Hockey Hall fo Fame

So the list is too long. There aren't enough spaces. Too many good guys are waiting or are eligible for the first time.

Thank god there is some concensus.

Messier, Francis, Stevens and MacInnis.

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

I fucking hate Messier, but he has to go in. No If's And's or But's. If Lemieux goes in the first time he pretended to retire with no wait, then Messier should have been extended the same courtesy. Plain and simple, the day Mess said no more, he should have been in, no election, nothing.

Francis has to go in because he is second to Gretzky all-time in an offensive category, Assists. Plain and simple if you lead the league all time in anyhting....

Understand that Gretzky is so far ahead in the record books second place is really first.

...You have to go into the hall. That means goals, assists or points you are in. Mess is points, Francis is assists, boom they are both in.

As for Stevens and MacInnis, no fucking way. Sure you can put them in the hall, but no way do they get in before the list of guys waiting already. Sorry, no dice, no debate. Until Dino Ciccarrelli gets in, the fucking door is closed.

Stevens hit really hard so he belongs in. What kind of bullshit argument is that? He ancored the defense so he gets in. I wonder what Neidemyer would have to say about that? He won all those cups. Yeah, he did. Here is a defensman with absolutley no offensive upside, playing on the most well coached defensive team of all time being given credit for winning cups. Sure he was a big part and a defensive leader and a great dressing room guy, but in the grand scheme of things how far is Stevens from Ken Danyko, and does that mean Danyko gets in too?

Answer, Stevens skated better than danyko, but that is about it. Fuck Stevens, he is barely a hall of famer, but even then, he is about 50th on the list of guys who are getting screwed over every day. In the last 10 years of Stevens career he averaged...AVERAGED 25 points a season. Without the years witht he capitals where they were SHIT he would have 500 career points. Wooop a dee DOOO.

As for MacInnis, he was good and I understand he ended up 3rd all time or some bullshit on Defensmen scoring. He had 100 points in a season once, but remember this guy played for 9 or ten seasons on one of the best offensive teams of all time. Not the Oilers, the Flames. Twice in his career he suited up with 7 past, present or future 50 goals scorers. That has never happendd before to anyone, not even Gretzky. When you have forwards on your team that include Nieuwendyk (51 twice), Roberts (53), Fluery (51), Loob (50), Mullen (51), Bullard (48 with the flames 50 with the Penguins), MacDonald (60), Hull (26 wuth the flames, but you know the rest). All of whom played during an incredible 5 year window, I defy you not to show some offensive flare.

He was a good defenseman, not one of the all time greats, he was the Brad Park of his generation, and he had a hard shot. Big fucking deal. Ray Bourque had an accurate shot. Who had more goals, assists and obviously points? Bourque. Bigger question, in his entire career, how many 50 goal scorers did Ray Bourque play with.... the answer is a surprising 10. Of course of that ten you have to count the incredible Bobby Carpenter (12 years removed), the crack addicted Kevin Stevens (never played a decent game), the FINISHED and I mean DONE Charlie Simmer and Joe Mullen, the most and least impressive 50 goal scorer of all time Al Secord, oh yeah you all remember him. Of all the 50 goal scorers to ever suit up with Ray Bourque only 3 have ever scorer 500 goals and he had a cup of coffee with each of them (Sakic, Anderchuyk and Mullen). He enjoyed the services of Middleton and Neely for a number of years, but regardless of who was in front of him, he was the man.

The point? Well in his prime MacInnis played with some magical goal scorers so his point totals are a bit heavy on the other hand Ray Bourque was the best player, not defensman, player, on every team he ever played for, except his last season and a half, and he still scored more points than any defenseman in history. The only other position player that can boast that is Wayne Gretzky.

What I have done here is compare a top ten defenseman of the 90's with the greatest of all time, not really fair, but he doesn't come close in points, awards or anything else, so how can he hang next to him in the hall?

Okay so who does make it?

I would put Gilmour in. He was great with St.Louis, Calgary and New Jersey. He was as good if not better than his press in Toronto so it is a no brainer that with his point totals he is a lock.

I would also put Oates in. He was quiet and overshadowed, but he was always the best player on the ice. If Canada invited Oates to the first World Cup of Hockey the US doesn't win. Not that they did win with that Canadian turncoat scoring a goal with a high stick, but whatever, with Oates in his prime as he was, Canada wins.

Side bar: unfortunately if Canada had three Bruins: Tocchet, Oates and Bourque, Canada wins by about 10 nothing. Instead the American Bastardization of the Canada cup will always be remembered as the year the Americans cheated.

As for Oates, he made 50 goal scorers. Hull may get 50 without him, but he doesn't get 70 and 80, Craig Janney helped prove that. Janney was a great playmaker and he could only just get Hull to 50.

If for no other reason Oates should get in for the 92-93 season. The Bruins brought him in the play with Neely. Neely went down and it was obvious he wouldn't be back for the season and Oates took it upon himself to be the playmaker and goalscorer for the Bruins. 45 goals, 97 Assists he was the best player I have ever seen in a single season except for Gretzky. As a Bruins fan, I guess it would be on par with the O'Reilly 90 point seson in 77-78. Oates is a career 20 goal man, for him to get 45 was ridiculous, never repeated but very impressive from a selfless player who finished with 1400 points and 1000 assists. He is in.

I already made a case fro Dino and of course for ANDY FUCKING MOOG. Until any of the above get in, and even Phil Housley, there is no way Stevens or MacInnis belong in the hall.