Ranking the Biggest Hall of Fame Snubs in Hockey History
The Hockey Hall of Fame recently inducted former NHL stars Sergei Fedorov, Phil Housley, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger into its ranks. All were certainly worthy candidates. However, there are several former hockey greats who continue to be snubbed by the Hall.
Some, such as goaltender Rogatien Vachon (pictured above), have waited decades for a call from the Hall. Others, like forward Eric Lindros, have been eligible for induction for nearly a decade. There are those who've been honored by their country—Jeremy Roenick—who have yet to receive a Hall of Fame nod.
Here's a look at the biggest Hockey Hall of Fame snubs. Factors such as career stats and personal honors were taken into consideration when compiling this list. Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section below.
Honorable Mention
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Guy Carbonneau: During the 1980s and 1990s, Carbonneau was among the NHL's top defensive forwards. He won three Frank J. Selke trophies and played on three Stanley Cup champions in Montreal and Dallas.
Curtis Joseph: Joseph (pictured above) never won a championship or individual awards for performance, but he could steal a playoff series on his own. CuJo's 454 career victories rank fourth all time among NHL goalies.
Bernie Nicholls: A skilled scorer long before Wayne Gretzky joined the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, Nicholls netted 475 goals and 1,209 points in 1,127 games. He still ranks among the Kings' all-time scoring leaders.
Mark Recchi: He retired in 2011, so it could be argued he hasn't really been snubbed yet. It can also be suggested his 577 goals and 1,533 points shouldn't keep him out of the Hall.
Bobby Smith: A quiet leader and offensive star, Smith netted 1,036 points in 1,077 games. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1979, helped the Minnesota North Stars reach two Stanley Cup Finals and won a championship with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986.
Keith Tkachuk: A top power forward during the Dead Puck era from 1995 to 2004, Tkachuk's 538 goals and 1,065 points puts him among the top American scorers of all time. In 2011, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
Pierre Turgeon: One of the smoothest offensive players in NHL history, Turgeon tallied 515 goals and 1,327 points in 1,294 games. Known for his clean style of play, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1993.
John Vanbiesbrouck: Beezer is the all-time leader among American goaltenders in games played (882) and wins (374). He's also tied with Frank Brimsek for the most shutouts (40). Vanbiesbrouck won the Vezina Trophy in 1986.
Mike Vernon: With 385 career wins, Vernon backstopped the Calgary Flames to the 1989 Stanley Cup championship. He did it again with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Doug Wilson: The longtime general manager of the San Jose Sharks was also a stellar NHL defenseman. Wilson won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 1982 and totaled 827 points in 1,024 games.
10. Theoren Fleury
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Theoren Fleury's well-documented struggles with drugs and alcohol brought his NHL career to a premature close. It would explain why the Hockey Hall of Fame seems reluctant to induct him. However, there is no doubt that the 5'6” forward was a genuine NHL superstar during the 1990s.
Over the course of his 15 NHL seasons, Fleury exceeded 30 goals eight times and 60 points 12 times. He also reached 100 or more penalty minutes 10 times. The bulk of his success came during his nearly 11 seasons with the Calgary Flames. Despite playing through the Dead Puck era of the late '90s and his personal issues, Fleury netted 455 goals, 633 assists for 1,088 points.
Since playing his final game in 2003, Fleury overcame his personal demons to live a productive life away from hockey. He remains among the Flames' all-time leading scorers. His achievements on the ice, which include a Stanley Cup championship (1989) and Olympic gold (2002), are worthy of induction into the Hall.
9. Jeremy Roenick
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In a 20-year career with five NHL teams, few players were as exciting or outspoken as center Jeremy Roenick. Perhaps it's his willingness to speak his mind that has kept him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame, or maybe it's his lack of championship or individual honors.
What's undeniable is Roenick certainly has Hall of Fame-worthy numbers. Between 1989-90 and 2002-03, he exceeded 20 goals 13 times and 60 points 11 times. With the Chicago Blackhawks from 1991-1992 to 1993-04, he twice netted 50 goals and reached 100-plus points three times.
Among American-born NHL players, Roenick ranks fourth all time in goals (513) and points (1,216). In 2010, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. If Roenick is good enough for them, he's good enough for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
8. Alexander Mogilny
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The first player to defect from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, Alexander Mogilny went on to have a stellar career with the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs. Nearly a decade following Mogilny's final game in 2006, the Hockey Hall of Fame continues to shun him.
In 16 NHL seasons, Mogilny tallied 473 goals, 559 assists for 1,032 points in 990 NHL games. In eight of those seasons, he netted 30 goals and 60 points eight times. He's the first and (to date) only Russian player to score 70 goals in a season. Mogilny helped the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup in 2000, won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2003 and was twice named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team.
Mogilny's defection was a huge risk on his part, facing considerable adjustment to life in North America and to the NHL game. He persevered through those early years, as well as through hip injuries that hampered and ultimately ended his career. Mogilny merits induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
7. Dave Andreychuk
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Few players in NHL history had the offensive consistency of left wing Dave Andreychuk over the course of his 23-year career. Since his retirement midway though the 2005-06 campaign, Andreychuk has been repeatedly passed over by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Andreychuk reached or exceeded 20 goals a remarkable 19 times. He also tallied 50-plus points 13 times, including back-to-back 99-point performances in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He's the all-time leader in power-play goals with 274. The only active player close to that total is Jaromir Jagr with 206. In 2004, Andreychuk captained the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship.
Perhaps it's Andreychuk's lack of personal honors or a perceived reputation as a one-dimensional offensive player that's kept him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Whatever the reason, it's shameful that a player with 640 goals and 1,338 points in 1,639 games hasn't been inducted yet.
6. Tom Barrasso
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In 2008, The Hockey News' Mike Brophy noted goaltender Tom Barrasso's abrasive attitude would likely keep him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame for a long time. Seven years later, Barrasso continues to be passed over for consideration.
But as Brophy pointed out, Barrasso's career is worthy of induction. He was the first goaltender to reach the NHL straight out of high school. In 1983-84, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy and Vezina Trophy, becoming the youngest player to win the latter. Barrasso backstopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992. Among American-born goaltenders, his 369 wins rank second all time.
Barrasso's surly nature didn't prevent the United States Hockey Hall of Fame from inducting him in 2009. It shouldn't be a reason to keep him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
5. Paul Kariya
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Concussion injuries would significantly hamper Paul Kariya's NHL career, ultimately bringing it to a close in 2010. He spent nine of his 15 NHL seasons in Anaheim. In the days when the Ducks still had Mighty in their name, Kariya was their first superstar.
Teamed with winger Teemu Selanne for nearly six seasons, Kariya exceeded 40 goals three times and 100 points twice. Over the course of his career, he exceeded 60 points nine times and 30 goals seven times. Kariya also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy twice (1996, 1997), was named to the NHL's First All-Star Team three times (1996, 1997, 1999) and was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1997.
Kariya finished his career with 989 points in 989 games. If not for multiple concussions, he undoubtedly would have reached greater heights. His career is certainly deserving of recognition by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
4. Eric Lindros
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Eric Lindros' NHL career began with his refusal to report to the Quebec Nordiques in the 1991 NHL entry draft, resulting in a year-long holdout and a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was shortened by multiple concussions and marred by contract disputes with Flyers management. Those factors could explain why he's been passed over for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
What cannot be overlooked was just how dominant a player Lindros was during his eight seasons with the Flyers. From 1992-93 to 1999-2000, The Big E tallied 290 goals, 369 assists for 659 points in 486 games. He reached 70 points seven times in that stretch. Lindros' best season was during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign. With 70 points in 46 games, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester Pearson Award.
Lindros' career points-per-game average (1.138) ranks 19th among the NHL's all-time leaders. That's more than Hall of Fame winger Pavel Bure (1.110), whose own career was cut short by injuries. Surely, Lindros is just as deserving of induction as Bure.
3. Sergei Makarov
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It's not Sergei Makarov's seven NHL seasons that make him worthy for the Hockey Hall of Fame, though he did win the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1990. It's his stellar international career that makes his ongoing exclusion from the Hall difficult to understand.
Between 1978-79 to 1988-89, Makarov was part of the Soviet Union's famed “KLM Line,” skating along Vladimir Krutov and Igor Larionov. He was the USSR's leading scorer eight times. He helped the Soviets win gold in Olympic men's ice hockey twice (1984, 1988) and eight times at the World Championships. In 2001, Makarov was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.
Notable stars from the Soviet era, including Larionov, Vladislav Tretiak and Valeri Kharlamov, have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's high time Makarov received recognition for his outstanding international accomplishments.
2. Butch Goring
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Through the 1970s and early 1980s, Butch Goring was among the NHL's best two-way forwards. His career was marked by considerable success. Retired since 1985, he's yet to be honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In over 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, Goring reached 50-plus points nine times. In 1977-78, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Dealt to the New York Islanders in 1980, Goring became a key component in their four-year Stanley Cup dynasty. In 1981, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
The Hockey Hall of Fame website cites the addition of Goring as “the turning point” on the Islanders' road to Cup glory. After a career in which Goring also finished with 888 points in 1,107 career games, his continual exclusion from the Hall is an inexcusable snub.
1. Rogatien Vachon
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Since his retirement in 1982, NHL goaltender Rogatien Vachon has been continually passed over for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Considering Vachon's accomplishments during his 16-season NHL career, his continual exclusion is a puzzling, ongoing snub.
From 1966-67 to 1977-78, Vachon was among the NHL's top goaltenders. He won three Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens (1966-67 to 1971-72) and shared the Vezina Trophy in 1968 with Gump Worsley. Dealt to the Los Angeles Kings in 1971, Vachon became one of their first stars. He was twice named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team in 1975 and 1977 and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy in both seasons.
In 2009, The Hockey News' Brian Costello made the case for Vachon's inclusion in the Hall of Fame. He noted Vachon's career stats (including 355 wins, 2.99 goals-against average and 51 shutouts) compared favorably to Hall of Fame goalies such as Worsley, Gerry Cheevers, Ken Dryden, Eddie Giacomin and Tony Esposito. Vachon is long overdue to join his peers in the Hall.
Players stats via Hockey-Reference.com and Quant Hockey.
