Hockey History Photo of the Day: Lanny McDonald and Joe Nieuwendyk

Hockey Hall of Famers Lanny McDonald and Joe Nieuwendyk celebrate the Calgary Flames Stanley Cup championship in 1989. A young Theoren Fleury can also be seen in this crop. 

The Write Stuff: HHOF Inductions

One of the best things about Hockey Hall of Fame weekend is the countless high quality writing put out on each inductee. Here's some of the best:

Mark Howe

Mark Howe: His Own Man - Lance Hornby/Toronto Sun
Tears of joy for Gordie Howe as son joins him in HHOF - Globe and Mail
Remembering Howe Hockey Was Played - TORO Magazine
Mark Howe At Last In HHOF - Jeff Klein/New York Times
Howe likely WHA star in HHOF - Bruce McCurdy

Ed Belfour

Unmatched Competitive Fire Key to Belfour's Success - Toronto Star
Ed Belfour's Manic Dedication - ESPN
Desire For Perfection Led To Unique Habits - Montreal Gazette
He Was Demanding, But Belfour Always Delivered - National Post
Belfour's Road to HHOF Inspired by Tretiak - Globe and Mail

Joe Nieuwendyk

The Winning Touch - Toronto Sun
Nieuwendyk Ensured Everyone Knew His Name - NHL
Lacrosse Skills Helped Nieuwendyk - NHL
Nieuwendyk Truly Deserving of HHOF Induction: Dallas Stars

Doug Gilmour

Gilmour Led With Killer Intensity - CBC
Gilmour's Path To HHOF Paved With Grit - Calgary Herald
Gilmour's Rise To The Top Wasn't Easy - National Post
Gilmour Always Played Big - Standard Freeholder
Gilmour: In His Own Words: London Free Press

Hockey Hall of Fame 2011

Mark Howe

Make no mistake: Mark Howe was not Gordie Howe, his legendary father. But Mark too was a great player.

Gordie Howe was a fearsome physical presence and a goal scoring machine. Mark Howe was one of the steadiest, cleanest and most accomplished players of the 1970s and 1980s.


Full Mark Howe Biography

Joe Nieuwendyk

Joe Nieuwendyk was a winner. He won three Stanley Cup championships with three different teams - Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey. Plus he won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.

In 1999 he was so important to Dallas' Stanley Cup championship that he was named as the Conn Smythe trophy winner - about as prestigious of an individual award a hockey player can earn.

Full Joe Nieuwendyk biography

Ed Belfour

Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour has a tremendous resume with a Stanley Cup championship (1999), a Canada Cup title (1991), Olympic Gold Medal (2002), 2 Vezina trophies, 4 Jennings trophies, 484 career wins (3rd best all time), 76 shutouts (9th all time).

Known for his explosive personality Belfour is generally considered to be on par with his contemporaries Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. And it is now proven with his Hall of Fame inclusion. 


Full Ed Belfour Biography

Doug Gilmour

Doug Gilmour has reputation as a hockey warrior. He was an imperative piece of the 1989 Stanley Cup championship in Calgary. He willed Toronto to two consecutive final four appearances in the 1990s, not to mention two more in St. Louis a few years before that. He is seventh all time in Stanley Cup playoffs scoring, 5th in terms of assists. His points per game production actually increased in the playoffs. The only other of the NHL's top 50 all time to also be able to make that claim is Mark Messier.

Full Doug Gilmour biography

Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk

I can think of three words that all being with the letter C that best describe Joe Nieuwendyk: Classy. Clutch. Champion.

Joe Nieuwendyk was a winner. He won three Stanley Cup championships with three different teams - Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey. Plus he won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.

In 1999 he was so important to Dallas' Stanley Cup championship that he was named as the Conn Smythe trophy winner - about as prestigious of an individual award a hockey player can earn.

That was not his only major award either. In 1988 he won the Calder trophy as best NHL rookie, and in 1995 he won the King Clancy award for his leadership on and off the ice.

Statistically speaking his numbers are also worthy. 564 goals and 1126 points in 1257 games once upon a time guaranteed a player inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nowadays a new standard is trying to be established, given the much higher scoring era of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Knowledgeable hockey fans know that Nieuwendyk was one of those guys who brought more to the rink than any statistic can quantify. That might seem odd to say given Nieuwy spent much of his career primarily as a top marksman, but he was a complete player. Aside from chronic back injuries, he had no real weakness in his game. And he brought a lot to the organization off the ice, both in terms of dressing room leadership and community involvement.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Joe Nieuwendyk

Joe Nieuwendyk was one of my favorite players. So it should come as no surprise that I will argue that Joe Nieuwendyk should one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Joe Nieuwendyk was a winner. He won three Stanley Cup championships with three different teams - Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey. Plus he won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.

In 1999 he was so important to Dallas' Stanley Cup championship that he was named as the Conn Smythe trophy winner - about as prestigious of an individual award a hockey player can earn.

That was not his only major award either. In 1988 he won the Calder trophy as best NHL rookie, and in 1995 he won the King Clancy award for his leadership on and off the ice.

Statistically speaking his numbers are also worthy. 564 goals and 1126 points in 1257 games once upon a time guaranteed a player inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nowadays a new standard is trying to be established, given the much higher scoring era of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Surprisingly, Nieuwendyk's career statistics could be a sticking point for some Hall voters. Injuries really slowed him, although he always remained a clutch player. He did not average a point per game. And his career totals lands him in a group of 1980s/1990s players who had similar statistics but are debatable Hall of Famers - players like Dino Ciccarelli (608 goals), Dave Andreychuk (640 goals), and a host of players who squeaked into the 500 goal club.

Nieuwendyk's advantages are his championships, his awards, and his impeccable reputation in the community - something the Hall of Fame definitely takes into consideration.

Knowledgeable hockey fans know that Nieuwendyk was one of those guys who brought more to the rink than any statistic can quantify. That might seem odd to say given Nieuwy spent much of his career primarily as a top marksman, but he was a complete player. Aside from chronic back injuries, he had no real weakness in his game. And he brought a lot to the organization off the ice, both in terms of dressing room leadership and community involvement.

When will Nieuwendyk get into the Hockey Hall of Fame? He is not eligible until 2010. Assuming the 2009 class goes as predicted - Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Brett Hull - Nieuwendyk will find himself in consideration with other first time nominees Eric Lindros, Peter Bondra, and Pierre Turgeon, as well as backlog of previously passed over stars such as Ciccarelli, Andreychuk, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Brian Bellows, Doug Gilmour, Tom Barrasso, Mike Richter, Alexander Mogilny and Phil Housley, amongst others.

Can he be honoured in his very first go around? That has been a rare feat in recent years, highly reserved for the true superstars. However I suspect Nieuwendyk just might do it in 2010, possibly inducted with good friend Doug Gilmour at the same time.

HHOF Worthy - Joe Nieuwendyk?

Joe Nieuwendyk was one of my favorite players. So it should come as no surprise that I will argue that Joe Nieuwendyk should one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Joe Nieuwendyk was a winner. He won three Stanley Cup championships with three different teams - Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey. Plus he won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.

In 1999 he was so important to Dallas' Stanley Cup championship that he was named as the Conn Smythe trophy winner - about as prestigious of an individual award a hockey player can earn.

That was not his only major award either. In 1988 he won the Calder trophy as best NHL rookie, and in 1995 he won the King Clancy award for his leadership on and off the ice.

Statistically speaking his numbers are also worthy. 564 goals and 1126 points in 1257 games once upon a time guaranteed a player inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nowadays a new standard is trying to be established, given the much higher scoring era of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Surprisingly, Nieuwendyk's career statistics could be a sticking point for some Hall voters. Injuries really slowed him, although he always remained a clutch player. He did not average a point per game. And his career totals lands him in a group of 1980s/1990s players who had similar statistics but are debatable Hall of Famers - players like Dino Ciccarelli (608 goals), Dave Andreychuk (640 goals), and a host of players who squeaked into the 500 goal club.

Nieuwendyk's advantages are his championships, his awards, and his impeccable reputation in the community - something the Hall of Fame definitely takes into consideration.

Knowledgeable hockey fans know that Nieuwendyk was one of those guys who brought more to the rink than any statistic can quantify. That might seem odd to say given Nieuwy spent much of his career primarily as a top marksman, but he was a complete player. Aside from chronic back injuries, he had no real weakness in his game. And he brought a lot to the organization off the ice, both in terms of dressing room leadership and community involvement.

When will Nieuwendyk get into the Hockey Hall of Fame? He is not eligible until 2010. Assuming the 2009 class goes as predicted - Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Brett Hull - Nieuwendyk will find himself in consideration with other first time nominees Eric Lindros, Peter Bondra, and Pierre Turgeon, as well as backlog of previously passed over stars such as Ciccarelli, Andreychuk, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Brian Bellows, Doug Gilmour, Tom Barrasso, Mike Richter, Alexander Mogilny and Phil Housley, amongst others.

Can he be honoured in his very first go around? That has been a rare feat in recent years, highly reserved for the true superstars. However I suspect Nieuwendyk just might do it in 2010, possibly inducted with good friend Doug Gilmour at the same time.