2025 HHOF

[Boreal01]

Price would be more of a question mark if he was being assessed strictly based on his NHL accolades, his national team performances will easily ensure a first-ballot slot

Keith and Chara are comfortable locks as well although if either of them were to get bumped it would (not necessarily should) absolutely not be Keith

Thornton seems a safe bet for #4, in the rare scenario he's omitted it would probably be for someone who's been waiting a few years like Zetterberg or Elias, although they're more likely to slip in next year's class which will be significantly weaker (especially if Toews ends up making a return)

 

[x Tame Impala]

I don't find this response helpful - if you feel this way, this is exactly your chance to provide supporting evidence instead of just a "you don't know enough because you don't agree with me".

It's a discussion forum.

Probably unnecessarily abrasive, sure.

Keith's career resume should be enough of an argument. There's no one in a list of: Getzlaf, Spezza, Subban, Rask, Holtby, Marleau, Rinne, Zetterberg, Gaborik, Elias, Lecalvier, Brad Richards (the eligible nominees) that would deserve a spot over Keith, who was the anchor and 1D on a dynasty, winning a Smythe, 3 Cups, 2 Norris Trophies, 2 Olympic Golds, and was generally a premiere defenseman in the league from about 2008 to 2017. To say anyone else listed would get in over him is to not have watched him play or be aware of the impact he had on the game.

If you want to be polite and reductionist with an "everyone has their own opinion" viewpoint that's fine as well. This is a discussion forum like you said, it's my opinion you can't reasonably argue Keith wouldn't be a first ballot guy of these players listed.

 

[MadLuke]

But that not what people say, Bure-Oates did not made Shanahan wait a year because voters too they were more deserving.

If Brind'amour, Gonchar, roenick, Mogilny, Bondra, Fleury, Elias or Zetterberg (or if they go 3 players, it is not always 4) goes in after having to wait a long time and Keith wait a single year to get in at the same time as Toews, the committee would have said he is more deserving and that why he waited less time.

It is not a who is more deserving and available process, how long you have been waiting is taking into account has well.

Having too bet, Weber went in, Keith > Weber, so they will, but it would not be some flabbergasting decision if they are sure Toews get in next year to have a Hawks combo.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

if you want to argue that keith was greater than chara, i can entertain that.

but it’s not chara’s longevity outweighing keith’s arguably higher peak, or chara’s more consistent prime outweighing keith’s spikier one, that makes chara more of a slam dunk first ballot guy. it’s that chara was iconic. one of the most unique and memorable of his era, maybe any era.

keith was a lot of things, but he wasn’t iconic like chara was.

that said, while i’d be very very surprised if keith wasn’t in this year, it’s not impossible. the committee isn’t ruled by logic. bitd, they chose to cap the class at just two players (denis savard and joey mullen) and leave hawerchuk to wait a year. hawerchuk retired 10th all time in scoring, with 1,409 pts in 1,188 games. that was significantly higher than savard (1,338 in 1,196) and mullen (1,063 in 1,062) in both raw totals and pts/game. when they got in and hawerchuk didn’t, hawerchuk was 13th all time, savard was 17th, mullen was 44th).

it’s a very minute chance they’d pass over someone like keith for a year, but that would never happen to chara. he had too much fame.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

if you want to argue that keith was greater than chara, i can entertain that.

but it’s not chara’s longevity outweighing keith’s arguably higher peak, or chara’s more consistent prime outweighing keith’s spikier one, that makes chara more of a slam dunk first ballot guy. it’s that chara was iconic. one of the most unique and memorable of his era, maybe any era.

keith was a lot of things, but he wasn’t iconic like chara was.

that said, while i’d be very very surprised if keith wasn’t in this year, it’s not impossible. the committee isn’t ruled by logic. bitd, they chose to cap the class at just two players (denis savard and joey mullen) and leave hawerchuk to wait a year. hawerchuk retired 10th all time in scoring, with 1,409 pts in 1,188 games. that was significantly higher than savard (1,338 in 1,196) and mullen (1,063 in 1,062) in both raw totals and pts/game. when they got in and hawerchuk didn’t, hawerchuk was 13th all time, savard was 17th, mullen was 44th).

it’s a very minute chance they’d pass over someone like keith for a year, but that would never happen to chara. he had too much fame.

Was thinking of how to put this, but this is exactly it.

Keith in 2015 is one of the most impressive individual playoff runs I’ve watched, but few people have stood out on the ice like Chara did for two decades. Initially as a curiosity, but he carved out a HoF career like you wouldn’t have imagined from the start.

I mean, it hasn’t been that long since many were lamenting that literal identical twins who had won back-to-back Art Rosses made the Hall of Fame over “more deserving” candidates in what was their first year of eligibility. It happens, be ready for it

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

To me, a guy is a HHOFer when you don't need to think twice when asked. For instance, if someone asked if McDavid, MacKinnon or Kucherov were HHOFers, I immediately say "Yes". I don't need to think twice about it

I feel the same for Keith, Chara, Price, and Thornton. I do believe these guys will be the four inducted.

If someone said asked about Marleau, I don't immediately say yes. I usually have to go back and look at his stats etc.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Thornton, Chara, Keith, Price - no need to overthink it. They are sure first ballot HOF'ers for me.

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

Thornton, Chara, Keith, Price - no need to overthink it. They are sure first ballot HOF'ers for me.

Those SHOULD be the inductees.

But you never know with the committee anymore.

I could see them overthinking it. Putting guys in who have waited a bit like Zetterberg. Or wanting Marleau to be in with Thornton.

 

[wetcoast]

Those SHOULD be the inductees.

But you never know with the committee anymore.

I could see them overthinking it. Putting guys in who have waited a bit like Zetterberg. Or wanting Marleau to be in with Thornton.

Hard to see Marleau ever being inducted as his resume really isn't HHOF material and every year there are 4+ players who always look better.

Wanting to induct him with Thornton simply doesn't enter the equation.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Hard to see Marleau ever being inducted as his resume really isn't HHOF material and every year there are 4+ players who always look better.

Wanting to induct him with Thornton simply doesn't enter the equation.

He's a good ol Canadian boy that the media loves...Marleau will 100% be in eventually

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

Hard to see Marleau ever being inducted as his resume really isn't HHOF material and every year there are 4+ players who always look better.

Wanting to induct him with Thornton simply doesn't enter the equation.

He will 100% be inducted. Likely by 2026 at the latest.

The standard has been set that you just need to be a very good player. Not to mention he played for Toronto and team Canada.

Should he? No.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Hard to see Marleau ever being inducted as his resume really isn't HHOF material and every year there are 4+ players who always look better.

Wanting to induct him with Thornton simply doesn't enter the equation.

I’m also not as sure. He might in a weak year, but the feeling is people are simply anti-jinxing it hard.

 

[Staniowski]

Hard to see Marleau ever being inducted as his resume really isn't HHOF material and every year there are 4+ players who always look better.

Wanting to induct him with Thornton simply doesn't enter the equation.

It's really not hard to see Marleau getting in. The big thing with him is the career points, almost 1,200. There's a good chance that'll be enough for induction.

He's also well known, well liked, and had good success on Team Canada. And it doesn't hurt that he played In an era of a bit less talent than the generations both before and after him.

The positives might outweigh the fact that he was never a great player.

 

[wetcoast]

It's really not hard to see Marleau getting in. The big thing with him is the career points, almost 1,200. There's a good chance that'll be enough for induction.

He's also well known, well liked, and had good success on Team Canada. And it doesn't hurt that he played In an era of a bit less talent than the generations both before and after him.

The positives might outweigh the fact that he was never a great player.

The thing is that he doesn't have the playoff resume or signature seasons or peak or prime he is a nice guy who stayed around a long time and compiled at the end of the day.

That's not a HHOFer when he come sup against other players like rick Middleton or Zetts for example.

But who knows Dave Andreychuk isn't really a HHOFer either and he is in.

 

[Michael Farkas]

He played the most games ever...that's "fame". I don't like it either, but he's going in at some point I think.

 

[MadLuke]

It is extremely easy to see Marleau getting in and I am not sure if people saying otherwise are more making a comment than it should not be the case, than an actual lack of imagination.

-The player with the most regular season game played in the history of the sport that scored 566 goals (when he started to play in some of the hardest time to score them in 1998)

- A bit face of the franchise, as the captain/best player of an expansion team for a while, that always give some nice bonus, that something that must help a Shane Doan case if he had a bit of a better career (or more prestigious franchise) or Weber with Nashville.

- Surrounded by weak draft, HHOF class

1997 is strong, obviously with Thornton-Hossa-Luongo.

But 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, all feels like 1 or less clear HHOF in them (skaters wise at least) and the HHOF will continue to put people in all the time regardless of their worthiness without some major change....

The only player with more X and available out of the hall are

Points (1197): Damphousse-Nicholls
Goals (566)..: None, Tkachuck is the closest with 538

Playoff
Games (195): Keane, Draper, Lemieux, with MacTavish (193) being the closest below not in the hall.
Goals (72).: Tikkanen (tie at 72), Lemieux (80)

2x Olympics Gold medals, the players with Marleau numbers not getting in either did a lot of them in the highest scoring eras or for the playoff hero, not really that close of Marleau regular season/intl resume.

Obviously, there will always be someone with the most goals not in the HHOF and it could be Marleau, but he could easily get in.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

It is extremely easy to see Marleau getting in and I am not sure if people saying otherwise are more making a comment than it should not be the case, than an actual lack of imagination.

-The player with the most regular season game played in the history of the sport that scored 566 goals (when he started to play in some of the hardest time to score them in 1998)

- A bit face of the franchise, as the captain/best player of an expansion team for a while, that always give some nice bonus, that something that must help a Shane Doan case if he had a bit of a better career (or more prestigious franchise) or Weber with Nashville.

- Surrounded by weak draft, HHOF class

1997 is strong, obviously with Thornton-Hossa-Luongo.

But 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, all feels like 1 or less clear HHOF in them (skaters wise at least) and the HHOF will continue to put people in all the time regardless of their worthiness without some major change....

The only player with more X and available out of the hall are

Points (1197): Damphousse-Nicholls
Goals (566)..: None, Tkachuck is the closest with 538

Playoff
Games (195): Keane, Draper, Lemieux, with MacTavish (193) being the closest below not in the hall.
Goals (72).: Tikkanen (tie at 72), Lemieux (80)

2x Olympics Gold medals, the players with Marleau numbers not getting in either did a lot of them in the highest scoring eras or for the playoff hero, not really that close of Marleau regular season/intl resume.

Obviously, there will always be someone with the most goals not in the HHOF and it could be Marleau, but he could easily get in.

The only reason he has 500 goals or 1200 points is because he played so many games. He is the ultimate compiler.

His 82 game average is 26 goals, 55 points

 

[MadLuke]

is because he played so many games

I feel like for many players/ex-players (which is quite influential) played so many games is not the insult some may think, all the opposite. What it meant in terms of dedication to the sports, his body (or just ridiculous genetic if that the case) will tend to impress them a lot. They went through how hard it was to stay in the league, try to play 80 games year in and out themselves.

And it is not the only reason he had 500 goals, Marleau reached 500 goals, he reached that milestone around the middle of the 2017 seasons when he was 37, after 1544 games.

That was a long career 1544 games and 37 is not young if he would have retired before that, but that your Shane Doan/Iginla/Shanahan/Modano career. He was still a good legit Top 6 player at that time. He signed a good contract that summer and had a ~30 goal season the next year. Was not yet a compiler.

He played 19 minutes a night in the playoff on a team stacked of good forwards, the season he reached 500.

He is in the rarer 550 goals club because he played so much more games than most HHoF and played until 40 something's that true, but his 530 goals-1100 pts mark are fully legit, imo.

After his first leaf season, that when it enters a little bit to fully irrelevant compiling territory, but that just ~30 goals-70 points of his career total.