Jose Theodore: Hart Of The Matter

Back in 2001-02 Jose Theodore was on top of the hockey world. He won the Hart and Vezina trophies (yet was only on the second all star team!) as he spectacularly showed fans of the Montreal Canadiens one of the greatest individual seasons ever seen in the long history of hockey, in Montreal or anywhere else for that matter.

Theodore never came close to duplicating that season ever since. He fizzled out in Montreal (with controversies involving Paris Hilton, his hair medication and family criminal charges haunting him).  He was unconvincing in stops in Colorado and Washington, though he played admirably in the 2009-10 season after losing his prematurely born infant child just prior to the season starting. He posted a strong 30-7-7 season and returned to the NHL Awards Show. He was named as the Bill Masterton Award winner for excelling in the face of adversity.

Despite that admirable season, Theodore was almost out of a job in 2009-10. He only caught on in Minnesota as a last minute replacement for the injured Josh Harding. He put together a pretty nice season as Nicklas Backstrom's back up. He turned that into landing the starting job this season in Florida.

Theodore has been quite good with the surprising Panthers, who are still in striking distance not only for a playoff spot but also a division championship. If Theodore can heat up down the stretch, the Panthers should return to the playoffs. He had a big win on Sunday night, stopping 23 of 25 shots en route to a 4-2 win over Ottawa. Since Washington laid another egg, giving Florida a 5 point lead in the Southeast, and therefore the third playoff seeding.

Regardless what happens, the 35 year old Theodore is likely to be remembered in history as part of a very small group. Currently there are only two players in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player but not be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. One is Eric Lindros, who I believe will likely be enshrined one day.

The other is Al Rollins, a goalie from the 1950s not so different from Theodore. Amazingly, Rollins won the Hart Trophy in 1954 despite playing with the worst team in hockey - the Chicago Blackhawks. He played so valiantly, though it was all too often for not. His record in his MVP season - 12 wins, 47 losses and 7 ties. Even more amazing, the season prior Rollins was a close runner up to Gordie Howe in Hart Trophy balloting.

Rollins even helped Toronto win the Stanley Cup before all that in 1951. He hung around a few years after his MVP season, yet it all was not enough to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

There is no chance Jose Theodore will either.