Back Check MVP

Does Chris Pronger Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Chris Pronger was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame even while under contract to an NHL team. What was the rush inducting while he was still technically active? Was he really that good.

In this episode we discuss Pronger’s career and his HOF case.

Listen here:

Does Sergei Fedorov Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Sergei Fedorov had a couple great seasons and a very long career. Yet he was inducted very quickly, as if he was a no-doubter. Did Fedorov deserve that treatment?

Listen to us discuss Fedorov’s case here:

Does Eddie Gerard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Eddie Gerard won a bunch of Stanley Cups. And by one metric he might have been the best defenceman in the early NHL.

Was he? Does he deserve to the be in the Hockey Hall of Fame? We discuss his case on our latest episode.

Listen here:

Do the Sedin Twins Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

We decided to treat the Sedin twins as one player, because they are a unique phenomenon in the history of hockey.

Did they do enough in their careers to merit induction as great players, rather than just as a novelty?

Listen here:

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.

Listen to the show here:

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.

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:
- Traded at 27 with Cy Thomas (21) to Toronto for Gus Bodnar (24), Bud Poile (23), Gaye Stewart (24), Ernie Dickens (26) and Bob Goldham (25) – our 31st worst Maple Leafs Trade of All Time, sort of
- Traded at 33 for cash

Patrick Kane

Because Kane is active, this post may not be up to date during the season.

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.

Tag: Back Check MVP

Does Chris Pronger Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Does Sergei Fedorov Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Does Eddie Gerard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Do the Sedin Twins Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Does Jaromir Jagr Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Aubrey Dit Clapper

Dit Clapper’s Career

Milt Schmidt

Milt Schmidt’s Career

Milt Schmidt’s Accomplishments

Great Teams

Max Bentley

Max Bentley’s Career

Patrick Kane

Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach’s Career