Americans

Does Reginald Hooley Smith Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

The Montreal Gazette, p. 17, accessed via Google, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hooley Smith was one of those skaters who played multiple positions, because back then skaters did that a lot more. We think he was primarily a Centre or a RW, though he supposed to have played D at times.

Smith doesn’t have a lot of accomplishments, though he was among the best passers of his era. But he was an amateur star – winning an Allan Cup and just dominating on his way to an Olympic Gold – and won a few Cups.

He has a fairly mixed case and we’re not quite sure what to do. So listen to us talk about Hooley Smith’s Hall of Fame case here:

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:

Does Billy Burch Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

The Winnipeg Tribune, Dec. 24, 1923 (pg. 13), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Billy Burch won the Hart in a year when he was the 3rd best offensive player on his own team and the 6th best overall. That’s basically his only case for Hall of Fame inclusion.

But what if he did something else?

Listen to us talk about Billy Burch’s Hall of Fame case here:

Is Lionel Conacher Canada’s Greatest Athlete of All Time?

Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lionel Conacher was one of the best defenders of his era.

But that’s not what impresses when you look back at his career. Rather, it’s his incredible versatility.

Listen to us talk about the greatest Canadian athlete of the first half of the 20th century here:

Why is Harry Watson in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Harry Watson won five Cups. And, uh, he was on some leader-boards when he retired in 1957. And, um, he was a pretty good scorer a couple of times.

This, it appears, was enough to get him inducted into the Hall of Fame nearly 40 years after he retired.

Listen to us discuss Harry Watson’s Hockey Hall of Fame case here:

Wilfred Shorty Green

Shorty Green is in the Hall of Fame for a very specific thing, for being one of the leaders of the first ever NHL players strike.

But he’s in the Hall as a player, so how does his career stack up?

In this episode we discuss his actual hockey career. (And, to be clear, we strongly believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame for what he did off the ice.)

Does Mark Howe Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

When Mark Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame there was some controversy: They inducted who???

But Mark Howe was one of the elite NHL defensemen of the 1980s. Before that, he was one of the best forwards in the WHA.

We talk about Mark How’s case in our latest episode. Listen here:

Mark Howe’s stats:

Listen here:

Tag: Americans