2nd Team All Star

Does Chuck Rayner Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

National Hockey League / New York Rangers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Chuck Rayner was one of the better goalies of his era.

But…he wasn’t the best. And given lack of accomplishments, and the relative brevity of his career compared to some other, bigger names, as well as how high the Hall of Fame’s standards on goalies have grown stricter, it’s really hard to understand why Rayner is in the Hall of Fame when some other goalies aren’t.

Listen to us talk about Chuck Rayner’s Hall of Fame case here:

Is Doug Harvey the Greatest Defenceman of All Time?

There’s_no_action_like_hockey_action_by_Louis_Jaques.jpg:Photographer: Louis Jaques (Weekend Magazine)Credit: Weekend Magazine / Louis Jaques / Library and Archives Canada / e002505707 Copyright: Copyright assigned to Library and Archives Canada by copyright owner Weekend Magazine.derivative work: Leech44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Until Bobby Orr, nobody had more Norris trophies than Doug Harvey. And, arguably, only other NHL defenceman could claim similar acclaim, Eddie Shore.

But things have changed. There have been numerous D who have eclipsed Harvey’s offensive accomplishments and Lidstrom tied him for the second most Norris trophies ever.

So where does Harvey rank now? Is he Top 3? Top 5? Top 10?

Listen to us talk about his Hall of Fame case here:

Does Henri Richard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Maurice’s less famous brother is the winningest player in NHL history in terms of Stanley Cups. But, does he have more of a case than just his 11 Stanley Cups?

Listen to us discuss Henri Richard’s Hall of Fame case here:

Is Dickie Moore one of the Greatest Left Wings of All Time?

Is Dickie Moore the least discussed Habs great of his era? He is famous in Montreal but not so much in the rest of North America.

He’s arguably one of the best Left Wings of all time. For one thing, he has the second most Art Ross trophies among Left Wings after Bobby Hull.

Listen to us discuss Dickie Moore’s Hall of Fame case here:

Does Art Coulter Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Art Coulter was a D who played right before the Original Six but who was inducted in the 1970s.

His Hall of Fame case is based on his end-of-season All Star Team finishes and once being Top 3 in Hart voting. But they took forever to induct him.

Listen to us discuss Art Coulter’s mysterious Hall of Fame case here:

Is Glenn Hall one of the Greatest Goalies of All Time?

Though he only won one Stanley Cup, and the Vezinas he won were before it was a “Best Goalie” or “Most Valuable Goalie” award, Glenn Hall was one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. Just look at all the black ink on his Hockey Reference page. There’s one name on more goalie leader-boards than just about any other, and it’s Glenn Hall’s.

So the question isn’t, “Does Glenn Hall belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?” The question is, “where does Glenn Hall rank among the greatest goalies of all time?”

Listen to us talk about Glenn Hall:

Is Pierre Pilote one of the Greatest Defencmen of All Time?

Pierre Pilote is, by some metrics, one of the greatest NHL D of All Time. He has more Norris Trophies (3) than all but four other D. And only 6 D have appeared on more end-of-season All Star Teams.

So obviously Pierre Pilote belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But where does he rank among the best D ever?

Listen to us talk about Pierre Pilote here:

Does Gordie Drillon Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Hockey publicity photo c 1940(Life time: pre-1949, copyright expired), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know that Gordie Drillon was one of the greatest goal scorers in early NHL history?

He was indeed. And we think he has a pretty slam dunk Hall of Fame case. Listen to us talk about him here:

Does Bill Quackenbush Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Bill Quackenbush played D for the Red Wings and Bruins for 14 years. He never won a Cup and he was not much of a scorer. (D didn’t score much before Red Kelly and Doug Harvey.)

But his career mostly predates the Norris. And he made three 1st All Star Teams and five total. That puts him in elite company.

So, does Bill Quackenbush belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen here:

Does Tim Horton Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Tim Horton is now famous for Tim Horton’s than he is for hockey. But, while he was alive, he was reputed to be the strongest player in the league. He won four Stanley Cups (leading the Leafs in points one layoff) and is one of the greatest D in Leafs history.

But is also a bit of a proto Brad Park: he was a runner up in Norris trophy voting twice, with four other Top 4 finishes, but never won the award. He was also a minus on a couple of the Cup winning teams he played for.

So, does Tim Horton belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen here: