Will Team Canada have as many HOFers on this team as the '76 team did?

[Blades of Glory]

Wow, you guys don't really know much about Iginla, first of all, he always starts off slow, he never has a good start, he plays better later on in the series. Secondly, his linemates suck, hard, the best linemate he's had so far this year is Lombardi.

Thirdly, he plays big in big games, maybe you forgot about his playoff performance, or his last gold medal game, and as I recall he dominated the world juniors and help lead us to a gold.

If Iginla decides to play, he's basically unstoppable, he just takes a while to make a decision.

The only player who can get away with taking a while to "make the decision" is Jaromir Jagr. Iginla is not Jagr. Great players are great all the time, even Jagr has been great throughout his entire career, barring two sub-par (for his standard) seasons. Winning big games? How many Cups does Iginla have? If he continues at his current pace, he will need 2 to 3 Cups, and at least 1 Conn Smythe to get into the HOF. Since when does international play warrant an entrance to the hockey HOF?

For the last time, the HOF is for great players, not good ones. Iginla has a lot more to prove before he can get close to the HOF.

 

[Big Phil]

The only player who can get away with taking a while to "make the decision" is Jaromir Jagr. Iginla is not Jagr. Great players are great all the time, even Jagr has been great throughout his entire career, barring two sub-par (for his standard) seasons. Winning big games? How many Cups does Iginla have? If he continues at his current pace, he will need 2 to 3 Cups, and at least 1 Conn Smythe to get into the HOF. Since when does international play warrant an entrance to the hockey HOF?

For the last time, the HOF is for great players, not good ones. Iginla has a lot more to prove before he can get close to the HOF.

I agree he has a lot more to prove before he gets into the HOF. But then again he'll only be 29 this year. But he's been great throughout that time. The '02 Olympics, the Art Ross in '02, the Lester B. Pearson in '02, Rocket Richard in '02, First team all-star in '02, Second team all-star in '04, Rocket Richard Trophy in '04. You can argue he has been at least one time considered the best in the game by many. And as for big goals does anyone not remember the '04 playoffs? His game 7 goal vs. the Canucks. His Stanley Cup run? How about the '06 Olympics? I guarantee he'll make a name for himself there as well.

For his projection he can make the HOF.

 

[Big Phil]

i dont knwo what everyone is getting bent out of shape for either. I didnt make this list to compare this to the '76 team. Lets see them win and dominate first then we'll discuss. And they probably wont get 17 HOFers. But 10-12 is at least what we're looking at. I know Lecavalier and Richards aren't HOFer right now. But they are both 25 people! Not even Guy Lafleur was a HOFer at 25. This is all about projection. Eric Staal would not be in the HOF if his career ended tomorrow. But 10 more years of seasons like he is having and would anyone argue? No you wouldnt.

Thornton may need some playoff experience, but Dionne never had that in his career. Throw in a couple of Art Ross Trophies he's bound to win and it looks good. Believe me this is all a projection.

 

[oil slick]

Some of you guys are crazy tough... two or three players get in every year - that adds up quickly.

If a guy like Bernie Federko and Rod Langway get in, I'd say Pronger and Iginla will be shoe ins.

 

[Souffle]

It's very hard to compare different eras. For one thing, the influx of Europeans definitely makes a lot of Canadian players merely good. For another, a 30 team league with relaxed UFA makes it very hard to belong to a dynasty, which greatly helped a lot of Canadiens from the 70's, for instance.

Team Sweden with Sundin and Lidstrom, possibly Alfredsson, has as many surefire HoFer candidates, but many fewer maybes. Team USA has Modano and Leetch. Team Czech has Jagr and Hasek. Really, Team Canada doesn't look so special in terms of future HoFers, at least surefire ones.

But then again, if international competition becomes a bigger criterion, building on the Kharlamov induction, then maybe some of those Canadians will get an extra look if Team Canada maintains a kind of parallel international dynasty.

 

[The_Eck]

First off there were 17 HOFers on the 1976 Canada Cup team. Here they are:

Cheevers, Orr, Robinson, Lapointe, Savard, Potvin, Lafleur, Clarke, Perreault, Hull, Esposito, Barber, Shutt, McDonald, Gainey, Dionne, Sittler.

After that you've got Vachon (who should be in there) and guys like Resch, P. Mahovolich, Martin, Gare and Leach who were all playing like HOFers at the time. Only Jimmy Watson is the only so called non-star on that team.

But even though this may not be the best Canadian team of all time I can't help but think there will be nearly just as many HOFers on this team. So I checked it out, its closer than you think if you want to base it on projection.

Shoo-ins or potential future HOFers:

Brodeur - No one on the face of the earth will debate this
Luongo - Already was second team all-star in '04 by 25
Pronger - Hard to believe the one time NHL MVP wont make it
Blake - Is a former Norris Trophy winner and four time post season all-star
Redden - He'll need some post season all-star selections first
Sakic - Shoo-in
Thornton - By the end of his career looks to be a lock
Heatley - Should be one of the best players in the NHL for 10 years
Richards - Won a Conn Smythe already as well as a Cup and a World Cup
Lecavalier - If only he plays the way we know he can this World Cup MVP could
Nash - Led the league in goals when he was only 20
Iginla - He'll need more strong seasons and onother MVP calibre year, or repeat '04
Staal - If he keeps this up he'll leave a strong legacy
Spezza - Needs to do this every year consistently. Plus he should have quite a few strong playoff runs with Ottawa


That comes to 14. Not too bad considering most of those guys will make it, and maybe some I left off will too. Bouwmeester, St. Louis, Bertuzzi, Gagne

To many ifs on this roster compared to '76 in terms of making the HHOF. '76 roster was far superior.

 

[The_Eck]

In my opinion

Locks:
Martin Brodeur
Joe Sakic

Good Chances:
Chris Pronger
Rob Blake
Jarome Iginla
Joe Thornton

Outside Shot:
Adam Foote

Too Early To Tell:
Roberto Luongo
Jay Bouwmeester
Simon Gagne
Eric Staal
Jason Spezza
Dany Heatley
Vincent Lecavalier
Rick Nash

IMO iginla is so overrated on HFboards. He's not even close to being a HOF candidate. One great season doesn't make a career.

 

[The_Eck]

It's very hard to compare different eras. For one thing, the influx of Europeans definitely makes a lot of Canadian players merely good. For another, a 30 team league with relaxed UFA makes it very hard to belong to a dynasty, which greatly helped a lot of Canadiens from the 70's, for instance.

Team Sweden with Sundin and Lidstrom, possibly Alfredsson, has as many surefire HoFer candidates, but many fewer maybes. Team USA has Modano and Leetch. Team Czech has Jagr and Hasek. Really, Team Canada doesn't look so special in terms of future HoFers, at least surefire ones.

But then again, if international competition becomes a bigger criterion, building on the Kharlamov induction, then maybe some of those Canadians will get an extra look if Team Canada maintains a kind of parallel international dynasty.

possibly Alfredsson?? Why??

 

[God Bless Canada]

IMO iginla is so overrated on HFboards. He's not even close to being a HOF candidate. One great season doesn't make a career.

One great season? Are you talking about the Art Ross/Richard/Pearson season of 2002, or the Richard/Hart runner-up season of 2004, when he was the best all-round forward in the playoffs? Just checking.

Is Iginla an HHOFer? At this stage of his career, no. His international accomplishments won't come into play, as they're only a factor for those who spent the majority of their career outside the NHL. (Mats Naslund and Kent Nilsson had brilliant, but abbreviated NHL careers, and thrived on the international stage, and they're not in). If Iginla has three or four more top-notch seasons, and has one more 2004-esque playoff, he'll get in.

If international play was a factor for those who played their entire careers in the NHL, I think Foote would get in, even though he doesn't belong. A better option for Foote is the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Scott Niedermayer, like Chris Pronger, is likely one or two more top notch seasons away from getting in the HHOF.

As for Langway not being in the Hall, he's likely the best defensive defenceman in the last 25 years. (Stevens is the other who warrants consideration). Langway won two Norris Trophies and was a Hart finalist based on his defensive dominance. Federko doesn't belong, but he was a top-notch point producer and playmaker in his prime.

 

[MXD]

In my opinion

Locks:
Martin Brodeur
Joe Sakic

Good Chances:
Chris Pronger


No Way
Ryan Smyth
Todd Bertuzzi
Martin St-Louis
Marty Turco
Adam Foote

Outside Chance
Rob Blake

In Pierre Turgeon's territory
Joe Thornton
Jarome Iginla

On Pace For
Dany Heatley

Only If Traded to a contender someday
Roberto Luongo

Very unlikely
Jay Bouwmeester
Wade Redden


Could Go Either Way
Simon Gagne
Eric Staal
Jason Spezza
Vincent Lecavalier
Rick Nash

What are they doing in Torino, anyways?!?!
Bryan McCabe
Shane Doan
Kris Draper


Number of HOF not with Team Canada (for very good reasons, I might add) : 4 "surefire" material
-Mario Lemieux
-Steve Yzerman
-Luc Robitaille (there ARE better players than him not induced, but best goalscorer at his position)
-Ed Belfour

 

[The_Eck]

One great season? Are you talking about the Art Ross/Richard/Pearson season of 2002, or the Richard/Hart runner-up season of 2004, when he was the best all-round forward in the playoffs? Just checking.

Yup, exactly one season he had that was great in 2002. Runner up for Hart in 2004 is, well, runner up. One great playoff run doesn't consitute greatness either. You have to actually win the cup to add yourself to immortality. Many players have had great post season performances, heck Forsberg had the most points without even playing in the finals. But those performances are quickly forgotten in the minds of many.

 

[therealdeal]

Yup, exactly one season he had that was great in 2002. Runner up for Hart in 2004 is, well, runner up. One great playoff run doesn't consitute greatness either. You have to actually win the cup to add yourself to immortality. Many players have had great post season performances, heck Forsberg had the most points without even playing in the finals. But those performances are quickly forgotten in the minds of many.

Only one great season and yet he's won the scoring race twice.

What happened to everyone else those years?

 

[God Bless Canada]

Yup, exactly one season he had that was great in 2002. Runner up for Hart in 2004 is, well, runner up. One great playoff run doesn't consitute greatness either. You have to actually win the cup to add yourself to immortality. Many players have had great post season performances, heck Forsberg had the most points without even playing in the finals. But those performances are quickly forgotten in the minds of many.

Are you even implying that you have to either a) Win a voted-for, league award to have a great regular season or b) Win the Cup to have a great playoff. Your definitions need work.

By what you just said, Mario Lemieux did not have a great season in 1988-89, when he finished with 199 points, but didn't win the Hart or the Pearson.

Iginla was terrific in 2004. Tied for the league lead in goals, top three in Hart voting, had fantastic play in the post-season that those in the know will remember for a long time.