HHOF Class of 2017 Announced- Selanne, Kariya, Andreychuk, Recchi

[2014olympicgold]

Paul Kariya’s accomplishments:
All-Rookie Team – 95
First All-Star Team (AKA top 5 player that yr, top in his position {LW}) – 96, 97, 99
2^nd All-Star Team (Top 10 player, 2^nd best at position) – 2000, 03
So top 2 of his position 5/15 seasons
Lady Byng – 96, 97
World JR All-Star Team – 93
WJC Gold – 93
World Championship All-Star – 94, 96
World Championship Gold – 94
Olympic Gold – 02
Olympic Silver – 94
61pts in 56 international games.

There’s this fine line that I can’t decide on how to deal with it. You have guys inducted this yr based on their careers (Andy and Recchi), then you have a guy inducted based on how good he was when he played a “Limited” career (Kariya). Like Selanne was a 1^st team all-star twice and a 2^nd team all-star twice. DUDE WAS GREAT (better than Kariya we’d all agree), but Kariya was the best at his position more than Selanne was. There’s this weird line of dominance in your career and dominance in a short time that I can’t figure out what’s better.

[Pengwin7]

I think these are pretty good picks.
In ANY group (HHOF or other) there's going to be that choice that is the bottom of the talent group.
It doesn't matter if the HHOF had stopped that quality level at a 92/100 type player or a 88/100 type player.
We'll always draw a line somewhere.

Kariya was a top 5 NHL player for about 3 years.
I think that, alone, should get him into conversations.

Or... if a guy can be a top 50 NHL player for 10 years - that's good enough too.

People get way too critical about this stuff.
These guys have made hockey a great sport in different ways.
Congrats to them.

(Mogilny next year, lets hope)

[LawMan]

It's about time that Clare Drake gets into the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you don't know who he is look it up as it is worth your time.

100% agree. The guy is an absolute coaching legend, by many accounts he created the idea of a Coach's clinic to spread the ideas and philosophies of coaching to other coaches. Both Babcock and Hitchcock credit him with teaching them a ton about the game of hockey. Not to mention his 6 CIAU championships and record for most College wins in North America. Once I heard he was introduced I was pleasently surprised to learn that at 88 he's still kicking and will know the honour of being inducted into the HHOF.

Fun fact from the Edmonton Journal article on his selection:

Believe it or not he has just one degree of separation from Canada?s first Olympic champion in 1920 (team star Frank Fredrickson was his coach in UBC in the 1940?s) and the most recent Olympic champion in 2014 (direct connection to Mike Babcock).

[Rodgort]

Paul Kariya’s accomplishments:
All-Rookie Team – 95
First All-Star Team (AKA top 5 player that yr, top in his position {LW}) – 96, 97, 99
2^nd All-Star Team (Top 10 player, 2^nd best at position) – 2000, 03
So top 2 of his position 5/15 seasons
Lady Byng – 96, 97
World JR All-Star Team – 93
WJC Gold – 93
World Championship All-Star – 94, 96
World Championship Gold – 94
Olympic Gold – 02
Olympic Silver – 94
61pts in 56 international games.

There’s this fine line that I can’t decide on how to deal with it. You have guys inducted this yr based on their careers (Andy and Recchi), then you have a guy inducted based on how good he was when he played a “Limited” career (Kariya). Like Selanne was a 1^st team all-star twice and a 2^nd team all-star twice. DUDE WAS GREAT (better than Kariya we’d all agree), but Kariya was the best at his position more than Selanne was. There’s this weird line of dominance in your career and dominance in a short time that I can’t figure out what’s better.

I loved watching Kariya. He kind of falls in the Bure, Neely, and (I guess that loser) Lindros category for the HHOF. If not for concussions Kariya would have way more games and way more points. He still holds the top 2 point seasons in Nashville history too!

[lucafen4]

Sigh, some very good players who had long careers in that bunch. Obviously, no issues with Selanne and I'm on the fence with Kariya right now. Recchi was a very nice complimentary player and Andreychuk? I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky. I'm still unhappy with Mike Gartner being in the HHOF, yay for 20 goal seasons!

it's more that he has 708 career goals, 17 with 30 or more, including 15 straight 30 goal seasons to start his career. 9 - 40+ goal seasons. No one else has ever done this. Even Gretzky didn't do 15 30+ goal seasons in a row to start his career (13, 14 if you count the WHL rookie season). Gartner deserves to be there. His level of goal scoring consistency was insane

[RizzeeDizzee]

it's more that he has 708 career goals, 17 with 30 or more, including 15 straight 30 goal seasons to start his career. 9 - 40+ goal seasons. No one else has ever done this. Even Gretzky didn't do 15 30+ goal seasons in a row to start his career (13, 14 if you count the WHL rookie season). Gartner deserves to be there. His level of goal scoring consistency was insane

Fully agree. I also think Gartner passes my "test" in that once he gets in you don't immediately say 'well, now that he's in you have to let in XXX and YYY too". The same cannot be said for Andreychuk.

[lucafen4]

Fully agree. I also think Gartner passes my "test" in that once he gets in you don't immediately say 'well, now that he's in you have to let in XXX and YYY too". The same cannot be said for Andreychuk.

if he played longer with the Leafs, I'd feel better about it

[The Comish]

it's more that he has 708 career goals, 17 with 30 or more, including 15 straight 30 goal seasons to start his career. 9 - 40+ goal seasons. No one else has ever done this. Even Gretzky didn't do 15 30+ goal seasons in a row to start his career (13, 14 if you count the WHL rookie season). Gartner deserves to be there. His level of goal scoring consistency was insane

I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about consistently very good players with lengthy careers being considered Hall of Famers. Consistently very good. If you were lucky enough to play through the '80's, you could have some pretty decent goal scoring totals. Players now will have nowhere near the goal/point totals from players in the '80's. I'm sure the HHOF will adjust.

I actually really liked Gartner when he was playing, but I never considered him a dominant player, definitely a very talented (and blazingly fast), but still a complimentary player in my eyes.