Borderline – Unlikely – Who really belongs in the Hall of Fame?

Why is Ed Giacomin in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

We don’t know exactly what happened between 1987 and now, but the standards for goalie admission got a lot stricter. (Well, we do know that goalie stats got better.) It’s so hard to get admitted into the Hall of Fame as a goalie now, but when Ed Giacomin was inducted, it seems like it was less hard.

Why?

Giacomin has good traditional stats, such as wins. And it’s arguable he was the Most Valuable Goalie in the league for four seasons.

But he was never the best goalie in the league by Save Percentage, Goals Saved Above Average or even GAA – that Vezina is for total Goals Against – and his peak only lasted about four years. The rest of his regular season career is not outstanding (especially as he got older).

Additionally, his playoff numbers aren’t great.

So does Ed Giacomin actually belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss it here:

Should Clint Smith be in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

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Clint Smith set the single-season record for assists in the ’40s. So of course he should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Right?

Well, he did it during World War II, when talent in the league was quiet watered down. He doesn’t have a lot of other accomplishments. And he doesn’t have the Cups that many other “veterans committee” inductees of the ’90s have.

So, does Clint Smith belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us try to sort it out here:

Does Brad Richards Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Brad Richards has a Conn Smythe, two Cups, a World Cup and had a couple pretty good regular seasons.

But his regular season numbers are pretty inconsistent. And he was never considered one of the top players in the league.

So, does he belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us talk about him here:

Does Clark Gillies Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Clark Gillies has four Stanley Cups and two 1st All Star Team selections.

But he has a career PPG of .73 despite playing in the ’80s and his best offensive season was exceeded by that of 3 teammates. He only led the Islanders in playoff scoring once.

Does he really have enough of a resume to be in the Hall of Fame?

Listen to us discuss his case here:

Does Jean-Guy Talbot Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Now that Kevin Lowe is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, we decided to look at someone else with a lot of Cups who isn’t in yet: Jean-Guy Talbot.

Listen to us discuss his case here:

Does Bert Corbeau Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bert Corbeau was, by some metrics, one of the best D of his era. In this episode, we discuss whether or not he should be inducted.

Listen here:

Does Bobby Smith Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bobby Smith was a star for the North Stars and then the Habs. But he has pretty mediocre offensive numbers given when he played. But then he has remarkably high playoff point totals.

So does he belong or not?

Listen to us talk about Bobby Smith here:

Does Cully Wilson Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Cully Wilson was a notorious goon of a hockey player. He is also one of the rare early pros to have success in all four major pro leagues. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame?

Listen to us talk about Cully Wilson:

Does Anders Hedberg Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Anders Hedberg’s Hall of Fame case is very similar to that of his countryman’s, Ulf Nilsson. Both came to North America at the same time. Both dominated the WHA and won Avo Cups. And then they left the Jets together for the Rangers, where they had some team success and less individual success. (And lots of injury problems.)

Are his WHA numbers enough?

Find out:

Does George Hay Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Whether or not you think George Hay belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame depends a lot on how much weight you put on a player scoring at a point-per-game pace in the Western Canada Hockey League. It’s worth noting that Hay lost the scoring race to both Duke Keats and Bill Cook in different WCHL seasons – i.e. he was never clearly the best offensive player in the WCHL/WHL. Nor was he ever a true star in the NHL: His brief NHL career isn’t particularly distinguished compared to the careers of his contemporaries, given the size of the NHL at the time.

Listen to us talk about George Hay: