The Hockey Hall of Fame is an illustrious museum in the beautiful city of Toronto. It hosts the Stanley Cup as well as objects and people that have contributed to the long, storied history of this beautiful sport.
Players like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are forever immortalized in this grand building, honored for their spectacular careers and contributions to hockey. To say it’s an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is an understatement.
Since its construction in 1943 the Hall of Fame has inducted players, teams, objects, and memorabilia in order to not only preserve history, but give it the thanks it deserves. However, it’s run by humans and sometimes humans make mistakes. Not everyone inducted always deserves to be there, and sometimes people who deserve to be there aren’t inducted.
Here are five NHL Hall of Famers who shouldn’t be there, and five retired players who should take their place instead.
Doesn't Belong: Clark Gillies (1974-1988)
Heading back to the 70’s era, we take a look at Clark Gillies. Gillies played for the Sabres and the Islanders in his career. He was captain of the Islanders for two years and was a part of the team that would win four Stanley Cups in a row, from 1980-1983. He played 958 games in which he scored 319 goals, and 378 assists. The thing is, Clark was never even the best player on that team.
Outside of a two year span where he would finish 9th and 13th in points scored, Gillies would only finish in the top 60 two more times in his career. His production would consistently falter in the playoffs and while he played his role very well, his numbers were never Hall of Fame worthy. His time with the infamous Trio Grande line as well as winning four Cups is most likely what got him inducted.
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Should Be In: Rod Brind’Amour (1989-2010)
Rod is a pretty famous name in the hockey scene. He spent twenty seasons in the NHL, and now finds himself as the head coach for the Carolina Hurricanes. In those twenty seasons Rod played for the Blues, the Flyers, and the Hurricanes. He played 1,484 games, scored 452 goals, and tallied 732 assists. He won the Selke trophy twice, somehow only played in one All-Star game, and led the Hurricanes to their first and only Stanley Cup championship in 2006.
If his playing career wasn’t enough, his coaching career should be. He was named assistant coach in Carolina in 2011. He was promoted to head coach in 2018, and results were immediate. He’s completely turned Carolina around and has led them to five consecutive playoff appearances, including two division titles. He won the Jack Adams award in 2021 and has the team on the brink of a Cup. Rod absolutely has earned his place in the Hall of Fame.
Doesn't Belong: Leo Boivin (1951-1970)
The Original Six era of the league is tricky. With only six teams participating every year, many Hall of Fame inductions are based on contributions more than numbers. However, despite playing in an era with only six teams, Boivin did not see much success. In his 15 seasons, Boivin would only be in the playoffs six times. His career high was 26 points in a singular season. His numbers were just simply not very good. So, why is he in?
Well, Boivin was very famous for delivering violence. He had some of the best body checks in the game at that time, and flattening people out on the ice was enough to get him a lot of recognition, but it should not have been enough to get him a Hall of Fame induction.
Should Be In: Dave Taylor (1977-1994)
Kings fans will forever remember the Triple Crown line. Taylor, Charlie Simmer, and Marcel Dionne were the backbone of one of the best Kings teams in franchise history, and while they came up short of a Stanley Cup, Taylor’s numbers and influence in LA are more than deserving of a Hall of Fame induction. In seventeen seasons, Taylor played 1,111 games where he scored 431 goals and tallied 638 assists.
He was a four time All-Star and won both the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Kings were an under-appreciated and underperforming team for many years until Taylor and his linemates put them on the map. His influence in LA which included propelling LA to its first every Stanley Cup Final, as well as his achievements should earn him an induction into hockey’s finest building.
Doesn't Belong: Harry Watson (1941-1957)
Harry Watson played well back in the pioneer age of the sport, where he would win five Stanley Cups in his tenure. He would play 809 games in his 14 season career, but outside of his five rings, he did not have much to boast about. In those games he would score 236 goals and tally 207 assists. In his best season where he scored a career high 26 goals, he still only totaled 45 points.
While it’s incredibly impressive to win five championships in any era of the NHL, the numbers tend to show that it was more so that he was blessed to play with good teams rather than his own doing. For this reason, I don’t think five Cups is enough to qualify being in the Hall of Fame.
Should Be In: Pavel Datsyuk (2001-2016)
Imagine being so influential you get a deke named after you. In his prime Datsyuk was a spectacle to behold, at one point probably the best stick handler in the league. He played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings where he played 953 games, scored 314 goals, and tallied 604 assists. He won two Stanley Cups, played in three All-Star games, won three Selke trophies, and four Lady Byng Memorial Trophy’s. He was not only an offensive prodigy but was a fantastic defensive player as well.
On top of that, Datsyuk was an absolute wizard with the puck. One of the best stick handlers of all time, Datsyuk could probably fill the entire museum with his own highlight reel. He even had a move named after him simply because he managed to use it so effectively so often. Accomplishments and influence are more than enough for Datsyuk to earn his place with the greats.
Doesn't Belong: Tom Barrasso (1983-2003)
Barraso played 22 seasons in the NHL, but only two of them really stood out. He had an outstanding rookie year, winning the Calder Trophy, the Vezina, and was on the All-Star team. He had another decent sophomore season and after that, it was 17 seasons of being good enough. He won two Cups with Pittsburgh which might be why he was inducted, but after his rookie and sophomore season his numbers were nothing spectacular.
He won 369 games out of 777 games played. He averaged a 3.24 goals against average and a .892 save percentage. Not terrible numbers by any means especially given the era he played in but not what you would expect for a hall of famer goalie, especially given there may have been better candidates for the 2023 class.
Should Be In: Keith Tkachuk (1992-2010)
The dad to two superstars currently in the NHL, Brady and Matthew, Keith had a pretty stellar career in his own right. Matthew and Brady had to learn it from somewhere right? He never won a Stanley Cup, but that doesn’t take away from an amazing career that he had. He played 1,201 games, scored 538 goals, and tallied 527 assists. He is one of two players to amass at least 500 goals and 500 assists with a plus rating (he was a plus 33). The other player was Brendan Shanahan who is currently in the Hall of Fame. Keith, however, still is not.
A four time All-Star, Keith helped the Thrashers make the playoffs for the first time in history, as well as became one of St Louis’ most beloved players when he moved there. He’s more than earned his right to be inducted, but we are still waiting.
Doesn't Belong: Mike Vernon (1982-2002)
Another goalie in the 2023 class that got inducted over others that unfortunately probably deserved it more. Vernon never won a Vezina trophy. He played in one All-Star game. He won one William M. Jennings trophy. He own two Stanley Cups, both of which were mostly due to the teams in front of him outside of a red hot playoff run that won him the Conn Smythe Trophy. He had a decent career, but not an outstanding one.
He won 385 games in 781 games played. He had a 2.98 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. These aren’t bad numbers, but they don’t seem to be Hall of Fame worthy. There are players most likely more deserving.
Should Be In: Patrick Elias (1992-2016)
The best forward in Devils’ history. One of the best Czech players of all time, maybe only behind Jaromir Jagr. The Devils have retired his number out of respect for all he did for the franchise. He won two Stanley Cups with the team, and was a four time All-Star. In 1,240 games played he scored 408 goals, and tallied 617 assists. The regular season numbers are impressive, but where Elias really shined was the playoffs.
Elias played in 162 playoff games in his career. He scored 45 goals and 80 assists for 125 total career playoff points. Regardless of regular season success, Elias could always be depended on in the playoffs. The fame he has in New Jersey is well deserved and should translate into a Hall of Fame induction. Here’s hoping the 2024 induction finally brings the much deserving Elias into the Hall’s ranks.
