Posts Tagged ‘Olympics’

So, I’ve been a bit busy lately. I am in my last semester of graduate school, I’ve been sending my resume out to tons of potential employers, I work full-time, and I organize and run (high school) student directed one-act plays, so yeah, time has been tight. But right now, I am caught up and want to post. I’ve missed a lot over the last couple weeks including a Bruins-Habs game that bested the Bruins-Stars tilt for game of the year. Of course there was also the Penguins-Islanders brouhaha, which I have thoughts on but won’t get into right now. We all know I love fights, but at some point, a line has to be drawn. That is all I am saying for right now.

Okay, this blog is about to go America all over everybody’s ass.

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #13 Ken Morrow

Did you know he was teammates with Mike Liut in college? I didn’t.

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #70 Mike Ramsey

Nice ‘stache, Ramsey.

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #140 Mark Johnson

What is better than a Whaler’s sweater? How about Whaler hockey pants?

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #169 Steve Christoff

There is so much to love about this card. First, the terrible airbrushing job. Secondly, the last minute team text. Next, the killer unibrow. But above everything else is the mullet/rattail that is creeping over his right shoulder. Steve Christoff, I salute you!

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #251 Rob McClanahan

Missing front tooth, FTW!

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee #253 Mark Pavelich

Mark came up one goal shy of having back-to-back-to-back 30 goal seasons. Another thing I did not know.

There you have it; a little Miracle on Ice/America pride. Suck it, Russia.

Now it’s time for my ongoing revamping of the Hockey Hall of Fame. My last group included the classes of  1977 and 1978. I ended up inducting Alex Delvecchio, Tim Horton, and Jacques Plante and kicking out Andy Bathgate and Marcel Pronovost.

If you’d like to look at the previous postings, here ya go:

1961-1966
1967-1970
1971-1973
1974-1976
1977-1978

Remember, only seasons of 40+ games count as a complete season in my breakdown. Let’s get to it, shall we?

1979
Harry Howell
Bobby Orr
Henri Richard

First up, Harry Howell. Played 21 seasons, 17 of them with the Rangers. He was decent early on, had a run of about seven really good seasons including his best in ’66-’67 when he won the Norris Trophy. He was named to the NHL All-Star 1st Team that same season and it would be the only time he’d receive the honor. Never won a Cup and only played in 38 playoff games, scoring 6 points total. When he retired, he had logged the most games for a defenseman ever. That’s cool, I suppose, but not Hall worthy. I have been unable to dig up any anecdotal information on him being an amazing blueliner, so I just have his statistical resume to look at. Unfortunately, it is not enough, especially when compared to the next potential inductee. Howell is out.

Next up is Orr. Yeah, I’m not even going to bother recapping his career. Best. Player. Ever. Orr is on the Mt. Rushmore of Hockey. IN!

I might lose a few readers with Henri Richard. The man played 19 seasons, all with the Habs. He won an amazing eleven Stanley Cups and recorded 129 points in 180 career playoff games. Now here is where it gets interesting. Richard only finished in the top-10 in goals twice, assists seven times (leading twice) and points seven times. He was named to one NHL All-Star 1st Team and three 2nd Teams. He also won the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy once. Looking at those numbers, I’m not blown away. The Hockey News listed him as the 29th greatest player of all time, but I must be missing something. Was he ever considered the best center of his era? Heck, was he even the best center on his team? He does have a great nickname (Pocket Rocket) and is a Leap Year baby which is cool. I am going to say that until someone tells me some epically awesome story about Richard that he is out.

NO HE DIDN’T?!

YES, HE DID!

PSYCHE, he’s in; Richard is one of the greats.

Inducted: Bobby Orr and Henri Richard
Kicked out: Harry Howell

1980
Harry Lumley
Gump Worsley

Apple Cheeks Lumley is up first with his twelve full seasons and career record of 330-329. Lumley had three really good seasons (’45-’48, ’48-’49, ’49-’50) followed by three terrible seasons (’50-’51, ’51-’52, ’52-’53) followed by some so-so seasons. He won the Vezina Trophy once and was named to two NHL All-Star 1st Teams. He finished in the top-3 in wins eight times (leading twice), GAA eight times (leading twice), and shutouts eight times (leading three times). He won one Cup but was 29-47 in the playoffs. When I look at his numbers, I see a better than average goalie, but not great. Lumley is out.

The Gumper! I am putting him in just because he was an awesome dude and I feel like if I really look at his numbers, I may not give him the nod. Gump, your no-masking wearing, heavily pomade’d, sideburn’d self is IN!

Inducted: Gump Worsley
Kicked out: Harry Lumely

That is it for now. I was going to do 1981 but I started looking at Bucyk’s career stats and I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Stupid Bruins-tinted glasses!

I will leave you with this recent pickup:

1974-75 Topps #64 Bill Flett

“Cowboy” Bill Flett looks like what would happen if Will Ferrell’s character Gene Frenkle was the lead in 40 Year Old Virgin.

Business first; prize packages went out the other day. Keep an eyeball on your mailboxes you lucky winners. Speaking of contests and prizes, Sal over at Puck Junk has a contest going on, so go on over and enter yourself. Hurry, though, time is running out!

Okay, so a few weeks ago, my local card shop got in a sizable stash of mid-to-late OPC hockey goodness. There were big stars, but all the cards were in very nice condition. The owner (a fellow enforcer fan) and I went through the hundreds and hundreds of cards and picked out all of the goons; I will post those at a later date. What I wanted to share with you now were some additional random goodness from the lot.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee #189 Bill Clement

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #364 Bill Clement

Clement, Clement. Hands of cement! Clement is one of my favorite hockey analysts (along with Andy Brickley), so I needed to grab these cards. Also, he was a pretty good player. Gotta love the cartoon-y airbrush job on the 75-76 card, plus, doesn’t he look like he’s eight feet tall?

1977-78 O-Pee-Chee #278 Craig Patrick

I could never pass on a card of a member of the Miracle on Ice team.

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #243 Jim Bedard

This card was recently voted by Beckett as one of the funniest cards ever produced. Or something. He certainly does look like a miserable human being in this picture. The back says that he is an up and coming goalie who hopes to have a long career in the NHL. Sadly, that never happened. He played just two seasons and went 17-40-13 with a 3.94 GAA during his time with the Capitals. Maybe Jim’s future came to him in a dream and hence the beaten down expression.

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #280 Bruce Boudreau

There is just something about Bourdreau as a coach that I have always liked. He seems like a very serious guy behind the bench but I alway imagined him being funny in the locker room. Of course we all know now what he is like in the locker room. Thanks HBO! Weird that the back of his card contains no signature.

1982-83 O-Pee-Chee #328 Barry Melrose

I didn’t even know this card existed. I thought he just had the one rookie and that was it. No hockey collection is complete without a Melrose card. And just because I want to share another Hockey Falls clip (not like I need an excuse)…

Now let’s get to my Hockey Hall of Pretty Good revamp. I’m going to make a quick note; I am going to start counting a full season as any player who played in more than 40 games and ignore seasons with less. Why? Because its sort of unfair to count cups of coffee or injury shortened seasons when evaluating players.

Last post, I went through the 1974-76 classes, kicking out Dickie Moore, George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, and Bill Quackenbush while keeping Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall. It was a tough group of players and I am doubting my rejection of Bower. But I must stand firm!

In case you missed the previous posts, here they are:

1961-1966
1967-1970
1971-1973
1974-1976

Let’s do this!

1977
Alex Delvecchio
Tim Horton

Delvecchio played an amazing 22 seasons, all with the Red Wings. During that time he finished in the top-10 in goals five times, assists ten times, and total points eleven times although he never led in any one category. He did take home thee Lady Byng Trophies and three Cups, so he has some hardware. Alex was very good for a very long period of time, routinely putting up 60+ points a season. Heck, at age 40, he totalled 71 points, his 2nd highest. I don’t think he was ever truly great but he was just so consistent and very good year in and year out that I think I have to put him in. I do wonder how good he would have been if he didn’t have Howe and Lindsay on his line, but I’m looking at his stats for what they are. He is in, but I am doubting my judgement here. Is it better to be dominant for 5 seasons and pretty good for ten OR very good for 22 seasons?

Next is the donut man, Tim Horton. Like Delvecchio, he played for 22 seasons. As a defenseman, he was regarded as one of the best of his time. He was also said to have been one of the strongest guys in the league. He never won a Norris Trophy or any other individual hardware, but he was named to three NHL All-Star 1st Teams and three 2nd Teams. He also won four Cups with the Leafs and is a beloved figure in Canadian sports history, if not also in regular history. Horton is in.

Inducted: Alex Delvecchio and Tim Horton
Kicked out: No one

1978
Andy Bathgate
Jacques Plante
Marcel Pronovost

Bathgate first. 15 seasons in which he finished in the top-10 in goals seven times, assists nine times (leading twice) and points nine times (leading once). A Hart Trophy, two selections as a 1st Team All-Star, two as a 2nd Team All-Star and one Cup is a nice little resume but I want great. I mean, his #9 jersey was raised to the MSG rafters AFTER Adam Graves’ #9 was. Hmmm. Bathgate is out.  It should be noted that he shares a little history with the next guy.

Jacques Plante is known for bringing the goalie mask to the game, but do you know who the player was that hit him in the face with a shot that led to the mask? Yep, Andy Bathgate. Plante played 12 complete seasons and good chunks of four others. He is basically a no-brainer but lets just recap. He led the league in wins five times (6th overall), goals against average eight times and shutouts four times. He won SEVEN Vezina Trophies, one Hart Trophy and six Cups. He was dominant at his position during his time and is one of the best goalies of all-time. Jacques is obviously in.

Pronovost, whose name I always want to spell Provonost, played 17 seasons and was known for his passion to make the big hit, oftentimes throwing himself with reckless abandon into a player or play. He was also considered one of the best poke and stick checkers of his time. He never won any individual awards or finished in the top-10 in any offensive category but he was a part of five Cup winning teams and averaged almost 20 points a season. I don’t really know much about him other than what I’ve read and until someone presents me with an article or evidence that he was a rock solid blueliner, I have to kick him out. Sorry, Marcel.

Inducted: Jacques Plante
Kicked out: Andy Bathgate and Marcel Pronovost

Okay, that is all I have time for right now. I’ll be back soon enough with more inductees!