2007 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees Thread

God Bless Canada

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That'll leave next year as a good opportunity for some guys to get in who are deserving. After that though, you're back to having some locks again. Yzerman and Leetch are eligible in 2009. The former is a lock, and the latter would need some stiff competition to not get in. Hard to argue with the two Norris trophies, and a dominating playoffs resulting in a Conn Smythe and ending the cup drought in New York.

I'm not sure where Brett Hull falls though. He retired some time early in the 2005-06 season. Does that make him 2008 eligible, or 2009 eligible. He's another likely first ballot guy.
Hull is eligible for 2009. So is Robitaille. And Dave Andreychuk.

Yzerman, Leetch and Hull are locks for 2009. Robitaille is a lock for the HHOF, only question is whether he gets in for 2009, or waits a year or two.

Dave Andreychuk should not be in the HHOF.
 

Sens Rule

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Others eligible for the first time are Claude Lemieux, Vincent Damphousse, Shayne Corson, Calle Johansson, Cliff Ronning and Steve Thomas. Only Lemieux is expected to draw serious consideration in future years.

I don't get Claude Lemieux as any kind of HHOF candidate. He is not nearly as good as Ciccarelli, Damphousse, Andreychuk who will never get in. Claude was NEVER anywhere close to an elite player, he did have some really good playoffs but that is not near enough to let him in. If Claude Lemieux is considered than Hextall, Ranford and many other goalies with good playoffs need to be considered.

Dale Hunter is a better agitator than Claude Lemieux - if you put in Claude you have to put in Hunter.

Claude is a FAR worse choice than Duff or Neely. He would possibly be the worst player in the HHOF.

Claude did raise his game in the playoffs. He always did. But he had ONE playoff year where he was a PPG player. That's it. He has TWO 13 and one 10 goal playoffs. Nice but that is essentially all he did that was ever Hall of Fame worthy. He won the Smythe and was a candidate a couple of other times more because no else really had a singular standout playoffs on the finals teams. He won only one Smythe not 2 or 3 Smythe's.

I don't see Lemieux as anywhere near a legitmate candidate. I'd easily induct guys like Tim Kerr or another great playoff guy on those 80's Flyers teams - Propp before even considering Lemieux.

Lemieux would be maybe 20th or 30th on a list of players fromt he last 25 years that will never be inducted into the HHOF.

I just can't buy Claude as a serious candidate at all.
 

looooob

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ok I'll admit I'm a huge Al MacInnis fan, but I can't believe talk of him being undeserving (not specifically on this thread, but as I've passed through various sites this afternoon)

Conn Smythe, Norris Trophy, a first or second team allstar 7 or 8 times, about 12 allstar game appearances, 1200 plus points for a defenceman with nearly a point per game in the playoffs, and was a plus player 19 years in a row

I'd be curious how many guys with CVs like this aren't first ballot HOFers?
 
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John Flyers Fan

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I don't get Claude Lemieux as any kind of HHOF candidate. He is not nearly as good as Ciccarelli, Damphousse, Andreychuk who will never get in. Claude was NEVER anywhere close to an elite player, he did have some really good playoffs but that is not near enough to let him in. If Claude Lemieux is considered than Hextall, Ranford and many other goalies with good playoffs need to be considered.

Dale Hunter is a better agitator than Claude Lemieux - if you put in Claude you have to put in Hunter.

Claude is a FAR worse choice than Duff or Neely. He would possibly be the worst player in the HHOF.

Claude did raise his game in the playoffs. He always did. But he had ONE playoff year where he was a PPG player. That's it. He has TWO 13 and one 10 goal playoffs. Nice but that is essentially all he did that was ever Hall of Fame worthy. He won the Smythe and was a candidate a couple of other times more because no else really had a singular standout playoffs on the finals teams. He won only one Smythe not 2 or 3 Smythe's.

I don't see Lemieux as anywhere near a legitmate candidate. I'd easily induct guys like Tim Kerr or another great playoff guy on those 80's Flyers teams - Propp before even considering Lemieux.

Lemieux would be maybe 20th or 30th on a list of players fromt he last 25 years that will never be inducted into the HHOF.

I just can't buy Claude as a serious candidate at all.

Couldn't agree more.
 

revolverjgw

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ok I'll admit I'm a huge Al MacInnis fan, but I can't believe talk of him being undeserving (not specifically on this thread, but as I've passed through various sites this afternoon)

Conn Smythe, Norris Trophy, a first or second team allstar 7 or 8 times, about 12 allstar game appearances, 1200 plus points for a defenceman with nearly a point per game in the playoffs, and was a plus player 19 years in a row

I'd be curious how many guys with CVs like this aren't first ballot HOFers?

MacInnis was a lock for this year, only Messier is a more individually accomplished player among this class.
 

Stonefly

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In what way is MacInnis overrated? He was a true top 5 in the NHL D-Man for nearly 20 seasons.

I'm probably being a little hard on him. I just remember watching him play and thinking I didn't know why people thought he was so great. He seemed to make quite a few mistakes in a game. His numbers look good though. And I won't argue for a second that he doesn't belong in the Hall because he surely does.
 

Wisent

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MacInnis is a surefire HoFamer. Still I think that Larionov should be in before him. And he should get in before Stevens too IMO. Messier and Francis should be first ballot HoFamers too. So probably Messier, Francis, Larionov and MacInnis for this year.
 

MasqueOfTheRedDeath*

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MacInnis is a surefire HoFamer. Still I think that Larionov should be in before him. And he should get in before Stevens too IMO. Messier and Francis should be first ballot HoFamers too. So probably Messier, Francis, Larionov and MacInnis for this year.

I am with you on those picks. Can't stand Stevens, won't say he doesn't deserve to be in at all, but a snub this year would have been nice!
 

LapierreSports

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Mar 9, 2007
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ok I'll admit I'm a huge Al MacInnis fan, but I can't believe talk of him being undeserving (not specifically on this thread, but as I've passed through various sites this afternoon)

Conn Smythe, Norris Trophy, a first or second team allstar 7 or 8 times, about 12 allstar game appearances, 1200 plus points for a defenceman with nearly a point per game in the playoffs, and was a plus player 19 years in a row

I'd be curious how many guys with CVs like this aren't first ballot HOFers?

I guess people are idiots. Stop reading the other sites.
 

Leaf Lander

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the propblem with macinnis is he played 23 yrs in the league and he waspasy jis prime forthe last 10 yrs after his peak.
butthe league changed and he was a rock and a great contributor to his team!

also he was the first cape bretoner ever entered into the hockey hall of fame.
 

arrbez

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Jun 2, 2004
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I don't get Claude Lemieux as any kind of HHOF candidate. He is not nearly as good as Ciccarelli, Damphousse, Andreychuk who will never get in. Claude was NEVER anywhere close to an elite player, he did have some really good playoffs but that is not near enough to let him in. If Claude Lemieux is considered than Hextall, Ranford and many other goalies with good playoffs need to be considered.

Dale Hunter is a better agitator than Claude Lemieux - if you put in Claude you have to put in Hunter.

Claude is a FAR worse choice than Duff or Neely. He would possibly be the worst player in the HHOF.

Claude did raise his game in the playoffs. He always did. But he had ONE playoff year where he was a PPG player. That's it. He has TWO 13 and one 10 goal playoffs. Nice but that is essentially all he did that was ever Hall of Fame worthy. He won the Smythe and was a candidate a couple of other times more because no else really had a singular standout playoffs on the finals teams. He won only one Smythe not 2 or 3 Smythe's.

I don't see Lemieux as anywhere near a legitmate candidate. I'd easily induct guys like Tim Kerr or another great playoff guy on those 80's Flyers teams - Propp before even considering Lemieux.

Lemieux would be maybe 20th or 30th on a list of players fromt he last 25 years that will never be inducted into the HHOF.

I just can't buy Claude as a serious candidate at all.

Exactly. Just because a guy "raises his game", doesn't mean he should make the hall. He was a good player who became a very good player in the playoffs. But there's guys who were very good players their whole careers who won't make. They didn't "raise their game", but they were no worse than Lemieux in the post-season.

If Lemieux goes in, then you're right, Dale Hunter should be right on his tail. And how about Ken Linseman? He was arguably better in the post season than Lemieux was.

Sometimes people over-think the HOF question, and lose sight of who the truly great players were.
 

Sens Rule

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Sep 22, 2005
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the propblem with macinnis is he played 23 yrs in the league and he waspasy jis prime forthe last 10 yrs after his peak.
butthe league changed and he was a rock and a great contributor to his team!

also he was the first cape bretoner ever entered into the hockey hall of fame.

What are you talking about? MacInnis never was past his Prime. his last 10 seasons were among his very best. Heck he was a first Team all-star in 2002/03 his last real season when he was only a few months from 40 years old?

MacInnis is the last player that can be criticized for playing past his peak. His peak lasted for essentially his entire career.
 

V-2 Schneider

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Francis suprised me by winning on the first ballot.He was a fine, fine player, but like some others who had long and successful careers, just never stirred my hockey passions.He seemed workmanlike and was never a talent to catch my imagination.I thought him superb in the 1986 playoffs vs Montreal,but I can't say I figure him for a dominating talent.

He goes into the category I reserve for the Mike Gartner's:very good players that I will forget quickly.Is there a Ron Francis highlight reel?
 

NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS

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What are you talking about? MacInnis never was past his Prime. his last 10 seasons were among his very best. Heck he was a first Team all-star in 2002/03 his last real season when he was only a few months from 40 years old?

MacInnis is the last player that can be criticized for playing past his peak. His peak lasted for essentially his entire career.

If anyone from that gang of four stayed on too long its Messier by miles. Saying AlMac stayed on too long is like saying Bourque should've hung them up in 1997.
 

God Bless Canada

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Jul 11, 2004
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Bentley reunion
the propblem with macinnis is he played 23 yrs in the league and he waspasy jis prime forthe last 10 yrs after his peak.
butthe league changed and he was a rock and a great contributor to his team!

also he was the first cape bretoner ever entered into the hockey hall of fame.
Are you saying that MacInnis was past his prime? His last full season, 2002-03, was one of his best. I thought he should have been nominated for the Hart that year. While Lidstrom was the better defenceman, MacInnis meant more to his team. Pronger played three or five games, and MacInnis also mentored Barrett Jackman, and was a big reason that Jackman earned the Calder Trophy.

Four years before that, MacInnis was the Norris Trophy winner, and a unanimous selection to the first all-star team.

How anyone can say that MacInnis and Stevens weren't among the top four candidates for the HHOF this year is astounding. They're two of the top 20 defencemen of all-time, and in the top 100 players of all-time.

MacInnis did everything one could ever do. Was the best player on a Cup champion. Won an Olympic gold medal. Canada Cup champion. Norris Trophy winner. Seven-time all-star. He's one of five defencemen with a 100-point season, and he was strong defensively and a good leader to boot. Outside of a mean streak, there wasn't anything he couldn't do. Outside of two partial seasons early in his career, and his three-game final year, he was a plus player every year of his career. He had the most feared shot in the league for much of his career, but he was also a strong puck mover and power play quarterback.

The only thing he didn't do was win a world championship, but MacInnis' teams missed the playoffs once in his career, so there wasn't much of a window for him to win the Worlds.

If not for the eye injury that ended his career, he'd still probably be one of the top 10-15 defencemen in the world.
 
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Are you saying that MacInnis was past his prime? His last full season, 2002-03, was one of his best. I thought he should have been nominated for the Hart that year. While Lidstrom was the better defenceman, MacInnis meant more to his team. Pronger played three or five games, and MacInnis also mentored Barrett Jackman, and was a big reason that Jackman earned the Calder Trophy.

Four years before that, MacInnis was the Norris Trophy winner, and a unanimous selection to the first all-star team.

How anyone can say that MacInnis and Stevens weren't among the top four candidates for the HHOF this year is astounding. They're two of the top 20 defencemen of all-time, and in the top 100 players of all-time.

MacInnis did everything one could ever do. Was the best player on a Cup champion. Won an Olympic gold medal. Canada Cup champion. Norris Trophy winner. Seven-time all-star. He's one of five defencemen with a 100-point season, and he was strong defensively and a good leader to boot. Outside of a mean streak, there wasn't anything he couldn't do. Outside of two partial seasons early in his career, and his three-game final year, he was a plus player every year of his career. He had the most feared shot in the league for much of his career, but he was also a strong puck mover and power play quarterback.

The only thing he didn't do was win a world championship, but MacInnis' teams missed the playoffs once in his career, so there wasn't much of a window for him to win the Worlds.

If not for the eye injury that ended his career, he'd still probably be one of the top 10-15 defencemen in the world.

Out of curiosity, who is the 5th? (Coffey, Leetch, Orr, Macinnis, ?)
 

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