Who really belongs in the Hall of Fame?
Every NHL player's case analyzed
Harry Cameron was a dynamic offensive player from the blue line well before that was a common feature of NHL D.
Was he one of the greatest D of his era or of all time or is it more likely that the position had yet to be defined properly?
Listen to us talk about Harry Cameron:
Neil Colville was one of the great passers of his era and a member of the last Ranger team to win a Stanley Cup for half a century. He was likely on pace to be one of the better forwards of his era, at least in terms of total assists. When he got back from WWII, however, he was converted to D, and his offensive production fell off a cliff.
We’re a little mystified why Colville is in the Hall of Fame. Listen to us discuss his Hall of Fame case here:
Continue reading “Should Neil Colville Be in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”Red Kelly was one of the best D of the 1950s and possibly the greatest offensive D to yet play in the NHL. And then he was traded to the Leafs and famously switched to centre. Throughout his career he won more Stanley Cups than any other non-Canadien player. He is one of only 10 players to ever have the three-year Hall of Fame waiting requirement waived.
So where does Red Kelly rank all time?
Listen to us talk about Red Kelly’s Hall of Fame and GOAT case here:
Continue reading “Is Red Kelly one of the Greatest NHL Players of All Time?”Bill Gadsby was one of the great pre-Orr offensive D, scoring more points than any other pure defender at his retirement. (Only Red Kelly had more and he’d bee playing centre for years when Gadsby retired.) He also has plenty of end-of-season All Star Team appearances and a number of Norris nominations.
But his teams never won and the Plus/Minus stats we have for the end of his career are flat out bad.
Does Bill Gadsby belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us talk about his case here:
Continue reading “Does Bill Gadsby Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”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:
Continue reading “Is Doug Harvey the Greatest Defenceman of All Time?”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:
Continue reading “Does Art Coulter Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”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:
Continue reading “Is Pierre Pilote one of the Greatest Defencmen of All Time?”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:
Continue reading “Does Bill Quackenbush Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”Marcel Pronovost played a long time, had some Norris nominations and won multiple Stanley Cups.
But was he ever the #1 D on his team? We don’t have ice time so we don’t know. On some of the Cup winners he was on, there are 8 Hall of Famers. Should we be inducting middle 6 and 2nd pair players of Cup winners?
In this episode, we discuss Marcel Provnost’s complicated case for the Hall of Fame:
Continue reading “Does Marcel Pronovost Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”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:
Continue reading “Is Bobby Orr the Greatest Hockey Player of All Time?”
