Who really belongs in the Hall of Fame?

Does Brad Park Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Brad Park was always a bridesmaid – few people have been nominated so many times for major awards and never won one. In addition, Park was in three Stanley Cup finals and never won.

So Brad Park had some bad luck. And it’s possible that he was the second best defenseman of his era – at least based on Norris trophy nominations.

So, where does Brad Park rank all time?

Listen to us talk about Brad Park’s Hall of Fame career here:

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 Herbie Lewis Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Herbie Lewis led the playoffs in Goals twice. So, as the second old timer inducted by the Veteran’s Committee, it makes some sense he was admitted to the Hall of Fame.

But did he do enough else to really belong? He was never really a regular season star.

In this episode, we discuss Herbie Lewis’ Hockey Hall of Fame case:

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:

Is Mike Bossy the Greatest Goal Scorer of All Time?

New York Islanders/NHL, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mike Bossy is 1st All Time in Goals Per Game, was Top 5 in GPG in all but one season of his NHL career and is the only player other than Gretzky to score 50 goals 9 straight times.

But nobody is hurt by Hockey Reference’s adjustment for era more than Mike Bossy. So arguably nobody benefited from playing when they did more than Bossy.

So, is Mike Bossy the greatest goal scorer in NHL history?

Listen to us talk about Mike Bossy’s Hall of Fame case here: