Red Wings

Does Andy Bathgate Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Andy Bathgate won the Hart (though we don’t agree) and he was arguably the 2nd best regular season RW of his era (if you don’t count the years he overlapped with Richard).

But his playoff numbers are not great and the only Cup he won he had quite a diminished role.

So, does Andy Bathgate belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

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Does Harry Lumley Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Harry Lumley belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame because he was the All Time Wins Leader at his retirement. But, was he really that good?

Most of his career, the league didn’t track shots. Once, they did, Lumley’s numbers started not looking so good (though he was getting old).

We discuss his career here:

Is Frank Mahovlich one of the Greatest Left Wings of All Tim

Frank Mahovlich was considered the second best LW of the 1960s. (The first is arguably the Greatest of All Time.) But outside of Leafs fans, how well is he remembered?

He was likely more dominant in certain areas than you think but, in part because he never scored more than 49 goals or 96 points, and had some poor playoffs, it seems like he’s not as highly regarded now as he was in his prime. Also, like most LWs, his numbers wouldn’t look as good if he was a centre or RW.

Mahovlich obviously belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame (see his resume below) but, in this episode, we wonder where he ranks among the greatest Left Wings of all time.

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Does Johnny Bucyk belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Dan4th Nicholas from Cambridge, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bucyk retired as one of the Top 5 scorers in NHL history. And he set the single season record for a Left Winger.

But does his career look as good as it does because of his incredible longevity? Because he was never the best player on the Bruins when they were good.

Listen to us discuss John Bucyk’s Hockey Hall of Fame case here:

Does Norm Ullman Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Ralrton-Purina Company, maker of Chex cereals, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Norm Ullman was one of the league’s all time leading scorers when he left the NHL.

But two of the players above him on that list were his teammates. And he was a second line player for a substantial section of his career. Also, he never won a Cup.

So, does Norm Ullman belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen here:

Does Leo Boivin Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

With the exception of a strong playoff run in 1957, Leo Boivin had a decent career that sure doesn’t look like a Hall of Fame one.

He never won an individual award or the Stanley Cup and he only ever finished Top 5 in Norris voting once. (And he played most of his career during the Norris-trophy era.)

He is among the most controversial Hockey Hall of Fame inductees ever. And so in this episode we ask whether or not Leo Boivin belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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

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:

Does Brad Park Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Brad Park was always a bridesmaid – few people have been nominated so many times for major awards and never won one. In addition, Park was in three Stanley Cup finals and never won.

So Brad Park had some bad luck. And it’s possible that he was the second best defenseman of his era – at least based on Norris trophy nominations.

So, where does Brad Park rank all time?

Listen to us talk about Brad Park’s Hall of Fame career here:

Is Darryl Sittler the Greatest Maple Leaf of All Time?

Darryl Sittler has a claim to be the Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of All Time, as the former franchise record holder for Points, among other things. And though he was never clearly the best player in the league, he was one of the better ones for over half a decade, and a consistent offensive performer much longer.

Does his lack of NHL playoff success hurt him?

In this episode, we discuss whether or not Darryl Sittler belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

Does Herbie Lewis Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Herbie Lewis led the playoffs in Goals twice. So, as the second old timer inducted by the Veteran’s Committee, it makes some sense he was admitted to the Hall of Fame.

But did he do enough else to really belong? He was never really a regular season star.

In this episode, we discuss Herbie Lewis’ Hockey Hall of Fame case: