Perfect World Hall of Famer

Is Bobby Orr the Greatest Hockey Player of All Time?

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

There is a never-ending debate among hockey fans as to which player of Gretzky, Lemieux and Orr was the greatest. There are certain areas where each stands supreme.

Our vote is for Orr because we think he played the more difficult and more important position and because he revolutionized the position as well. (Also, the skating.) But at least one of us thinks there’s room for debate.

Listen to us talk about Bobby Orr:

Does Lorne “Gump” Worsley Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Ralrton-Purina Company, maker of Chex cereals, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gump Worsley spent half his career playing for bad teams.

But then he got traded to the Habs, won some Vezinas, and could have won at least one Conn Smythe if the votes had gone differently.

The big question about Worsley is which part of his career should we take seriously: the regular season goalie without a winning record or the goalie who was among the best in the world for a time?

Listen to us talk about Gump Worsley’s Hall of Fame case here:

Is Frank Mahovlich one of the Greatest Left Wings of All Tim

Frank Mahovlich was considered the second best LW of the 1960s. (The first is arguably the Greatest of All Time.) But outside of Leafs fans, how well is he remembered?

He was likely more dominant in certain areas than you think but, in part because he never scored more than 49 goals or 96 points, and had some poor playoffs, it seems like he’s not as highly regarded now as he was in his prime. Also, like most LWs, his numbers wouldn’t look as good if he was a centre or RW.

Mahovlich obviously belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame (see his resume below) but, in this episode, we wonder where he ranks among the greatest Left Wings of all time.

Listen:

Does Johnny Bucyk belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Dan4th Nicholas from Cambridge, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bucyk retired as one of the Top 5 scorers in NHL history. And he set the single season record for a Left Winger.

But does his career look as good as it does because of his incredible longevity? Because he was never the best player on the Bruins when they were good.

Listen to us discuss John Bucyk’s Hockey Hall of Fame case here:

Does JC Tremblay Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

JC Tremblay won 5 Stanley Cups and an Avco. His Norris Trophy finishes are 2,3, 4,5,5. He won the Murphy (the WHA equivalent of the Norris) twice.

But he is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In this episode, we wonder why. Listen here:

Does Norm Ullman Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Norm Ullman was one of the league’s all time leading scorers when he left the NHL.

But two of the players above him on that list were his teammates. And he was a second line player for a substantial section of his career. Also, he never won a Cup.

So, does Norm Ullman belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen here:

Does Yvan Cournoyer Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Cournoyer didn’t have the most dominant regular season career and it’s likely that, had he not played for the Habs, he wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame with his regular season numbers.

But then, there are his playoff numbers. Safe to say, anyone who leads an entire era in playoff goals and sets a single season record in playoff goals is going into the Hall of Fame.

Listen to us talk about The Roadrunner here:

Who is the Best Left Wing of All Time?

Ralston-Purina Company, makers of Chex cereals, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In our latest episode we try to figure out who are the best Left Wing in NHL history.

As usual, Riley went too deep into the stats. Bill decided to do it on instinct. Unlike with our Greatest Defenceman episode, we didn’t really match up:

Is Ken Dryden the Greatest Goalie of All Time?

Ken Dryden played for only 8 seasons.

But in those 8 seasons, he won six Stanley Cups as a starter (playing in nearly every game when they won those cups), five Vezina trophies, the Conn Smythe and the Calder. He was a 1st Team All Star six times and only missed the end-of-season All Star teams his first season, when he played in six games.

To play devil’s advocate, he played for the Greatest Hockey Team of All Time. And he might not have deserved his Conn Smythe.

So, is Ken Dryden the Greatest Goalie of All Time?

Listen here:

Is Bobby Hull the Greatest Left Wing of All Time?

Many 21st century hockey fans likely think the answer to the question “Who is the Greatest Left Winger of All Time?” has an easy answer, Alex Ovechkin.

But it’s possible we don’t remember how dominant Bobby Hull truly was. Hull won 2 Hart trophies and 3 Art Ross trophies. But he was a Hart finalist for most of a decade. Additionally, he was, by most standards, the best offensive player of his era, both in the regular season and, crucially, in the playoffs.

And then he went to another league and dominated it in his late 30s. (It’s possible his departure to the WHA colours how we think of his career.)

So, is Bobby Hull the Greatest LW of All Time? Listen here: