Could Bob Gainey have made the Hall of Fame if he didn't play for Montreal?

[MadLuke]

Obviously injuries variable make it possible for anyone to miss, but it is much easier for an young Ovechkin to get seen and recognized on a bad team than for a Gainey.

There also a middle ground between the Barons and MTL, there was 3-4 others team where he could have had a big legacy and even swap a cup with MTL, it is not like there was no close call along the way.

 

[Staniowski]

I think there were some team advantages to playing for the Habs....and also some era advantages in being a defensive star during a time when defense wasn't that sophisticated.

However, Gainey wasn't some borderline hall-of-famer. He was a player who's chances of making the Hall were 100%. So, he still makes it easily. He always played for Team Canada in his prime, '76, '79 (Challenge Cup, Team NHL), and '81. He played longer in the NHL than anybody else his age.

He almost certainly would've won the Selke in both '76 and '77.

His greatest strengths - smarts, skating, relentless compete level - are all adaptable.

 

[Required Fields]

Yes he would have. Where ever he played.
He was also captain of that "dynasty team" ....for good reason. Huge ingredient of that "dynasty team"
I'll trust my own eyes and the words of Ken Dryden, Scotty Bowman, Brian Trottier , Guy Lafleur etc .......before I put an ounce of credibility into "I've seen some people say he's over rated"
What a reach.

Yvan Cournoyer was Montreal's team captain from 1975-76 to 1978-79, not Bob Gainey.

With that said, Bob Gainey was Montreal's team captain when they won the Stanley Cup in 1986.

 

[Required Fields]

I thought that the Selke Trophy being created because of Gainey was merely speculation, not the NHLPA just wanting to give a player something.

With that said, I agree with Staniowski that Gainey would have won the Selke in 1975-76 and 1976-77 if it had existed. I could even see him possibly have won the Selke Trophy in 1974-75 had it been around at the time. Zero chance he'd have won it as a rookie in 1973-74, though.

As the creator of this thread, I think my answer would be that I think it would depend on what team he played for.

I definitely think he'd make the Hall of Fame in an alternate reality playing for the New York Islanders, 100%. Philadelphia? Yes. Boston? Yes.

However, some people here seem to insist he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame if he played for the Detroit Red Wings or California Golden Seals/Cleveland Barons. I don't agree with them on that. It's much easier for Joe Sakic type players (I use him as an example because the Nordiques were horrendous in the first few years of Sakic's career) to be recognized on sub-par teams than it is for Bob Gainey style players.

With that said, I 100% believe any team in the league would have been better with him, regardless.

 

[BraveCanadian]

It’s unlikely he would have made it without being on a very successful big market team.

He could easily have toiled in obscurity and had none of the narrative built around him losing year after year instead of wining.

There I said it.

Same as George Armstrong for the Leafs although he was still better offensively than Gainey.

 

[MXD]

It’s unlikely he would have made it without being on a very successful big market team.

He could easily have toiled in obscurity and had none of the narrative built around him losing year after year instead of wining.

There I said it.

Same as George Armstrong for the Leafs although he was still better offensively than Gainey.

... And Claude Provost was superior offensively AND defensively to Armstrong, but didn't make it, despite playing on an even more successful team.

As I said earlier, playing on a weaker team probably prevents Gainey from getting in the HHOF, but that would mostly have to do with getting different assignations, at which he wouldn't excel as much.

(This said, Gainey on the Bruins and we get an even bigger legend, despite less success)

 

[BraveCanadian]

... And Claude Provost was superior offensively AND defensively to Armstrong, but didn't make it, despite playing on an even more successful team.

As I said earlier, playing on a weaker team probably prevents Gainey from getting in the HHOF, but that would mostly have to do with getting different assignations, at which he wouldn't excel as much.

(This said, Gainey on the Bruins and we get an even bigger legend, despite less success)

Leaf fans love hard working blue collar type players and I’m sure Toronto being the center of the universe helps

 

[PaulD]

Yvan Cournoyer was Montreal's team captain from 1975-76 to 1978-79, not Bob Gainey.

With that said, Bob Gainey was Montreal's team captain when they won the Stanley Cup in 1986.