THN's Top-100 Hits The Mark

The latest special edition of The Hockey News is their look at the top 100 players to play in the NHL by position. You get 20 per position (G, D, LW, RW, C), which is quite the exhaustive task. In the grand scheme of things, it's a very good representation of the players who have played in the league.

However, the biggest thing that impressed me was the fact that they were able to blend the eras together. Most of the time, these sort of lists have issues when it deals with the modern day players. The modern players really get too much credit if only because they are very much instilled in our short-attention spans. Sure, you have the guys who are always in there regardless of the era, but nothing this hardcore.

For instance, THN has Terry Sawchuk as their top goalie of all-time, with Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Jacques Plante, and Dominik Hasek rounding out the top five. Also on the goalie list, George Hainsworth (9th), Frank Brimsek (12th), and Clint Benedict (16th) mixed in with Ken Dryden (7th), Grant Fuhr (13th), and Ed Belfour (18th). For a position that has had the most change in style and equipment, it's quite the fine representation of everyone involved.

Defensively, the list is very interesting, with the old school players like Dit Clapper, King Clancy, and Eddie Shore being on the list, Shore being the 3rd overall. Granted, you did have a lot of the modern guys like Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, and Chris Pronger on the list; with Ray Bourque and Nick Lidstrom being in the top-five.

The forwards is really were the modern guys are prominent, especially in center and right winger. The left wing position is really out there, proving it's the most shallow position out there in the league. You have a nice mix of Luc Robitaille (7th), Alex Ovechkin (8th), and Henrik Zetterberg (20th); but you have the likes of Busher Jackson (6th), Cy Denneny (9th), and Sweeney Schriner (16th). The latters are ones you have to Wikipedia to find out when they actually played, as all of them were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame before 1971.

While we all know that these lists are all really subjective to who's voting on this whole thing, but the point is this: The Hockey News did it right. They actually were able to make a list like this and incorporate all the eras of the NHL and didn't really buy into the hype of the modern era being the best era of all time. It could be, but you can't disrespect the past like some outlets do when making these all-time lists.

Don't believe me?? Go ahead and pick it up on your newsstands now.

Spakle and Fade

While the Everclear Draft Weekend doesn't start until Thursday for the FOHS fateful, that's what June 22, 2010 was for most people. Probably the most exciting non-game/event day in the recent memory of the NHL; thanks to all the news made. It had everything, but when it came to the main cog-- it fell a little short.

-First, it's started with the NHL schedule being released, the earliest in a while. While I personally didn't care, most NHL road-trippers did. I just wondered the start time of the Heritage Classic and to see if I can weasel my way into the event in some way, shape, or form. Other than that-- check out the Sensational Sean Leahy's write-up about anticipated games.

-Then, we had the trade that had the Boston Bruins picking up Nathan Horton and Greg Campbell from the Florida Panthers for Dennis Wideman, the 15th overall pick in the Draft, and a third-rounder in 2011. For the Bruins, the acquisition of Horton is an improvement, considering he has five straight seasons of 20 goals or more, something the Bruins have missed-- although the injuries issues is something that the Bruins could and should be concerned about. At least they also got the disciplinarians son in the deal as well. Wideman had a season to wipe-away, though he will be the cornerstone in the Panthers rebuilding defense. If he can improve his +/-, the Panthers may have something.

-At the same time, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Pat Quinn had stepped down as head coach and moved to Senior Adviser to the GM, making way for co-coach Tom Renney to take over. Renney was going to get this job eventually, but the fact the rebuild is in full swing, it's better they did this sooner than later. Renney's last job was with the New York Rangers and replaced Quinn once before in Vancouver. While his style isn't exciting, it's often successful for Renney. Whether it will work with the new look Oilers will remain to be seen.

-After that, the NHL said good-bye to Scott Niedermayer; as the defenseman called it a career after 18 years and leaves on 42 players left from NHL '94. Niedermayer won wherever he went and really shouldn't be waiting long after the waiting period to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I mean, four Stanley Cups, two Olympic Gold, World Juniors Gold, Memorial Cup Champion, World Championship Gold, and he ate the bowl. Not much else you can say, because it says it all in his stats and what he did when he was there. Sadly, we'll miss one of the best playoff beards ever because of this retirement.

-Then the main event-- the Hockey Hall of Fame nominees. This year, it was an allotment for four players, two women's players, and some builders. There was a lot of ruckus around who was going in, who wasn't-- but it created for great off-season debate.....but seemed to be a huge letdown in the end.

Though it is fitting, the first year that the women are introduced, they will be the majority as Angela James-- the Gretzky of women's hockey to start off with; and Cammi Granato will be going to the Hall. James was an innovator in the women's game for Canada, where she was a big fish in a developing small pond and really gave something younger girls could aspire to in Canada. Same goes with Granato, who was basically the USA version of James, only on a smaller scale. Granato did a lot for the women's game in the US and really helped pass along the torch in these new times.

That being done, only ONE spot was filled in the male side, that being Dino Ciccarelli. For a long time, many have wondered when he would get his chance. 600+ goals, 1200 points on the nose; but for some reason-- mostly media unfriendly and a bad rap from the ice-- Dino was always overlooked and pretty much pushed aside. However, in a seemingly weak class; they couldn't avoid him or the outcry of some fans now. Even though he never won a Cup, he did well on so-so teams at the start of his career, but couldn't be a hanger-on in his later years. He did enough to be the Hall of Famer he is now.

It's sad that there's only one. The debate about Adam Oates, Joe Nieuwendyk, Pavel Bure, hell-- even Eric Lindros being on the dias this year, and nothing came of it. Is it something where it was a wide-open field and other votes canceled out others?? Was the hype about this year's class something that was overdone and they weren't the spectacular to begin with?? Maybe we'll find out soon, but it seems like that many could have been looking too deep into the whole thing and overestimated the voters of the Hockey Hall, per usual.

Another thing I'm ticked about is the exclusion of Pat Burns in the Builder's category. We all know that Burns is dealing with Cancer and it would have been the best time to put the great coach into the Hall, but the voters did not. Sure, we shouldn't dismiss the fact of Jim Devellano of the Red Wings and the late Daryl Seaman of the Flames should be there-- but you would have hoped that the voters in the Hall had some kind of heart to include Burns....but....here we are.

---------

That was the day it was. A lot of opening acts and a somewhat disappointing headlining gig. In the end, it'll only create for more of a debate in next year's Hall of Fame-- but that's what the off-season is for. We saw new beginnings, transitions, endings, and the map for next season. It was every possible emotion fans could have in one day and not have any games played. Hope fans savored it, because it could mean we're in for a long off-season if this is the most exciting day.

Then There Were 45/The Hall of Fame Debate

With the official announcement made yesterday, Curtis Joseph has retired from the NHL, thus another NHL '94 alumnus bites the dust and leaves us with 45 players left from the game. Joseph leaves the game with the fourth most wins by any goalie at 454 in 19 seasons of work. Of course, he also collected 352 losses, which ties Gump Worsley with the most losses in the NHL career of a goalie, but that's neither here nor there.

Joseph had a great career with six teams, three of them being in Canada-- but his most memorable times were with Toronto and Edmonton, where he is/was hailed as a folk hero for his service. Toronto especially, where he was a finalist for the Vezina twice, the Lester B. Pearson award once, and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for contributions in the community on and off the ice. His play was a big reason why the Leafs got to the Conference Finals in 1999 and 2002 and finished up his career there, even if it was a back-up to Vesa Toskala. Joseph is also the first goalie to win playoff games with five different teams (St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto, Detroit, and Calgary). With all of this, you have to wonder how he was ever undrafted to start off with. Joseph is a three-time all-star, a gold medal winner in 2002, and he probably ate the bowl, too.

Of course, now, the focus turns to the Hall of Fame, which makes you wonder why there's any kind of discussion with all of this?? His numbers and play alone should make him a Hall of Famer, even if it isn't first ballot. Sure, Joseph doesn't have a Stanley Cup ring to his name, but is that the end-all be-all for someone who is on the fringe?? Albeit, he's the only goalie in the top-10 in all-time wins to not win a Cup, but all the same; the numbers should be something that should supersede the lack of the Cup ring. Not only that, but the effect Joseph had on the places he played need to be placed into the balloting of Joseph. He made the people of Edmonton and Toronto come alive and have hope, especially in the playoffs where CuJo built his legendary status. Even while his last years, post-lockout, were very forgettable; that shouldn't take away from what he achieved beforehand.

However, the lack of Cup ring could keep him out. If that's the case, you have to wonder how Mats Sundin will get in. Of course, that brings up another question of who meant more to the Leafs organization during that time, Joseph or Sundin-- but that's another topic for another time. Back to the lack of ring, the thing with Joseph has that guys like, let's say Dino Ciccarelli, don't have is the off-ice work he has done, not only in the community with CuJo's Kids, but reaching out with Right to Play and heading over to do work in places like Rwanda.

Yet, with guys with rings like Doug Gilmour waiting on the outside of the Halls, odds are Joseph will be passed over for the time being. It doesn't seem to effect Joseph, because he seemed like a happy-go-lucky guy in his career, even if he did take out a ref during the 2000 Playoffs. He came up from being born of teenage parents, being adopted by a different family of a mixed-race family, then going undrafted and fighting his way to get to the point where he was. He didn't seem too sad to retire, but odds are he's going to get into the coaching game sooner rather than later. Plus, he leaves a mark on having some of the best masks out there.

HHOF Discussion 1,245: Mats Sundin and Pierre Turgeon in the Same Breath??

In the industry I work in, there's a phrase that holds tried-and-true: "This one will get some letters." It's my believe that this could be one of those times.

The reason I write about this is when I saw it in The Hockey News in their "Snapshots" section. For those not familiar, the section is a small blurb with some informative news from around hockey with possible some kind of zinger or smart-ass comment to it at the end. In this one blurb, they mention something along the lines of if Mats Sundin gets into the Hockey Hall of Fame, so should Pierre Turgeon. They cite Turgeon putting just as many points as Sundin in a shorter amount of time.

At first, I kind of laughed it off; but the more I thought about it-- the more I think it should be something seriously considered. Neither of them have a Cup, both were pretty consistent season-by-season, but of course the edge of the thing would go to Sundin for playing as well as he did in the market he did. Turgeon played consistent until his last few seasons, but aside from those-- he'd often be at the top of the team leaders in points, often being at the top of that list.

Yet, at the same time-- you look at where Turgeon played and where Sundin spent most his career. How much does the media exposure help out the player in situations like these?? You look at what was going on with Sundin and how well he played on a decent to subpar team, but would he get the same high-praise if he played in the markets that Turgeon did?? Granted, Turgeon did play in Montreal for a season and led the team for his full season, but it wasn't enough to get a gauge on whether he would get the treatment Sundin got in Toronto by the media, as well as the fans.

Sure, the International play is no-contest in favor of Sundin, who was amazing for Sweden, so the edge is obviously there. But look at points per game (Turgeon 1.03, Sundin 1.00) and goals per game (Turgeon 0.40, Sundin 0.42), the two are exactly the same in stats ratio. If you're going on stats alone, then you can actually mention both in the same breath and not be looked at as totally insane when it all boils down to it.

While Sundin should be assured to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame; you have to maybe put Turgeon into consideration. Not first-ballot, maybe-- but sometime before he loses his chance at it. There's a lot less deserving guys in the Hall (depending on who ask, of course), so why not throw a guy like Turgeon in there who did so much for teams that seemingly had little to help him out at the time. Of course, we all will remember the hit Turgeon took from Dale Hunter; so why not give us another reason to roll that footage once more??

Hall Of An Idea

In 2010, the Hockey Hall of Fame has decided to do something that could be a couple years in the making, but they will update their bylaws in order to consider women to become part of the Hall of Fame. Currently, the by-law states that only four players to be inducted per induction ceremony. However, with the new by-law change, four men and two women will be allowed to be inducted per induction; which will open things to the women's side of the game to finally be given the honor they deserve.

I have talked about this subject before when Cammi Granato got the nod for the US HHOF, and I still believe it's beyond the time for women to be inducted. The women's game, especially in the last decade, has taken off and the time is right for the HHOF to actually start up the bands for the pioneers of the modern game and those who have broken the barrier in years past to allow the pioneers to excel as they have.

However, the main concern I have is that after you get Granato, Hayley Wickenheiser, and a couple others who have excelled, there could be a stall in the voting that the by-law could be changed once again, which could screw the pooch for this whole ordeal. This could be a whole thing where the Hall knows it's time to induct women, but they don't want some to take the spot of a male player for one reason or another. Maybe once they get all the top names out there and appease the masses, they'll change it back to normal. That's the eternal pessimist in me, so pay me no mind.

The ol' boys club seems to be seeing the light on the issues that have changed hockey for the better for all involved. Now, if only they could get Dino Ciccarelli in the Hall and things would be on the up and up.

Will 4,000 Get Recognized??

Tony Hand is on the verge of something great. Hand currently stands at 3,999 points for his career and has a good shot at reaching 4,000 points when he plays this weekend. Why haven't you heard a big deal about this?? Well, there's a good reason for that. Hand plays for the Manchester Phoenix in the British Elite League and has for all of his 3,999 points. With many of its own fans calling it glorified beer league, odds are the North American fan contingent wouldn't recognize Tony Hand if he suited up at all.

Hand was the first British trained hockey player to be drafted by an NHL team when the Edmonton Oilers picked him in 12th round in 1986. Hand was brought over and played in the WHL for the Victoria Cougars netting four goals and four assists in three games....but got homesick and has never played outside of the British League since.

A question was brought up by our buddy Anthony over at the FOHS boards wondering how long it took for players to be nominated for the Hockey Hall of Fame after they had retired. Of course, it's three years-- but it makes me wonder that even if Hand retired shortly after he netted his 4,000th point, would the HHOF committee even recognize him as a viable candidate for entry??

Let's not be stupid, 4,000th points in any league is an amazing feat, but when you think that most North American hockey fans didn't know there was a true British Hockey League, despite Theo Fleury's venture to the league a few years back; odds are the selection committee wouldn't be too keen on putting this accolade amongst those of NHLers, elite Europeans, and other top North American ilk. Considering that Hand did this under the radar of everything, it would take a big, big feat for him to actually be put into the pot for consideration.

Yet, playing the "what if" card, you wonder what Hand could have become had be stayed in North America. Eight points in three games in the WHL makes you wonder how good he could have been. Even with the British League, the point totals he has is phenominal and appears that he makes the game look easy when he's out there on the ice. Every year, he has totaled more than a point-per-game and doesn't seem like he's slowing up, even at 41 years old.

The feat itself is amazing within itself and will surely get him into the IIHF Hall of Fame, but odds are that despite this amazing showing of skill, despite his longevity and he's a British hockey legend; the odds are that he won't even get a sniff at the Hockey Hall of Fame; which is a damn shame.

A Case For Cammi

It was announced Tuesday that Cammi Granato would be inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame with Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, and pseudo-American Brett Hull. Now, Granato is the first female to be inducted into the US HHOF and should very well be the first female inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Granto was already inducted to the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame this May, with three other women's players to become the first women to be inducted.

There will be plenty of people who will debate what that Haley Wickenheiser should get the first nod over Granato for what she has done with her status and getting into professional ranks, but either or at this point-- it's high time that a figure in women's hockey needs to be enshrined into the HHOF, especially with the expansion of women's hockey all over the world.

Granato should recieve the nod first, mostly since her contribution to women's hockey in the US has gone above and beyond what anyone could imagine. Granato was the captain of the Gold Medal winning USA team in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, which was the first time women's hockey was in the Olympics and really has been the figure-head for women's hockey in the US. Also, for what it's worth-- Cammi had 139 goals and 256 points in 99 career college hockey games; both of which are records for Providence College. Sure, it was in the infancy of women's college hockey-- but even still; that's damn impressive.

You have to remember, the HHOF is for all forms of hockey-- which seems to be forgotten. There have been plenty of international stars, male and female, who have been overlooked for enshrinement. I know on the June 25th edition of Face Off Hockey Show, Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey talked to us about how overdue it has been for a women to be inducted.

With all these accolades being given to Granato in the past few months, it's about time that the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee give a serious look at Granato being the first female to be inducted. Granato is one of the most recognizable faces when it comes to women's hockey and it would be a fitting honor for her to be the first women to be inducted into the HHOF after the US HHOF and IIHF HHOF.