Hockey Awards Season

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its class of 2017 yesterday. Five players and two builders. I don’t know a lot about University of Alberta legend Clare Drake, but someone who dedicated his life to teaching and coaching seems to me to be the type of person the category of builder was created for. Jeremy Jacobs has certainly done his share for the game, but rich guys who own teams are a little bit harder for me to get behind.

As for the players, it’s a pretty media-friendly group this year. And you can’t really argue with the numbers for guys like Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi, and Teemu Selanne – although of those three, only Selanne ever achieved real superstar status. Danielle Goyette is definitely a worthy recipient from women’s hockey. Paul Kariya? Well, who doesn’t like Paul Kariya? His totals of 402 goals and 587 assists for 989 points in 989 games are pretty impressive, and at his best, he was also a superstar. Still, he’s a lot like Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure and Peter Forsberg in that he’s yet another inductee of whom it could be argued that he’s being honoured for the potential of what might have been if not for the injuries …. But I’m not really going to complain.

HHOF

The Hockey Hall of Fame doesn’t release voting results the way the Baseball Hall of Fame does. (Hockey has a fairly small selection committee of industry insiders, while Baseball relies on a large pool of veteran sportswriters.) The NHL does reveal the details of the voting for its awards, but since I’m not aware of a lot of media outlets that ever bother to release them, I thought people might find it interesting to see the results. So, here they are…

HartSelected from 167 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Norris
Selected from 167 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

3
Selected from 167 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Vezina
Selected from 30 votes cast by NHL general managers.

Byng
Selected from 167 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Selke
Selected from 167 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.


Selected from 105 votes cast by the NHL Broadcasters Association.

GM
Voting conducted among NHL general managers and a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media at the conclusion of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

5 thoughts on “Hockey Awards Season

  1. Through all my wonderful years associated with The Hockey Hall of Fame and all that they have done for me (For which I am forever thankful!) I am reminded of the hundreds of times that I have walked around ‘The Wall’ and was forced to bite my lip in sheer exasperation.
    Over the years I’ve scratched down my own ‘lists’ after ‘lists’ as I strolled around perusing all the ‘Legends’ only to be flabbergasted, again and again as I passed certain plaques.
    The worst cases are the so-called ‘Builders’ and in that vein, specifically, as you so correctly mentioned, the deep-pocketed ‘owners’…i.e. every guy named Norris and Wirtz…et al…who ‘HAPPENED’ to own a team (Often ‘handed down’….no doubt ‘Rocky’ Wirtz will eventually automatically join his father ‘Bill’ and grandfather Arthur on ‘The Wall’ but regardless of ‘the silver spoon’ factor HE may be the only one of the three who actually DESERVES induction strictly based on his pro-active, progressive and positive direction and leadership of the franchise having repaired much of the ‘damage’ attributed to his ‘Hall of Fame’ father.). The simple overblown ratio of so-called ‘Builders’ to players has downright shocked me. Just to own a team and literally ‘buy’ your way into The Hall is beyond my comprehension. One can count on one’s hand the number of ‘owners’ who deserve ‘Hall of Famer’/’Legend of the Game’ status and still have a finger or two to spare!
    Then there’s the players. To be honest, from my perspective, the ONLY Hall of Fame that is true to its name is Major League Baseball’s. I recall my utter dismay and chagrin when they (Ye Olde Boys Club) voted in one of their own, one Dick Duff (NO offense to and without prejudice towards ‘the person’ and very decent guy ‘Dickie’!)….but a Hall of Famer? Give me a break! And he was by no means the first to not come close to anybody’s definition of a Hall of Fame player and/or ‘Legend’ to be elected!
    This year, would that this be the Baseball Hall of Fame, there is no doubt in my mind that the only player to be inducted would be Teemu Selanne. A true ‘Legend’ and true-blue Hall of Famer.
    Nothing against the others but Andreychuk…except for his lengthy career; Thus his compilation of ‘stats’…to me was never more than a steadfast, BIG lunch-bucket type of player with some good hands. In his 24 year career he was never a first or second team all-star and never won a single major, individual award. Recchi was of similar ilk with a shorter career.
    I won’t comment on Danielle Goyette except to say that it seems to me that The Hall has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, as in a long-overdue complete lack of recognition of the female game and its players, to some kind of obligatory nomination and election EVERY year!

    CHEERS!

  2. Hi Eric,
    Great piece. Really liked Tosh’s articulate response to the builder’s view. Also, I didn’t realize that the Calder wasn’t even close.

  3. Eric,

    Interesting reading, as usual. Found Tosh’s comments to be both interesting and stimulating.

    I believe Tim Thomas was up for HHOF this year. He has been retired for 3 years. Since the award was first presented in 1927, every net minder who has won the Vezina Trophy at least twice, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

    They are:

    George Hainsworth – 1927, 1928, 1929

    Tiny Thompson – 1939, 1933, 1936, 1938

    Charlie Gardner – 1932, 1934

    Frank Brimsek – 1939, 1942

    Turk Broda – 1941, 1948

    Bill Durnan – 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950

    Terry Sawchuck – 1951, 1953, 1955 & 1965 shared with Johnny Bower

    Jacques Plante – 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962 & 1969 shared with Glenn Hall

    Glenn Hall – 1963 & 1967 shared with Denis DeJordy, 1969 shared with Jacques Plante

    Johnny Bower – 1961 & 1965 shared with Terry Sawchuck

    Gump Worsley – 1966 shared with Charlie Hodge & 1968 shared with Rogatien Vachon

    Tony Esposito – 1970 & 1972 shared with Gary Smith, 1974 shared with Bernie Parent

    Bernie Parent – 1974 shared with Tony Esposito & 1975

    Ken Dryden – 1973, 1976 & 1977, 1978, 1979 shared with Michel Laroque

    Patrick Roy – 1989, 1990, 1992

    Ed Belfour – 1991, 1993

    Dominic Hasek – 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001

    Martin Brodeur – 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008

    Not in Hall of Fame

    Tim Thomas – 2009, 2011

    Goaltenders who have won the Conn Smythe Trophy and are in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

    Glenn Hall – 1969

    Ken Dryden – 1971

    Bernie Parent – 1974, 1975

    Billy Smith – 1983

    Patrick Roy – 1986, 1993, 2001

    Goaltenders who have won the Conn Smythe Trophy and are NOT in the Hall of Fame:

    Roger Crozier – 1966

    Ron Hextall – 1987

    Bill Ranford – 1990

    Mike Vernon – 1997

    Jean Sebastian Giguere – 2003

    Tim Thomas – 2011

    Did not count Cam Ward who is still active.

    I believe Thomas is Hall of Fame worthy but would love to hear other opinions.

    Kevin

    1. Very interesting… My initial thoughts are that, at his best, Thomas was very, very good, but I’m not sure he was good enough for long enough. (And, yes, that’s not always a determining factor, but he’s not quite Ken Dryden or Bill Durnan!) But, hey, I’m prepared to have my mind changed.

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