The first year eligible class for 2012 includes two shoo-ins in Joe Sakic and Brendan Shanahan, while Jeremy Roenick, Mats Sundin, Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig, Teppo Numminen, Markus Naslund, Gary Roberts, Claude Lemieux and Bobby Holik will all get good consideration.
Although it may not be immediate, ultimately the Hall of Fame's Toronto Maple Leaf bias will get Sundin over the hump, but probably not Joseph. Jeremy Roenick will likely also make the grade one day, though he may be aided by his immense likeability and his stature as a top American player.
As we all know, there is still quite a logjam from previous years, including Eric Lindros, Adam Oates, and Pavel Bure (and maybe Tom Barrasso) should make it. I would also argue vehemently that Sergei Makarov should also make the Hall of Fame, though that would almost certainly fall on deaf ears again.
3 comments:
I believe cases like Makarov, and other great foreign players is the flaw of the HHOF. I understand the IIHF has a hall of fame of its own, but if this is supposed to be the hall of fame to beat all others, they need to elect the normal amount of NHLers, and have at least one international player per year. I hope something like this can happen one day, as there's too many great players in Europe who either couldn't play in North America, or those that were legends there, but not necessarily here.
Makarov should definitely get in way ahead of Sundin & co. He's one of the greatest to ever play the game of hockey!
Why is Rogie Vachon not in the Hall yet?????
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