Future Hall of Famers for all NHL teams

It is revelation week for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class 2020, meaning a set of inductees and a collection of debates by the selection committee. Unluckily, there have not been any form that could determine Hall of Fame worthiness.

Well, here we create one, which is a simple four-quadrant test that one can apply to prospective Hall of Fame candidates in order to see whether they have the stuff of legends. Here it is:

1. Individual production: This encompasses the statistical records of a player, within the context of his era.

2. On-ice impact: What did the player’s individual performance mean for his teams and teammates? “Winning” is the kind of a nebulous concept, but there are various ways to explore this impact, such as scoring rates in team wins, postseason scoring, impact on teammates through with-or-without-you (WOWY) stats, that can help to quantify it.

3. Prestige: Can this player be considered as one of the top three in his position during his career? This is where awards come in, as well as comparisons with his peers.

4. Cultural impact: This is not only the fame aspect of the equation, but also the most subjective one. Did this player cause others to emulate him or revolutionize his position ? Has he been considered as a star? Was there anything transcendent about this player?

We have applied this test to all NHL’s teams, looking at players (both active and alumni), coaches, and execs who are locks for the Hall, those whose candidacy could be debated and those who need some more years to percolate before we know if they are Hall-worthy.

Something to always remember: These guys don’t go in wearing the hat of a certain team on their plaque. We are putting active players with their current teams and retired players on the teams that they’re most associated with.