Hall of Fame becoming Hall of Fakes?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Decision time for HHOF
No clear-cut selections this year
By NEIL STEVENS

TORONTO (CP) - Players who have been passed over in previous years will get a long look from the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee when it meets June 8 because the list of first-year eligibles lacks star power.

Last year, the nod for induction was automatic for superstar defencemen Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey, and blue-liner Larry Murphy, who'd also just completed the mandatory three years out of the game, was a good pick, too. This year, the most worthy first-year eligibles are goaltenders Mike Vernon and John Vanbiesbrouck, defenceman Gary Suter and forward Kevin Stevens.

- slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2005/05/17/1043596-cp.html

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Cold war rages at Hall of Fame

Explain this to me.

If the 1972 Summit Series was the pinnacle of hockey, why are there 14 Canadian players from that series in the Hockey Hall of Fame and only one Russian?...

... The Hockey Hall of Fame is really the Hockey Hall of Pretty Darned Good and it has been at least since 2002 when it admitted Bernie Federko and Clark Gillies.

This is not an indictment of either man, but you need to recognize a weakness in the selection process when Gillies, at least the fourth-best player on the New York Islanders' championship team, and Federko, the 93rd-highest scorer in National Hockey League history, make the grade.

- slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Ulmer/2005/05/17/1043331.html

[Disgruntled70sHab]

I haven't read the hyperlinks yet, but I will.

mrbozo said:

Decision time for HHOF
No clear-cut selections this year
By NEIL STEVENS

TORONTO (CP) - Players who have been passed over in previous years will get a long look from the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee when it meets June 8 because the list of first-year eligibles lacks star power.

Last year, the nod for induction was automatic for superstar defencemen Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey, and blue-liner Larry Murphy, who'd also just completed the mandatory three years out of the game, was a good pick, too. This year, the most worthy first-year eligibles are goaltenders Mike Vernon and John Vanbiesbrouck, defenceman Gary Suter and forward Kevin Stevens.

The HHOF selection committee is extremely stoic when adhering to their selection criteria. However, now they seem to think it's an annual rite of passage that must be adhered to.

*

Cold war rages at Hall of Fame

Explain this to me.

If the 1972 Summit Series was the pinnacle of hockey, why are there 14 Canadian players from that series in the Hockey Hall of Fame and only one Russian?...

Well, that one Russian does have 12 World Championships and 3 Olympic Golds under his belt. However, there were several Russians who performed brilliantly over the decades not to mention Czech and Slovak players as well.

One player who continually keeps getting snubbed is Paul Henderson. I know his nomination would be controversial, but I'm a major supporter of Henderson being inducted into the HHOF. He may not have had as stellar a career as others, but I feel the HOF is not the Hall of Statistics (as some of this years nominees can attest to). But, Henderson was responsible for scoring Canada's goal of the century and the series was also voted by Canadians as their country's biggest sporting moment of the century as well.

... The Hockey Hall of Fame is really the Hockey Hall of Pretty Darned Good and it has been at least since 2002 when it admitted Bernie Federko and Clark Gillies.

Clark Gilles played on a line with Mike Bossy and Brian Trottier. It kind of reminds me of Michel Renberg playing with Lindros and LeClair. Take nothing away from Gilles' leadership qualities, but I think a lot of players could have made a better name for themselves if they had Bossy and Trottier as linemates. Having said that if Gilles (697 points) warrants induction what about Ken Hodge (800 points) or Wayne Cashman (793 points)?

... Federko, the 93rd-highest scorer in National Hockey League history, make the grade.

Granted, but he did have more points that Steve Shutt (one wonders what Shutty would have done without his supporting cast), Bob Gainey, Henri Richard, Jacques Lemaire and Ivon Cournoyer.

I guess it might be the Hockey Hall of "Pretty Darn Good" after all.

Cheers.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Here's a list of some of those outstanding European players that made the IIHF Hall of Fame. Impressive to say the least.

One name that sticks out is German referee Josef Kompalla, who was inducted in 2002. In the '72 Summit Series, he was the referee who, in game six, was responsible for Team Canada playing 1/3 of the game short-handed. We still won.

You may also notice Whitby Dunlops Harry Sinden's moniker on there as well.

Cheers.

[Forum Ghost]

I clicked on Tretiak's name and found this entertaining quote:


"It was a beautiful summer, I was supposed to get married but I had to postpone the wedding three times and it wasn't easy. There were lots of other guys who wanted to marry my wife too. We were married on August 23rd. Two days later, I was back in training and a day after that the team left for Canada. I tell people I spent my honeymoon with Canadian hockey players."

Vladislav Tretiak

[Disgruntled70sHab]

forumghost2 said:

I clicked on Tretiak's name and found this entertaining quote:


"It was a beautiful summer, I was supposed to get married but I had to postpone the wedding three times and it wasn't easy. There were lots of other guys who wanted to marry my wife too. We were married on August 23rd. Two days later, I was back in training and a day after that the team left for Canada. I tell people I spent my honeymoon with Canadian hockey players."

Vladislav Tretiak

I remember our scouts, both from the Maple Leaf organization, saying Tretiak couldn't stop a beachball.

Is there a better embassador to hockey anywhere? There are only a few that can equal him.

Cheers.