Bernie Federko

[arrbez]

I just have no idea about this guy. People who saw Bernie Federko play:

• Give me a recent comparable to his style and his status in the league
  
• Why is he so often lumped in with seemingly much worse players like Gillies and Duff (and Andreychuk) in terms of bad Hall of Fame picks?
  
• Why did he retire in his early 30's while still productive?

 

[GlitchMarner]

It seems to me that as far as Hall of Famers go, perhaps he's comparable to a guy like Joe Nieuwendyk...

He was a good centre but wasn't one of the best of his era.

Gretzky, Lemieux, Savard, Trottier, Yzerman, Hawerchuk, Stastny and Messier were all better.

Unlike Nieuwendyk, he didn't win any Cups or a Conn Smythe...

I think he's singled out as a questionable inductee because he didn't really distinguish himself enough from some of the other good but not elite centres of his time: Smith, Taylor, Nicholls etc.

He scored more points than Smith and Taylor, but is he really more HHOF-worthy than a guy like Bernie Nicholls?

 

[crobro]

He scored 100 points consistently without any talented players

 

[VanIslander]

He was one of the greatest playmakers I've ever seen.

And yeah, he played with squat for teammates, so citing scoring stats obscures his worth.

The HHOF committee's judgment reflects the degree of respect he garnered. It wasn't until about the year 2003 - online - that I heard any negative comments about his induction, and they had to do with cup counting and number crunching.

Here's the statue of "The Magician":

 

[K Fleur]

Bernie Federko has a statue!?

He has to be the worst player with a statue at an NHL arena. Worst I've heard of at least.

 

[decma]

Re whether he played with talented teammates, didn't he largely play with Sutter and Babych and later with Sutter and Mullen?

Re other good but not elite centres of the time, Taylor?

 

[sr edler]

Peter Stastny was branded as a puck hog by a linemate?

Ouch.

 

[Talisman]

i just realize that Edmonton oilers had draft him in 1976!!. on though oilers were in WHA that time!!. what if he had chose the oilers and have been part of the oilers dynasty!. just one of those what if.....things

 

[Rebels57]

761 assists in 1000 games is impressive. His playoff numbers are good too.

He also helped Babych have a ridiculous outlier of a season in 80-81. Babych had 54 goals and 96 points playing with Federko. He never scored more than 27 goals and 63 points the rest of his career. Goes to show you how talented of a Playmaker that Federko was.

 

[Iapyi]

i've never really gotten the disrespect that some give federko, i just chalked it up to people who either didn't watch him play for the most part and for those guys who like to pretend they are experts and feel the need to denigrate others in order to boost their own self perceived "expertise".

 

[MXD]

i've never really gotten the disrespect that some give federko, i just chalked it up to people who either didn't watch him play for the most part and for those guys who like to pretend they are experts and feel the need to denigrate others in order to boost their own self perceived "expertise".

That's probably exactly the kind of thing I'd write if I was perceiving Bernie Federko as a strong HHOF'er.

 

[Dissonance]

I just have no idea about this guy. People who saw Bernie Federko play:

• Give me a recent comparable to his style and his status in the league
  
• Why is he so often lumped in with seemingly much worse players like Gillies and Duff (and Andreychuk) in terms of bad Hall of Fame picks?
  
  [*]Why did he retire in his early 30's while still productive?

On the last question, Federko had an "okay" season numbers-wise his last year in Detroit, but he was widely seen as a massive disappointment at the time.

The summer before, Detroit had paid a steep price — including Adam Oates and Paul MacLean — to bring over Federko and try to improve a team that had just suffered an embarrassing first-round upset against Chicago. Jacques Demers, Detroit's coach at the time, had worked with Federko back in St. Louis and thought he'd be a steadying influence on a young team that was having problems with, uh, excessive partying.

Instead, the whole thing flopped miserably. Federko was already seeing his skills decline, he got way less ice time than he was used to behind Steve Yzerman, and was constantly hearing from the media about how Oates was dominating in St. Louis.

By the end of the year, he seemed like he just wasn't having fun anymore. Detroit finished dead last in the division, fired Demers, and bought out the last year of Federko's contract to make way for some of their younger players. And rather than try to find a spot on another team, Federko decided to retire for family reasons and move back to St. Louis.

A Toronto Star piece from 1990:

Unwanted Federko quits the Wings
by Jennifer Frey
August 14, 1990

Bernie Federko announced his retirement from hockey yesterday, but he said his dream career really ended a year ago.

That was when he was traded by the St. Louis Blues to the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent a disappointing season.

"I was hurt very deeply at having to leave St. Louis," Federko said. "It's everyone's dream to play their whole career with the same team. My dream came to an end last year."

Federko, who set several team offensive records in his 13 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, likely will make the Hockey Hall of Fame some day. But he ended his career as an unwanted player with a last-place club.

The Red Wings earlier bought out the final year of his contract, making Federko an unrestricted free agent.

Even though Federko was the Red Wings' third-highest scorer last season with 57 points, the four-player trade that brought him to Detroit was highly unpopular with Red Wings fans. The key player the Red Wings sent to St. Louis, centre Adam Oates, 27, scored a career-best 102 points.

"I have no bitterness; things happen," said Federko, 34. "I think I wasn't in the same situation that Adam Oates was. Here, playing behind Steve Yzerman, you don't get a lot of ice time and you don't get the chance to put up the numbers."

Federko, the 16th-highest scorer in NHL history with 1,130 points, led the Blues in scoring nine seasons and surpassed 100 points four times. The Red Wings said they acquired him for his experience, but now "the younger kids are coming up and that's the way they want to go," Federko said.

He said the Blues traded him for similar reasons.

Federko decided to retire, rather than attempt to join another team, for family reasons. He plans to move back to St. Louis with his wife and three sons.

^ Note that the media was already talking him up as a likely HHOFer in 1990. He had to wait 12 years to get in, but it wasn't totally unexpected. Also I believe at one point he had the record for most consecutive 50+-assist seasons up until Gretzky shattered it.

 

[member 83027]

Bernie Federko from 1978-79 through 1987-88 had the 3rd most Assists & 8th most Points in that span.

What NHL player was the 1st player in NHL history to record 50 Assists in 10 straight seasons? You guessed it....Bernie Federko

If he played in a larger market and it took him so long to make it in the HHOF people would be screaming why it took so long. Most people who say he doesn't belong were folks who really did not get a chance to see him play very often and/or follow his career.

There was only one player better behind the oppositions net. Of course that was Gretzky.

 

[MXD]

Bernie Federko from 1978-79 through 1987-88 had the 3rd most Assists & 8th most Points in that span.

What NHL player was the 1st player in NHL history to record 50 Assists in 10 straight seasons? You guessed it....Bernie Federko

If he played in a larger market and it took him so long to make it in the HHOF people would be screaming why it took so long. Most people who say he doesn't belong were folks who really did not get a chance to see him play very often and/or follow his career.

There was only one player better behind the oppositions net. Of course that was Gretzky.

That also reads like a post I'd make if I perceived Federko to be a strong HHOF'er.

 

[MS]

Federko's reputation probably suffers a great deal from spending his career in St. Louis, at a time when they were for the most part one of the weakest/least interesting franchises in the NHL. Basically he was a quiet personality on a not terribly relevant franchise, and didn't receive nearly the notice he probably should have.

Statistically, his career is almost identical to Darryl Sittler's ... but Sittler spent most of his career for a glamorous O6 franchise and nobody would ever question his HHOF credentials.

 

[MXD]

Federko's reputation probably suffers a great deal from spending his career in St. Louis, at a time when they were for the most part one of the weakest/least interesting franchises in the NHL. Basically he was a quiet personality on a not terribly relevant franchise, and didn't receive nearly the notice he probably should have.

Statistically, his career is almost identical to Darryl Sittler's ... but Sittler spent most of his career for a glamorous O6 franchise and nobody would ever question his HHOF credentials.

See... That's a great parallel.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Federko's reputation probably suffers a great deal from spending his career in St. Louis, at a time when they were for the most part one of the weakest/least interesting franchises in the NHL. Basically he was a quiet personality on a not terribly relevant franchise, and didn't receive nearly the notice he probably should have.

Statistically, his career is almost identical to Darryl Sittler's ... but Sittler spent most of his career for a glamorous O6 franchise and nobody would ever question his HHOF credentials.

See... That's a great parallel.

otoh, i think federko suffers retrospectively because dale hawerchuk was better under similar circumstances in basicaly the same era.

 

[Dissonance]

otoh, i think federko suffers retrospectively because dale hawerchuk was better under similar circumstances in basicaly the same era.

At this point my memory's super hazy and probably faulty, but my recollection of the early 1980s is that you basically had a bunch of very distinct forward tiers:

1. Gretzky, by himself

2. A tier of superstar forwards like Dionne, Hawerchuk, Stastny, Trottier, Bossy, Kent Nilsson probably, *maybe* Savard

3. A lower tier of "star" centers/forwards like Federko, Bobby Smith, Barry Pederson, Rick Middleton, Dave Taylor, maybe Brian Propp...

If you'd told me in 1984 or 1985 that out of all those tier 3 players, only Bernie Federko would make it to the HHOF, I would've been shocked. Not because he was undeserving, but because those were all great players at the time and Federko didn't seem clearly superior. (Obviously some, like Pederson and Smith, would fall off, which hurt their case. Middleton is probably the closest comparable.)

 

[VanIslander]

2. A tier of superstar forwards like Dionne, Hawerchuk, Stastny, Trottier, Bossy, Kent Nilsson probably, *maybe* Savard

3. A lower tier of "star" centers/forwards like Federko, Bobby Smith, Barry Pederson, Rick Middleton, Dave Taylor, maybe Brian Propp...

Kent Nilsson in a tier above Bernie Federko?

Nilsson

Assists
1980-81 NHL 82 (2nd)
1984-85 NHL 62 (10th)
Goals
1980-81 NHL 49 (9th)

Federko

Assists
1978-79 NHL 64 (6th)
1980-81 NHL 73 (4th)
1982-83 NHL 60 (8th)
1983-84 NHL 66 (7th)
1984-85 NHL 73 (5th)
1985-86 NHL 68 (7th)
1987-88 NHL 69 (7th)

 

[Dissonance]

^ Ack, yeah, my mistake, Nilsson belongs in tier 3. He was crazy talented and had the sixth-highest PPG from 1980 to 1985 (behind only Gretzky, Bossy, Stastny, Dionne, and Kurri) but was such a mess defensively that he deserves to be downrated there. Not a HHOFer, or even close, in any case.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Re whether he played with talented teammates, didn't he largely play with Sutter and Babych and later with Sutter and Mullen?

Re other good but not elite centres of the time, Taylor?

Sorry. I meant forwards... ugh...

I'm still not sure he was better than the other Bernie (Nicholls), much less Turgeon or Roenick.

I have nothing against Federko. He just doesn't have the strongest HHOF credentials ever.

 

[sr edler]

Kent Nilsson in a tier above Bernie Federko?

Nilsson

Assists
1980-81 NHL 82 (2nd)
1984-85 NHL 62 (10th)
Goals
1980-81 NHL 49 (9th)

Federko

Assists
1978-79 NHL 64 (6th)
1980-81 NHL 73 (4th)
1982-83 NHL 60 (8th)
1983-84 NHL 66 (7th)
1984-85 NHL 73 (5th)
1985-86 NHL 68 (7th)
1987-88 NHL 69 (7th)

Nilsson is not a tier above Federko but he was a better goal scorer, not everything is about assists.

Also, if setting up your linemates is your main schtick, and you're on average the 5th best set up man in your era, per season, that's not necessarily a slam dunk HHOF case.

H. Sedin led the league in assists in three consecutive seasons, and some people talks about him like he's not a sure thing HOFer.

 

[sr edler]

That's actually more like the 6th best set up man, per average. And I guess that's nitpicking his best seasons.

 

[Sanf]

Federko never played in international tournament. Got interested if he was ever even candidate and it seems that he wasn´t. Couldn´t find anything from 1987, but doesn´t sound very likely...

September 19, 1981
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

General Manager Cliff Fletcher who had served as general manager for Team Canada and had tendered the invitations to the Team Canada training camp. "He said I wasn't fast enough," said Federko. "I hope he was watching tonight. Maybe I've had such a good training camp so far because I was all fired up to go to training camp with Team Canada and then I wasn't invited. "All summer I was getting ready for training camp with Team Canada, so I didn't want to waste it. I'm having a great camp with the Blues, instead.

October 17, 1984
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Federko never has been voted onto an NHL All-Star team. In 1980 and "81, he was a coach's addition to the Campbell Conference All-Stars. If ever he had reason to feel slighted, it was this year. Despite a season in which he was among the league's top 10 scorers with a career-high 107 points, he was overlooked for the All-Star Game and wasnt even invited to try out for the Canadian team that participated in the Canada Cup tournament. In each instance, the choice was up to Glen Sather, coach of the Edmonton Oilers. "I really don't know what they look for," Federko said. "Everybody has a different opinion. There are a lot of good centers In the league. I shouldn't feel bad about players like Gretzky and Dionne being picked over me." At 28, Federko has a good shot at reaching two milestones 1,000 points and 750 assists. He also wants to show that he is a good all-around player. He thinks the rap against him as a defensive player Is unjust. "I've never been given a chance to play defense, so how do they know?" he asked. "I think I'm starting to get more of an opportunity to play the whole game and not just in the offensive situations."

 

[Sanf]

He was one of the greatest playmakers I've ever seen.

And yeah, he played with squat for teammates, so citing scoring stats obscures his worth.

The HHOF committee's judgment reflects the degree of respect he garnered. It wasn't until about the year 2003 - online - that I heard any negative comments about his induction, and they had to do with cup counting and number crunching.

Don´t want to be a smartass here, but he was elected in 2002 so not a very well received induction.

He was candidate atleast in 1994 (with Rick Middleton, Clark Gillies, Claude Provost, Dean Prentice and Dick Duff) when none of the players got in. Also in 1997 when he was left out with Paul Henderson. I´m not a huge HOF enthustiast, but he doesn´t seem especially strong candidate.