Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Who will be the next players in each NHL franchise to join the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Every year, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducts new members into history. The Hall of Fame is a sanctuary for hockey, honoring the best hockey players, coaches, and executives of all time, not just those who have played in the NHL. Like all members of the Hall of Fame, there are debates every year about who should and who should not.
Who could be the next Hall of Fame member for each franchise? We’ll see. Read the full article before commenting on who I forgot because I only mentioned people for one team, even if they played or coached for several. I tried to narrow them down to the team with which they are most associated.
Anaheim Ducks
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf has quietly put together a pretty impressive resume. It is a World Championship gold medal far from being a member of the Triple Gold Club, although if you wanted to argue that it should be there because of its Hockey World Cup gold medal, you would hear no objection from me.
However, his case is not simple. Getzlaf only has a second place for the Hart Trophy to his name. That’s still the only time he’s been a finalist for an award. Getzlaf has only been named to a second-team All-Star team, which doesn’t help in his case, either. That said, it will remain an easy “yes” thanks to its counting statistics.
He has already played in more than 1,000 NHL games. Getzlaf will likely overshadow the 1,000-point mark next season. Since the 1994-95 close, every player with at least 1,000 points has been in the Hall of Fame, is a slam dunk candidate once he retires, or at least has a strong case.
Also, among players with at least 1,000 games played since the 1994-95 lockout, Getzlaf ranks sixth in points per game. The players above him are members of the Hall of Fame (Teemu Selanne, Mats Sundin, Jaromir Jagr), will be members of the Hall of Fame (Alex Ovechkin), or are the fascinating case of Daniel Alfredsson (more about him later).
Getzlaf is not as harsh as everyone thinks, but I see no reason why he shouldn’t be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He may not be on the first ballot because voters are rare when voting for players without individual prizes, but he will enter.
Honorable mentions: Corey Perry could join Getzlaf in the Hall of Fame. He has a Hart Trophy and a Rocket Richard Trophy to his name, which helps. Perry is also a member of the Triple Gold Club, which should give him another advantage. That said, Perry is simply not a popular player and his bad reputation could affect his chances.
