Posts Tagged ‘Stanley Cup’

I’m sitting here listening to some Frijid Pink and thinking to myself that I really want to finish up the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good series so that I can a) move onto the Veteran’s Committee vote, b) move onto the Tough Guy Hall of Fame, and c) just move on.

Last we left, The Great One got in while Denis Savard, Joe Mullen, Michel Goulet, and Peter Stastny got the big boot. I sort of regret Stastny but I can’t go back; that is what the Veteran’s Committee is for.

1961-1966
1967-1970
1971-1973
1974-1976
1977-1978
1979-1980
1981
1982-1984
1985-1986
1987-1988
1989-1990
1991-1992
1993-1995
1996-1997
1998-2000

The end is in sight! Onwards and upwards!

2001
Viacheslav Fetisov
Mike Gartner
Dale Hawerchuk
Jari Kurri

Oh man, this is going to be TOUGH!

First there is Fetisov. Russians from this era are tough because a lot of them didn’t break into the NHL until their 30s. Fetisov is no exception, entering the league at the age of 31. While his best years may have been behind him, he was still a pretty good NHLer. In 546 games he tallied 228 total points and a +114; not bad for a defenceman. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Red Wings to close out his career. His NHL stats, however, would not be enough to induct him. Looking at this international numbers and reputation is where he shines. In 478 games for the USSR, he put up 374 points, while putting up 33 points in 22 Olympic games. Those are all great numbers for a defenceman. The greatest accolade, though, is his selection to the International Centennial All-Star Team. This team was voted on by 56 “experts” from all over the world with Fetisov receiving the most votes (54), beating out some dude named Gretzky. That is some honor! Welcome to the HOF, comrade Fetisov.

Next is a guy who, unlike Fetisov, has all the numbers in the world and, also unlike Fetisov, not much of the reputation/respect. The player is Mike Gartner, a 700 goal scorer who, in my opinion, doesn’t make the cut.

Over 18 NHL seasons (only years of 40+ count as seasons in my book), Gartner scored 30+ goals 17 times, 40+ nine times, and 50+ once. Yet, he never finished higher than 9th in the top-10. Point being that EVERYONE scored goals in the 80s. He never finished in the top-10 for assists and only once for total points (also the only time he cracked 100+ points). It is remarkable to me that a guy with 700+ goals only cracked the 100+ point plateau once! He has zero individual hardware, never won a Cup, and was never named to the NHL All-Star 1st or 2nd Team. This leads me to believe that he was rarely thought of as one of the best in the game. Don’t get me wrong, though, Mike Gartner was very good for a long period of time, but he was never great, not even for a year. Gartner is out.

Dale Hawerchuk is a tough one for me. He has the numbers, but does he have that little extra? Let’s see. Over 15 seasons, he tallied 513 goals and 1393 points in 1165 games. He had ten 30+ goal seasons, seven with 40+ goals, and one with 50+; however he never finished higher than 7th overall in a season. He was a great assist man with five seasons of 60+ assists, four with 70+, and one with 80+. None of those, however, were good enough for the lead league; the highest he finished was 4th. Six seasons of 100+ points is nice, but again, he never led the league. Overall, though, he is 18th all-time in total points. Additionally, he won the Calder Trophy and was named to the NHL All-Star 2nd Team once. And that is about it. On there own, his numbers are good enough to get in, but compared to others of his generation, I think they look merely very good, not great. I hate to do it, but Hawerchuk is out. Poor Winnipeg.

Last up is Jari Kurri. In many ways, he is similar to Hawerchuk in that they have just about the same amount of points. Over 16 seasons, Kurri amassed 591 goals (601 if I count his 38 game season). In 1213 games he put up 1369 points. He enjoyed eleven seasons of 30+ goals, seven with 40+, four with 50+, two with 60+, and one with 70+; these were good enough for lead the league once while finishing in the top-5 three other times. His assist numbers were good, averaging 60+ during his prime, but only good enough to finish as high as 9th in a season.  Total points, however, tell a different story. Six different times Kurri ended a season with 100+ total points and finished in the top-10 six different times. He won the Lady Byng once and was named to two NHL All-Star 1st Teams and two 2nd Teams. He also was part of the great Oilers dynasty that won five Stanley Cups. I am leaning towards saying no to Kurri but then I looked at his playoff numbers: 233 points in 200 games! That includes leading the entire playoffs in goals four different times. Is that enough to put him in? Hawerchuk put up similar numbers without the benefit of Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, etc. Switch the two players and I bet Hawerchuk has the Cups, the goals, and maybe some All-Star Team selections. Kurri is out.

Inducted: Viacheslav Fetisov

Kicked out: Mike Gartner, Dale Hawerchuk, and Jari Kurri

2002
Bernie Federko
Clark Gillies
Rod Langway

Ugh, why is Bernie Federko in the Hall of Fame? He is pretty much the reason for this entire series. He didn’t play particularly long (13 seasons), score a ton of goals (355), dish out an extraordinary amount of assists (752), or tally a ton of points (1107). He never finished in the top-10 in goals but managed to finish in the top-10 in assists seven times (4th overall being the highest) and top-10 in total points five times (8th being his highest). No individual awards, no Cups, no NHL All-Star Team selections. Heck, he only played in two All Star games. He is the definition of very good, not great. Federko is out!

Ugh squared! Friggin’ Clark Gillies. Read my thoughts here. Summed up, if Clark Gillies is in, Wayne Cashman should be in. And do I think Wayne Cashman is a Hall of Famer? Absolutely not. Gillies, you’re out!

Last up is Rod Langway. Defencemen are my achilles heel. As far as I can tell, Langway was a very good blueliner. Not the sort of guy to put up a ton of points like Orr, Bourque, Lindstrom, but the sort of defenceman who stayed at home and held the fort. His back-to-back Norris Trophy seasons are impressive as well as the fact that he finished 2nd behind Gretzky for the Hart Trophy for the 82-83 season. He does have one Cup with the Canadiens and was named to two NHL All-Star 1st Teams and one 2nd Team. Also, did you know he was born in Taiwan? Since I am light on defencemen and because the two Norris’ speak to his reputation and ability, Langway is in.

Inducted: Rod Langway
Kicked out: Bernie Federko and Clark Gillies

That is enough HOF debating for one day. let’s move onto an actual card that came in the mail yesterday:

2010-11 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection US-GL Guy Lafleur

Check out that bleu, blanc, and rouge beauty! Now one closer to my on-card HOF autograph goal.

Lastly, I’ve been quietly beefing up my PJ Axelsson collection. I have taken to browsing the Swedish eBay called Tradera.  Recently I found a couple of Axelsson jersey cards that I didn’t have, including a patch one. While paying, I asked the seller if he had other PJ cards, especially Swedish releases. Not only did he have those, but he had a ton os low numbered and parallel cards of PJ that I didn’t have. The best part, though, is that he knew and checked out my blog. What a crazy world! So now I have a guy who can get me things. Some have a guy who can get them firearms, babies, truffles, whatever. I have a Axelsson guy. Jealous? I thought so. So that is a story I wanted to pass on.

I leave you with this:

There have been quite a few things I’ve wanted to write about recently, but have not really had the time for many reasons. However, today was a snow day (hooray for working in public education) so now I have plenty of time to write, write, and write.

Let’s start with Part 15 of the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good series. Wait, 15?!?! Holy smokes, I’ve really drawn this out, haven’t it? Well, it’s only going to get more drawn out, so bear with me.

I last looked at the classes of 1996 and 1997, inducting Salming, Trottier and some guy named Lemieux while kicking out no one. All three were fairly easy choices, although Salming gave me a little pause.

A look at the past:

1961-1966
1967-1970
1971-1973
1974-1976
1977-1978
1979-1980
1981
1982-1984
1985-1986
1987-1988
1989-1990
1991-1992
1993-1995
1996-1997

We now pick up with the class of 1998…

1998
Michel Goulet
Peter Stastny

We’re getting into an era of hockey when tons of guys scored tons of goals, so it is going to be hard for me to properly evaluate these players. Goulet is a great example. Over 16 seasons, Goulet racked up 548 goals and 604 assists for a total of 1152 points in 1089 games. Averaging over a point a game for a career is certainly impressive. Also impressive is that he scored over 40 goals seven times and over 50 goals four times. But what does that mean exactly, especially in the context of the era and the rest of the league? Six times he finished in the top-10 in goals, four of those being in the top-5. Okay, that is still pretty impressive, but scoring 50+ while guys like John Ogrodnick, Tim Kerr, Bobby Carpenter, and Mike Bullard were nettings 50+ themselves doesn’t make it stand out so much. I equate this era to the steroid-era in baseball. Obviously not for the steroids, but just for the obscene numbers EVERYONE was putting up. Or better yet, what about the pass happy modern era of the NFL when QB records fall each season?

Back to Goulet. He never won any individual hardware and never won the Cup. He did, however, get named to three NHL All Star 1st Teams and two 2nd Teams. He is 27th overall in career goals and 49th overall in career points, but I just don’t see him as one of the top players of all time. Sorry Michel, you are out despite having one of the most French names of all time.

Next is Goulet’s teammate, Peter Stastny. He is sort of the yin to Goulet’s yang. Where Goulet scored lots of goals, Stastny set him up on most of them. In thirteen seasons, he netted 450 goals (respectable) and helped out on 789 others for a total of 1239 points in 977 games. Stastny was one of the premier assist guys during his era, routinely finishing in the top-10 (7 times), but never leading the category. He was no slouch in the goal scoring department either, tossing in 40+ on five different occasions. What makes him more impressive than Goulet is that he had seven 100+ point seasons, including six in a row to start his career. While he never won the Cup, he did take home the Calder Trophy. His overall ranks in assists (32nd) and points (36th) give me pause, but if I don’t take Goulet, then I can’t take Stastny. Out.

Inducted: No one
Kicked out: Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny

1999
Wayne Gretzky

Seriously?

Inducted: Wayne Gretzky
Kicked out: No one

2000
Denis Savard
Joe Mullen

Denis Savard is like the French Canadien version of Peter Stastny. They both could score some goals, they both dished out A LOT of assists, but neither ever led the league in either category, which hurts their cause. Savard’s career rank in assists (23rd) and points (28) statistically make him better to Stastny; the Stanley Cup doesn’t hurt either. Those things, though, just don’t add up to greatness in my eyes. Very goodness, yes, but greatness, no. Denis Savard, you are out.

Whaddya know, Joe? There is no way in hell that I am putting Joe Mullen in the Hall of Fame. Sure, he was a very good player and one of the best American born players to lace ‘em up in the NHL, but I can’t be handing out inductions for caveats like that. Oh, so-and-so -was the best player to ever come out of Italy or so-and-so was the best player ever at 168 pounds. C’mon! To be fair, though, I will look at his career.

Over fifteen years, Mullen scored 502 goals and assisted on 561 others for a total of 1063 points in…1062 games. He is a point-per player in an era when EVERYONE scored points. Hell, my man Craig Janney was nearly a point-per player for his career (751/760). He netted 40+ goals seven times and reached the 50+ mark once. He was named to one NHL All Star 1st Team and took home the Lady Byng twice. AMAZING! His three Stanley Cups are nice but that’s a team accolade.

Joe Mullen, you are out.

Inducted: No one
Kicked out: Denis Savard and Joe Mullen

Man that was tough. Gretzky is the only one to make it in this go around. I feel bad for the other guys, because when you are inducted the year before and the year after Wayne, your career is just going to look…small.

Next up, 2011-12 Upper Deck Black Diamond hockey.

I don’t know why I ever buy this stuff. The card design never appeals to me, the packs are somewhat expensive for what you get, and the cards NEVER SCAN PROPERLY! I guess I buy them for you, my loyal readers. I feel some sort of obligation/duty to put some packs, scan them, and then bitch out the cards. W
ell, this year it’s different. Or is it? I don’t even know. Let’s look at some cards…

I will say this about Black Diamond: you will NEVER be surprised by the design. Has there ever been a product that looks essentially the same year-to-year? I’d say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” but I can’t say that it isn’t broke. It’s Black Diamond and it’s boring.

I choose the Vermette card because I really like those Blue Jacket unis; they remind me of a WHA logo (more on that soon). The Hall card I chose because, well, it’s Taylor Hall. The empty stat space looks clumsy and poorly executed. Couldn’t they just write a little more text or something? BUT IT IS A TRIPLE DIAMOND! Zzzz.

I pulled some other cards I wanted to share…

Did I get a retro hot pack or something?! Look, I appreciate new cards of retired players as much as the next guy, but can we just give it a rest for a bit? Or at least mix it up with older stars that never get their due? How about cards of Richard, Schmidt, Plante, etc? Maybe open up a young collector’s eyes to a bit of hockey history.

I pulled a ruby (# /100) parallel…

I was SO close to tearing this card in half but figured one of you Canuck/goalie fans would want it. For some reason I find the fact that he is pictured in his All Star West jersey hilarious. I wish I knew why.

I also pulled one rookie, but lucky me, it was a gold (# /10) one…

Hey wait, you’re not Ryan Nugent-Hopkins! Pulling a rookie numbered to 10 of a defenceman is the worst!

So there you have it.

2011-12 Upper Deck Black Diamond: Same (not so) great look, same buyer’s remorse. Anyone want these things?

Moving on, the WHA.

So, I mentioned before that I’m reading this book The Rebel League by Ed Willes about the history of the WHA. Let me just say that it is fantastic. I am about half way through and all I want to do is talk about the crazy stories about players, teams, and owners. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Seriously. I am a hockey fanatic and a librarian, so I feel like I am uniquely qualified to make this suggestion. Plus, after reading it, you’ll want to do what I’m going to do, which is build all of the WHA sets from the 70s. I just bought a stack of commons from the 76-77 set and will be posting them soon. Also, you’ll probably want to snag a Minnesota Fighting Saints jersey.

Lastly, the Canucks and Bruins game from this past weekend. I’m sure everyone who isn’t a fan of either team is already sick and tired of everything that has been said, so I’ll keep it short and sweet.

-Marchand deserves his 5-games. It was a low hit and not his first offense. If he were on any other team, I’d loathe him, but he is on my team, so I love him. Admit it; you’d want a guy like him buzzing around the ice.

-I was shocked to see Lapierre actually drop the mitts. While I still can’t stand him, I currently have no beef with him. He manned up. Wish I could say the same for the rest of the Canucks.

-Apparently Weise wanted a piece of McQuaid but Thornton dropped them instead. If that is the case, Weise should have been happy to go with Thornton as McQuaid would have destroyed him. Thornton is a better technical fighter, but McQuaid just effs dudes up. Don’t believe me? Go ask Raffi Torres or Brian Sutherby.

-Speaking of McQuaid, Jannick Hansen better hope he never gets traded to the Eastern Division. I had forgotten about his little spearing incident in Game 7 but McQuaid hasn’t. He wanted a piece of him on Saturday, but the refs saved Hansen’s bacon.

-As far as I’m concerned, Burrows still has something coming to him.

-WHAT A GAME! It had it all, didn’t it? The Bruins lost, but the league won, in my eyes.