are outstanding, as are his international best-on-best numbers. And, to this day, there are things he did in the NHL that only a few other select players have ever done.

So, does Gilbert Perreault belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Or, more accurately, where does Perreault rank among the greatest centres All Time?

Is Bill Barber one of the Greatest Left Wings of All Time?

Bill Barber had one excellent regular season, led one playoff in Goals, won 2 Cups and went to four Finals.

But, other than that, his career was not amazing. Unless you compare him to other Left Wings.

So, is Bill Barber one of the Greatest Left Wings of All Time? And does that make him Hall of Fame worthy?

Listen to us talk about Bill Barber’s Hockey Hall of Fame case here:

Does Fern Flaman belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Flaman was an old-school defender who rarely scored, so we can’t evaluate his career based on his numbers.

But he had a stretch of Top 5 Norris finishes, including a few Top 3 finishes, and some 2nd All Star Team appearances that suggest he was really well regarded near the end of his career.

So, does Fernie Flaman belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

List to us talk about him here:

Is Potvin One of the Greatest Defencemen of All Time?

Charny, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Denis Potvin was the greatest offensive D between Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey. He might have been the best all around defender too, as when was the last time you heard someone complain about his defence?

So obviously Denis Potvin belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But where does he rank all time?

Listen to us try to figure it out:

Why is Bob Pulford in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bob Pulford is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you’re a Leafs fan, like one of us, you probably never asked “why?”

Pulford led the playoffs in assists when the Leafs last one a Stanley Cup. He also led the league in Short-Handed goals three times. That’s basically his case.

Don’t believe us? Read on. Or listen to us talk about Bob Pulford’s Hall of Fame case here:

Does Lanny McDonald Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

66 goals in season. A classic Old Guy Who Won a Stanley Cup. Scored 40 goals three seasons in a row for the Leafs. That mustache.

Sounds like he should be in, right? But McDonald was not a point-a-game player and he actually only had 4 really good seasons. (Seriously.)

So does Lanny McDonald belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss his case here:

Is Bob Gainey the Greatest Defensive Forward of All Time?

Bob Gainey does not have your conventional Hockey Hall of Fame case, his offensive numbers are worse than a defensive defenceman. (Of the NHL players who are +200 for their career, Gainey has the lowest PPG of any forward.)

But, as legend has it, the Selke Trophy was invented for Bob Gainey. Until Bergeron won his most recent Selke, nobody had as many Selkes as Gainey. And then he has that Conn Smythe too.

In this episode, we talk about Bob Gainey’s Hall of Fame case: