Does Jaromir Jagr Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

In this episode of The Back Check, we debate whether or not Jaromir Jagr is one of the greatest Right Wings in the history of the NHL.

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Aubrey Dit Clapper

Dit Clapper’s Career

  • NHL: 1927-47; 20 seasons, 8 out of 10 quality as a forward (by modern standards of PPG) and at least 8 out of 10 quality as a D (by Defensive Point Shares)
  • Totals:
    • 228G (8th All Time at his retirement),
    • 246A (6th) for
    • 474P (6th) in
    • 833 games (1st) – Clapper held the record for games played until the 1956-57 season
    • 94.3 PS (5th)
  • At his retirement, Clapper was 18th All Time in GPG and PPG, and 20th in APG (minimum 500 games, since Clapper doesn’t meet the qualifiers for APG or PPG)
  • At his retirement, Clapper was 6th All Time in Offensive Point Shares and 11th All time in Defensive Point Shares
  • Era: Of the 7 players to play in at least 600 games between 1927 and 1947, Clapper is
    • 3rd in Goals, GPG, Points and DPS,
    • 2nd in Assists,
    • 4th in APG and PPG,
    • 1st in OPS, PS and Games
  • 82-game average: 22G, 25A for 47P; 9.2 PS
  • 3-year peak (1929-32): 44-game average of 26G, 16A for 43P (as a forward)
  • Playoffs: 13G, 17A for 30 points in 82 games
  • Adjusted: 382G, 508A for 890P
  • Adjusted 82-game average: 38G, 50A for 88P
  • Never Traded.
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Joe Thornton

Thornton is currently active so this page may not reflect his current statistics.

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Milt Schmidt

Milt Schmidt’s Career

  • NHL: 1936-42, 1945-55; 16 seasons, 14 quality
  • Totals:
    • 229G (14th All Time at his retirement),
    • 346A (3rd) for
    • 575P (4th) in
    • 776 games (2nd),
    • 63.3 PS (22nd)
    • At his retirement, Schmidt was 13th All time in OPS
  • Per game: At his retirement, Schmidt was
    • 25th All Time in GPG
    • 7th in APG (out of 8 qualifying players)
    • 13th in PPG (out of 13 qualifying players)
  • Era: Of the 6 players to play it at least 700 games between 1936 and 1955, Schmidt is
    • 3rd in Goals, GPG, PPG and PS,
    • 1st in Assists, APG and Games,
    • 2nd in Points and OPS
  • 82-game average: 25G, 37A for 61P
  • 3-year peak (1939-42): 48-game average of 18G, 28A for 46P
  • Playoffs:
    • 24G,
    • 25A for
    • 49P in 86 games
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 305G, 540A for 845P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 32G, 57A for 89P
      • Schmidt is not on any PG leader-boards
    • VsX:
      • 423G
      • 782A
      • 1,030P
      • Schmidt is 18th All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
  • Never traded.

Milt Schmidt’s Accomplishments

  • Hart (’51)
  • Top 5 in Hart voting a further four times (’40, ’47, ’50, ’52)
  • Back Check Best Player (’40)
  • Back Check MVP (’40)
  • Top Player:
    • Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) once (’40),
    • Top 10 twice (’47)
    • Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’40),
    • Top 5 thrice (’47, ’51)
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Goals once,
      • Top 10 three times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in GPG once,
      • Top 10 four times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 25 goals once, 20
      • goals four times
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Assists once,
      • Top 5 four times
    • APG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in APG once,
      • Top 5 four times
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Points once,
      • Top 5 thrice,
      • Top 10 five times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in PPG thrice,
      • Top 10 five times
    • Single-season totals:
      • 60 points twice (1 of only 12 players to do so at his retirement)
      • 50 points four times (1 of only 13 players at his retirement)
  • All Star:
    • 1st Team All Star thrice,
    • 2nd Team once
    • 4 All Star Games
  • VsX:
    • Best 7 Seasons:
      • Goals: 123rd All Time
      • Assists: 43rd All Time
      • Points: 56th All Time
    • Best 10 Seasons:
      • Goals: 113th All Time
      • Assists: 51st All Time
      • Points: 68th All Time

Great Teams

  • NHL:
    • Best Player (by points) on one Runner Up (’46 Bruins) and two Final Fours (’47, ’48 Bruins),
    • Best Skater (led playoffs in points) on one Champion (’41 Bruins),
    • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Champion (’39 Bruins), one Runner Up (’53 Bruins) and three Final Fours (’49, ’52, ’54 Bruins),
    • Top 9 Forward (by points) on one Final Four (’51 Bruins),
    • Role Player (by points) on two Final Fours (’38, ’40 Bruins)
  • Senior:
    • Best Player (by points) on one Allan Cup Champion (’42 RCAF Flyers)

Schmidt didn’t deserve his Hart the one year he won it, but might have deserved it another year. And he wasn’t as offensively dominant as long as some of the greats of his era. And, despite some strong playoffs, he also had many weak playoffs. But I can’t shake the feeling he belongs.

Max Bentley

Max Bentley’s Career

  • NHL: 1940-43; 1945-54; 12 seasons, 11 quality
  • Totals:
    • 245G (7th All Time at his retirement),
    • 299A (5th) for
    • 544P (5th) in
    • 646 games (14th),
    • 56.6 PS
    • At his retirement, Bentley was 19th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
  • Per Game: At his retirement, Bentley was
    • 10th All time in GPG, and
    • 9th in APG and GPG
  • Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, Bentley is
    • 3rd in Goals, GPG and Points,
    • 2nd in Assists and APG,
    • 4th in PPG and OPS,
    • 6th in PS and
    • 5th in Games
  • 82-game average: 31G, 38A for 69P
  • 3-year peak (1942-47): 50-game average of 28G, 38A for 67P
  • Playoffs: 18G, 27A for 45P in 51 games
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey Reference:
      • 298G, 436A for 734P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 38G, 55A for 93P
      • Per Game: Not in the Top 25
      • VsX:
        • 417G
        • 622A
        • 876P
        • Per Game:
          • 23rd All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
          • 23rd All Time in VsX Adjusted PPG
  • Trades:
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Harry Mummery

Career

  • NHL: 1917-23; 6 seasons, 4 quality[1.By Defensive Point Shares]
  • 33G (24th All Time at his retirement), 19A (23rd) for 52P (24th) in 106 games; 10.5 PS (19th)
  • At his retirement, Mummery was 23rd All Time in GPG, APG and PPG[2. Minimum 82 games, 24 qualifying players]
  • At his retirement, Mummery was 8th All Time in Defensive Point Shares and 25th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
  • 82-game average: 25G, 15A for 40P; 8.1 PS
  • 3-year peak (1919-22): 24-game average of 10G, 6A for 15P
  • NHL Playoffs: 1G, 1A for 2P in 2 games
  • Adjusted: 41G, 81A for 122P
  • Adjusted 82-game average: 32G, 63A for 94P
  • Dominance Quotient: Never led a team
  • Traded twice in his prime and traded out of the NHL at the end of his career.[3. Also, Mummery was the largest player (by weight) and he holds the record for most games as a Goaltender by a skater]

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Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach’s Career

  • NHL: 1940-54; 14 seasons, 12 quality
  • Totals:
    • 215G (20th All Time at his retirement),
    • 408A (1st – Lach held the career lead in assists from 1951-52 until 1957-58) for
    • 623P (2nd – Lach held the career lead in points from 1951-52 until 1953-54) in
    • 664 games (8th);
    • 61.1 PS (24th)
  • Per Game: At his retirement, Lach was
    • 23rd All Time in GPG,
    • 2nd in APG (only 4 qualifying players…) and
    • 5th in PPG
  • At his retirement, Lach was 15th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
  • Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, as only 3 players played in 650 games, Lach is
    • 5th in Goals and GPG,
    • 1st in Assists and APG,
    • 2nd in Points, PPG and Games,
    • 3rd in OPS,
    • 4th in PS
  • 82-game average: 26G, 50A for 77P
  • 3-year peak (1942-45): 50-game average of 24G, 50A for 73P
  • Playoffs:
    • 19G,
    • 45A (Lach held the career record for playoff assists from 1952 until 1957)
    • 64P in
    • 76 games;
    • Lach held the career record for playoff APG, among all qualifying players, from 1946 until 1952.
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 248G, 568A 816P
      • Adjusted 82-game: 31G, 70A for 101P
      • Per Game: Lach is
        • 8th All Time in Adjusted APG and
        • 16th in Adjusted PPG
    • VsX:
      • 351G, 804A, 930P [Stats calculated separately, relative to others, so they don’t add up]
      • Per Game: Lach is
        • 7th All Time in APG
        • 21st All Time in PPG
  • Never traded.
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Maurice Richard

Career

  • NHL: 1942-60; 18 seasons, 16 quality
  • Totals:
    • 544G (1st All Time at his retirement[1. The career record holder until 1963]),
    • 421A (3rd) for
    • 965P (2nd[2. Richard was the NHL’s career leader in points from 1953-54 until 1959-60]) in 9
    • 78 games (2nd);
    • 125.3 PS (2nd)
  • Richard is 13th All Time in GPG[3. At his retirement he was 12th – minimum 500 games] and, at his retirement, he was 19th in PPG[4. Minimum 500 games and also he was 1st All Time briefly during the 1951-52 season]
  • At his retirement, Richard was 2nd All Time in Offensive Point Shares[5. Richard was the career leader in Offensive Point Shares from the 1956-57 season to the next season]
  • Era: Richard is 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG, OPS, PS and Games, 3rd in Assists and APG[6. Of the 5 players to play in at least 850 games between 1942 and 1960, as only two players played 950 games and only three played in 900 games during that span]
  • 82-game average: 46G, 35A for 81P
  • 3-year peak (1943-46): 50-game average of 37G, 23A for 60P
  • Playoffs:
    • 82G (8th All Time),[7. Richard held the career record in playoff goals from 1947 until 1986]
    • 44A for
    • 126P[8. Richard held the career record in playoff points from 1951 until 1964] in
    • 133 games
    • Richard is currently 4th All Time in playoff GPG[9. Richard held the career playoff GPG record from 1946 until 1956 and again from 1957 until 1981][10. Richard held the career playoff PPG record from 1949 until 1952]
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey Reference:
      • 653G (9th All Time), 576A for 1229P (25th)
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 55G, 48A for 103P
      • If the qualifier is set at 500 games, Richard is 24th All Time in Adjusted PPG[11. If the qualifier is set to 750 games, Richard is 4th All Time]
    • VsX:
  • Never traded.
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Doug Bentley

Doug Bentley’s Career

  • NHL: 1939-44; 1945-52; 1953-54; 13 seasons, 10 quality
  • Totals:
    • 219G (18th All Time at his retirement),
    • 324A (4th) for
    • 543P (6th) in
    • 566 games;
    • 48.9 PS
  • At his retirement, Bentley was 8th All Time in GPG, 3rd in APG, and 4th in PPG
  • Era: Bentley is 5th in Goals, 3rd in GPG, 2nd in Assists, APG and PPG, 4th in Points, 6th in OPS, 10th in PS and 16th in Games[2. Of the 18 players to play in at least 550 games between 1939 and 1954]
  • 82-game average: 32G, 47A for 79P
  • 3-year peak (1942-46): 48-game average of 31G, 35A for 66P
  • Playoffs: 9G, 8A for 17P in 23 games
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey Reference:
      • 260G, 468A for 728P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 38G, 68A for 105P
      • If the qualifier is set to 500 games, Bentley is 21st All Time in Adjusted PPG
    • VsX:
  • Traded once at the very end of his career.
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Alexander Ovechkin

Note: Ovechkin is currently active so this post may not reflect the current hockey season.

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