Wednesdays FTB: Which Maple Leaf will get in the hall of fame today?

Every year up to eight people get elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and almost every year at least one of those people has a connection to the Toronto Maple Leafs:

2019: Hayley Wickenheiser is inducted while working for the Maple Leafs as Assistant Director of Player Development.

2018: Gary Bettman is an evil conspirator which keeps the NHL biased towards the Maple Leafs according to fans of 30 other teams.

2017: Dave Andreychuk, 223 games as a Leaf, won the Lady Byng with the team.

2016: Eric Lindros & Pat Quinn: Lindros played 33 games and was a lifelong Leafs fan, Quinn is a legendary Leafs coach and the last one to get them out of the first round of the playoffs.

2015: Phil Housley: Maple Leafs legend.

2014: Pat Burns: The coach who almost led the team to the Stanley Cup.

The list of Maple Leafs players, staff members and hangers on that are in the Hall of Fame is huge, and justifies having the hall steps from the Maple Leafs home arena. 2020 has many great players to select for induction and so many could have Maple Leafs connections.

Alexander Mogilny
Leafs Stats: 176GP - 65G - 101A - 166Pts - 1x Lady Byng Trophy
NHL Stats: 990GP - 473G - 559A - 1032Pts - 1x Stanley Cup

Mogilny has been Hall of Fame eligible for 12 years but has been the victim of the unwritten rule (maybe it is written, who knows, it’s all a secret) that says if you don’t have a points based award you’re not a lock. Mogilny should be in for his play, his personal success, and for being one of first big players to leave Russia without permission and become a star in the NHL. He’s the second Russian to score 1,000 NHL points, losing the spot of first to Sergei Federov by days, and is the third highest scoring Russian player in NHL history.

He won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000, and almost went back to back before the Devils lost to the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.

He has 1,000+ points, a Stanley Cup, is a former Leaf, and a great story. If that isn’t fame in the NHL, I don’t know what is.

Tom Barrasso
Leafs Stats: 4GP - 2W - 2L - .909sv% - 2.74GAA
NHL Stats: 777GP - 369W - 277L - 86T - .892sv% - 3.24sv% - 38SO - 1x Calder, 1x Vezina, 1x Jennings, 2x Stanley Cup

Barrasso had a big career before it peaked by playing for the Maple Leafs, he won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and played 733 games with the Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa Senators. After missing the 2000-01 season, Barrasso would sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, but end up getting traded to the Maple Leafs at the deadline for a fourth round pick. The two teams would meet in the Eastern conference Final where Barrasso and the Leafs would fall to his former team.

Barrasso would fit into the Hall with goalies like Grant Fuhr and Rogie Vachon, and be kept company by former Leafs like Ed Belfour and Johnny Bower.

Curtis Joseph
Leafs Stats: 270GP - 138W - 97L - 34T - .910sv% - 2.49GAA - 17SO - 1x King Clancy Trophy
NHL Stats: 943GP - 454W - 342L - 96T - .906sv% - 2.79GAA - 51SO

The longest serving Leaf on this list, CuJo would be an exmple of longevity and steady numbers being the reason he gets in. Someone many would moan about “Toronto Bias” even though he played about a quart of his career in the city.

He was a great goalie for the Blues, Oilers, Coyotes, and Flames but really made a name for himself in Toronto tending the net while the team played Pat Quinn’s “fuck defense” game. It almost worked too if it hadn’t been for those lousy Sabres.

Auston Matthews
Leafs Stats: 282GP - 158G - 127A - 285Pts - 1x Calder Trophy

Let’s just get this over with early.

Now, the news:

Vegas and Vancouver locks? Don’t bet on it.

Hockey is back!

Hockey is officially back. The CIHL is the top league in Hong Kong and hasn’t played since March. The 4 team league has players from all over the world. https://t.co/FwLPGovhJ6
— Hockey Worldwide (@HockeyWorIdwide) June 24, 2020