Goalie

Why is Ed Giacomin in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

We don’t know exactly what happened between 1987 and now, but the standards for goalie admission got a lot stricter. (Well, we do know that goalie stats got better.) It’s so hard to get admitted into the Hall of Fame as a goalie now, but when Ed Giacomin was inducted, it seems like it was less hard.

Why?

Giacomin has good traditional stats, such as wins. And it’s arguable he was the Most Valuable Goalie in the league for four seasons.

But he was never the best goalie in the league by Save Percentage, Goals Saved Above Average or even GAA – that Vezina is for total Goals Against – and his peak only lasted about four years. The rest of his regular season career is not outstanding (especially as he got older).

Additionally, his playoff numbers aren’t great.

So does Ed Giacomin actually belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss it here:

Is Tony Esposito one of the Greatest Goalies of All Time?

We recorded this just after he died, so RIP.

Tony Esposito has one of the best regular season careers of any NHL goalie ever, not just in germs of his peak but in terms of how long he was among the best goalies in the league (at least by Goals Saved Above Average). Also, he helped change goalie masks for the better.

Yet his playoff numbers are significantly worse. He underperformed in one of his two good playoff runs and he was only ever on one truly great international team, as a backup.

So, it’s obvious Tony Esposito belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame but where does he rank all time?

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 Billy Smith one of the Greatest Goalies of All Time?

Billy Smith’s playoff accomplishments are legendary.

But are his stats good enough for him to be discussed among the greatest NHL goalies ever?

Listen to us discuss Billy Smith’s Hockey Hall of Fame case and where he ranks all time:

Hall of Fame class of 1993: Edgar Laprade, Guy Lapointe, Steve Shutt and Billy Smith

Does Grant Fuhr Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Does Grant Fuhr belong in the Hall of Fame?

Sure, he has Cups and a Vezina. And he has the record for most goalie games played in a single season.

But he also has extremely mediocre stats compared to his contemporaries, most of whom are not in the Hall of Fame like he is.

Then, there’s this other thing: he’s arguably the first ever African Canadian (or African American) hockey star in history. A true trail-blazer.

So does he belong?

Listen to us debate his case here:

Does Rogie Vachon Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Rogie Vachon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, almost 35 years after he retired, to some controversy.

To some, he was one of the best goalies on the planet at his peak. To others, his career stats just aren’t good enough.

So, does he belong? Listen to us talk about him here:

Does Ed Belfour Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Ed Belfour was one of the better goalies of the era, but does that mean he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen to us discuss Belfour’s case here:

Is Dominik Hasek the GOAT?

The Dominator had a nearly unrivaled stretch of goalie dominance during the Dead Puck Era.

Dominik_Hasek_face.jpg: Dan4th Nicholasderivative work: Lvivske, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But it was only 6 years. Is that enough for Dominik Hasek to be considered the Greatest Goalie of All Time?

Listen to us talk about Hasek here:

Does Curtis Joseph Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

ScottSternberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cujo is 7th All Time in Wins and was, by Goalie Point Shares, the Most Valuable Goalie in the league for three straight seasons and yet is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

So, does he belong?

Listen to us talk about him here:

Is Martin Brodeur the Greatest Goalie of All Time?

Martin Brodeur has more wins and more Shut-Outs than any other NHL goalie ever. And his puck-handling transformed hockey to the point the NHL had to change the rules.

Does this make him the GOAT?

Listen to us discuss his case: