HHOF Class of 2018

[RadioGaGa 162]

https://www.tsn.ca/hockey-hall-of-fame-names-its-2018-class-1.1123690

Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Alexander Yakushev & Jayna Hefford (Players), Willie O'Ree & Gary Bettman (Builders). 

Discuss!

[chippa13 1844]

It is funny. When I saw the list of inductees I thought it was light on players but then I browsed the list of eligibles not in and I didn't really see any glaring omissions.

[CRupp13 28]

While I think that Bettman certainly has his place in the HHOF I find it strange that the board has elected to put him in while he's still commissioner of the NHL. I feel like he should also have to be held to the same criteria as players, where as he should have to be retired for some amount of time. I fully understand that Builders don't actually need to be retired to be elected, but idk something just doesn't sit right about Bettman being the active commissioner and being elected to the Hall. 

On the other hand I think its been far too long, and I'm glad the Willie O'Ree will finally get his rightful place in the HHOF.

[flip12 715]

Mogilny. Next year perhaps.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

6 hours ago, CRupp13 said:

While I think that Bettman certainly has his place in the HHOF I find it strange that the board has elected to put him in while he's still commissioner of the NHL. I feel like he should also have to be held to the same criteria as players, where as he should have to be retired for some amount of time. I fully understand that Builders don't actually need to be retired to be elected, but idk something just doesn't sit right about Bettman being the active commissioner and being elected to the Hall. 

On the other hand I think its been far too long, and I'm glad the Willie O'Ree will finally get his rightful place in the HHOF.

Amen to that!

[bunnyman666 445]

Three work stoppages should not qualify one for HOF. Bettman needs to be in the Hall of SHAME! 

[chippa13 1844]

3 hours ago, flip12 said:

Mogilny. Next year perhaps.

I'm on the fence with Mogilny. He was a part of arguably one of the best WJC lines ever and he had a few great seasons. I think his lack of personal hardware is what hurts his case with just the single Lady Byng to his credit. Yes, he is a member of the triple gold club but with the exception of the WJC he was just another player on those Olympic and World Championships gold winning teams. 

[flip12 715]

14 hours ago, chippa13 said:

I'm on the fence with Mogilny. He was a part of arguably one of the best WJC lines ever and he had a few great seasons. I think his lack of personal hardware is what hurts his case with just the single Lady Byng to his credit. Yes, he is a member of the triple gold club but with the exception of the WJC he was just another player on those Olympic and World Championships gold winning teams. 

Agreed on all points. I think he'll get in though, especially as he is towards the top of eligible players. His almost 500 goals says a lot, even though he only had a few stellar seasons. I think his reluctance to perform for the media have always hurt his public perception. Not that there are many awards he would have had a chance being voted for by the Professional Hockey Writers, but they would have been loathe to vote for somebody who scorned them.

He also tied for a B.R. Richard Trophy, with his 76 in '93. Had he had a few fewer games lost to injury, contract dispute, and lockout, he'd be a shoe-in on his points totals and the Triple Gold Club alone. Sure, he wasn't the biggest contributor on the Soviet National Team in the late 80's, but he was the only one of his peers to be included in the Olympics, and was ahead of Fedorov on making the World Championships squad. Some of that could also have been discipline related as he clashed on numerous occasions with the establishment (Tikhonov, officials, opponents (see below)). That hard-headedness could have limited his ice time even though he was clearly valued enough to be on the team, which alone says a lot. Larionov's on the selection committe and my guess is he would vouch for Mogilny's achievements in the '80's.

He lost his "Master of Sport" honor for that incident.

[CRupp13 28]

20 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

Three work stoppages should not qualify one for HOF. Bettman needs to be in the Hall of SHAME! 

You can't blame Bettman for what the owners have done. The owners have locked the players out for all 3 stoppages, Bettman is just the voice of the owners and the guy who takes the brunt of the assault. 

[bunnyman666 445]

1 minute ago, CRupp13 said:

You can't blame Bettman for what the owners have done. The owners have locked the players out for all 3 stoppages, Bettman is just the voice of the owners and the guy who takes the brunt of the assault. 

I get what you’re saying, but he was still at the helm when these things happened. It’s just like the coach of a losing team. The players lost the games, but the coach was in charge.

[chippa13 1844]

Not nearly the same thing. Bettman does the owners' bidding and keeps his job by keeping them happy. If the owners wanted to truly avoid any of the lockouts then they could have.

[IPv6Freely 2094]

And if "doing the owners bidding" is his criteria, he's done a marvelous job in the past ~25 years. 

[Stewie 721]

Exactly. Bettman is the easy guy to blame, but he’s made the game much more profitable, grown the league to more markets, and negotiated better TV deals for the sport. Hockey’s in a better spot nationally now than it was before him. Everyone hates the lockouts, but the blame doesn’t fall solely on him. 

[Monty22 833]

10 minutes ago, Stewie said:

Exactly. Bettman is the easy guy to blame, but he’s made the game much more profitable, grown the league to more markets, and negotiated better TV deals for the sport. Hockey’s in a better spot nationally now than it was before him. Everyone hates the lockouts, but the blame doesn’t fall solely on him. 

I wonder if the crowd will chant "Asshole" during his induction.  

[bunnyman666 445]

We’ll agree to disagree, then.

To me, Bettman getting in HOF whilst still the commish is slimy, at best.

[IPv6Freely 2094]

2 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

We’ll agree to disagree, then.

To me, Bettman getting in HOF whilst still the commish is self-serving, at best.

How is it self-serving? It's not like Bettman chooses who goes in... 

[bunnyman666 445]

1 minute ago, IPv6Freely said:

How is it self-serving? It's not like Bettman chooses who goes in... 

It just feels slimy. I’ll change it to slimy, then.

[RadioGaGa 162]

4 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

We’ll agree to disagree, then.

To me, Bettman getting in HOF whilst still the commish is slimy, at best.

Owners go in while they still own. Writers and broadcaster go in while still active in their industries.

It's hard to say what the League would look like with someone else in charge, but their have been Cup winners in Carolina, Florida and California in his time. A player born in Cali and raised in Arizona was the #1 pick a few years back and the cities like Nashville & Las Vegas LOVE hockey!!!. Like him or not, the League is in better shape than it was when he took over and hockey has grown in places few people expected.

[bunnyman666 445]

29 minutes ago, RadioGaGa said:

Owners go in while they still own. Writers and broadcaster go in while still active in their industries.

It's hard to say what the League would look like with someone else in charge, but their have been Cup winners in Carolina, Florida and California in his time. A player born in Cali and raised in Arizona was the #1 pick a few years back and the cities like Nashville & Las Vegas LOVE hockey!!!. Like him or not, the League is in better shape than it was when he took over and hockey has grown in places few people expected.

You can’t argue against those points. It’s the lockouts and constant attacks on goalie safety I have a problem with. But I am in the minority, it seems.

I think that HOF rules of eligibility should be the same for ALL: either after retired or dead. But that’s me, I am one person.

 

[IPv6Freely 2094]

23 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

You can’t argue against those points. It’s the lockouts and constant attacks on goalie safety I have a problem with. But I am in the minority, it seems.

I think that HOF rules of eligibility should be the same for ALL: either after retired or dead. But that’s me, I am one person.

 

Attacks on goalie safety?

[bunnyman666 445]

4 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Attacks on goalie safety?

Smaller goal equipment.

[IPv6Freely 2094]

16 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

Smaller goal equipment.

That has nothing to do with goalie safety. 

[bunnyman666 445]

9 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

That has nothing to do with goalie safety. 

Sure it does. But I will leave this as agree to disagree...

Hug, fart and sing kum bah yah and argue the next point?

[Stewie 721]

Actually I’d argue with the increased focus on goalie interference and contact with goalies, the leagues become safer in that regard as well. I don’t think there’s been an increase in goalie injuries due to slight modifications in goaltender pad size, the pads are plenty big enough to safely stop pucks. 

[IPv6Freely 2094]

3 hours ago, Stewie said:

Actually I’d argue with the increased focus on goalie interference and contact with goalies, the leagues become safer in that regard as well. I don’t think there’s been an increase in goalie injuries due to slight modifications in goaltender pad size, the pads are plenty big enough to safely stop pucks. 

Agreed. I'm also 100% in favor of slimming down the equipment, as long as protection isn't sacrificed. That may require the use of new materials and technology, but then so be it. But obvious things like pants and chest protectors I'm all for. 

But that's a topic for a whole other thread.