#127 - Marian Hossa

Marian Hossa (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #127)

Adjusted Stats

1997-1998   Ott         7 GP     0 goals     1 assist       1 point         0.17 PPG
1998-1999   Ott         60 GP   18 goals   18 assists    35 points     0.58 PPG
1999-2000   Ott         78 GP   32 goals   30 assists    63 points     0.80 PPG
2000-2001   Ott         81 GP   36 goals   48 assists    84 points     1.03 PPG
2001-2002   Ott         80 GP   36 goals   41 assists    78 points     0.97 PPG
2002-2003   Ott         80 GP   52 goals   41 assists    93 points     1.16 PPG
2003-2004   Ott         81 GP   43 goals   55 assists    98 points     1.21 PPG
2005-2006   Atl          80 GP   40 goals   54 assists   94 points     1.17 PPG
2006-2007   Atl          82 GP   46 goals   61 assists   107 points   1.30 PPG
2007-2008   Atl/Pit     72 GP   33 goals   42 assists   75 points     1.04 PPG
2008-2009   Det         74 GP   43 goals   33 assists   77 points     1.04 PPG
2009-2010   Chi*       57 GP   27 goals   30 assists   57 points     1.00 PPG
2010-2011   Chi         65 GP   28 goals   36 assists   64 points     0.99 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1998-1999   Ott         4 GP     0 goals      2 assists     2 points      0.55 PPG
1999-2000   Ott         6 GP     0 goals      0 assists     0 points      0.00 PPG
2000-2001   Ott         4 GP     1 goal        1 assist      2 points      0.59 PPG
2001-2002   Ott         12 GP   5 goals      7 assists    12 points     0.99 PPG
2002-2003   Ott         18 GP   6 goals      13 assists  19 points     1.06 PPG
2003-2004   Ott         7 GP     4 goals      1 assist      5 points      0.73 PPG
2006-2007   Atl          4 GP     0 goals      1 assist      1 point       0.28 PPG
2007-2008   Pit          20 GP   13 goals    15 assists   27 points    1.36 PPG
2008-2009   Det         23 GP   6 goals      9 assists    15 points    0.67 PPG
2009-2010   Chi*       22 GP   3 goals      11 assists   14 points    0.64 PPG
2010-2011   Chi         7 GP     2 goals      4 assists     6 points     0.86 PPG 

Career - 897 GP, 434 goals, 490 assists, 926 points, 1.03 PPG
Career-Highs - 52 goals (02-03); 61 assists (06-07); 107 points (06-07); 1.30 PPG (06-07)
Avg. (12 seasons) - 74 GP, 36 goals, 41 assists, 77 points, 1.03 PPG
Peak Avg. (00-09) - 79 GP, 41 goals, 47 assists, 88 points, 1.12 PPG, 0 Cups

Playoff Career - 127 GP, 40 goals, 64 assists, 103 points, 0.81 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 13 goals (07-08); 15 assists (07-08); 27 points (07-08); 1.36 PPG (07-08)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion

From 2008 to 2010, there wasn't a more comically tragic figure in the league than Marian Hossa. Penguins' fans may well have said he deserved his fate, but the impartial fan certainly had to feel more than a little sorry for Hossa. This was the trajectory during those two years: after languishing with the Atlanta Thrashers for two-and-a-half seasons, Hossa was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins to provide a scoring winger for Sidney Crosby. The experiment worked well: Hossa was second to Crosby in postseason scoring with 27 adjusted points in 20 games, and the team made it all the way to the Cup finals before losing to the Red Wings.

Nothing too tragic there, but then Hossa walked away from a mammoth contract offer the Penguins had tabled to sign a one-year deal for less money with the Detroit Red Wings, the very team that had beaten him and, in the words that would come back to haunt Hossa, "his best shot to win a Stanley Cup". After a stellar year in which Hossa joined Datsyuk and Zetterberg to form an amazing trio of the league's best two-way forwards, Detroit was back in the Cup finals against the very Penguins that Hossa had shunned. Hossa was a no-show in the Cup final and Pittsburgh shockingly won Game 7, leaving Hossa two-time runner-up and a perfect villain for Penguins' fans.

Once more, Hossa jumped to another up-and-coming contender...this time the Chicago Blackhawks, signing an enormous ten-year deal. Finally, Hossa's timing was on: the Blackhawks won their first Cup in 49 years, and even though Hossa wasn't anywhere near the Blackhawks' best player during the run, it was a huge monkey off of Hossa's back. The accomplishment of being a key player on three different teams that all the made the Cup final in three consecutive years would have been remarkable enough, but if the Blackhawks had lost in the final, Hossa would have been his own personal version of the Buffalo Bills...a hex like no one has ever seen in the modern NHL.

Although Hossa's recent team success has become the thing that most fans will remember about him, his personal achievements as a player shouldn't be forgotten. He is one of the most dominant players in the league at puck possession, making him a two-way force on par with Datsyuk and Zetterberg (although not quite as consistently spectacular). Hossa is one of the league's best penalty killers and yet still has averaged 36 goals a season and over a point-a-game in a twelve-year career. It's rare to see someone so gifted at both ends of the ice as Hossa.

For someone who has been around for a very long time, Hossa is still quite young at only 32. If he puts in another four or five seasons at about a point a game (or slightly less), Hossa will end up with around 1200-1300 adjusted career points and somewhere between 550 and 600 goals...difficult to dismiss when you consider his excellent two-way play. And he has always been a part of winning organizations: the Senators were among the league's best regular-season teams in the early-2000s, and even though they always choked come playoff time, Hossa was one of the least-culpable on the team, scoring 19 points in 18 playoff games during their run to the Conference finals in 2003 and 12 in 12 the year before. Even after he was traded to the laughable Atlanta Thrashers for Dany Heatley, Hossa helped the Thrashers to seasons of 90 and 97 points, and the franchise's only playoff appearance.

So why despite his gaudy numbers, team success, superb two-way play and Stanley Cup ring is Hossa not ranked even higher? He may be once the numbers start piling up, but there is also the matter that Hossa seems to have established that he can't be the guy when it comes to carrying a team. He's an ideal second-line right-winger or even first-liner with a team that has a superstar center (i.e. Toews, Crosby). With all of his teams, Hossa has usually been the third or fourth best player...and he seems to be fine in that role. Even with his run of three straight Cup finals appearances on three different teams, Hossa was the guy you thought about after you'd dealt with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Crosby, Malkin, Toews and Kane. And in his best seasons with the Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers, he had to share the spotlight with Kovalchuk, Alfredsson and Spezza.

Nevertheless, for a player who's gone about his business with a level of consistently good play throughout the 2000s, Hossa is deserving of a spot on my list. And more importantly for him, by being part of a championship team in 2010, he's avoided having the label of perennial runner-up attached to his legacy.

THE PYRAMID LEADERBOARD (the only one that matters)

You may be familiar with which players are up there on the real list of all-time leaders, but now it's time to look at how the players on my Pyramid stack up against each other. Here are the career leaders among the 131 players ranked on the list (through the 2009-2010 season):

Career Adjusted Games Played

1. Gordie Howe, RW - 2063
2. Mark Messier, C/LW- 1809
3. Ron Francis, C - 1778
4. Alex Delvecchio, C - 1769
5. Johnny Bucyk, LW - 1713
6. Chris Chelios, D - 1695
7. Dave Andreychuk, LW - 1687
8. Mark Recchi, RW - 1689
9. Scott Stevens, D - 1684
10. Larry Murphy, D - 1669
11. Ray Bourque, D - 1667
12. Tim Horton, D - 1646
13. Norm Ullman, C - 1587
14. Red Kelly, D/C - 1564
15. Brendan Shanahan, LW - 1562
16. Steve Yzerman, C - 1561
17. Wayne Gretzky, C - 1544
18. Stan Mikita, C - 1530
19. Mike Modano, C - 1522
20. Nicklas Lidstrom, D - 1522
21. Doug Gilmour, C - 1519
22. Mike Gartner, RW - 1481
23. Luc Robitaille, LW - 1472
24. Paul Coffey, D - 1459
25. Al MacInnis, D - 1453

Career Adjusted Goals Scored

1. Gordie Howe, RW - 1032
2. Nels Stewart, C - 799
3. Wayne Gretzky, C - 775
4. Maurice Richard, RW - 748
5. Brett Hull, RW - 748
6. Phil Esposito, C - 741
7. Howie Morenz, C - 740
8. Aurele Joliat, LW - 732
9. Bobby Hull, LW - 720
10. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 706
11. Teemu Selanne, RW - 693
12. Brendan Shanahan, LW - 687
13. Luc Robitaille, LW - 663
14. Joe Sakic, C - 655
15. Steve Yzerman, C - 654
16. Mark Messier, C/LW - 647
17. Marcel Dionne, C - 644
18. Jean Beliveau, C - 640
19. Mario Lemieux, C - 626
20. Mike Gartner, RW - 625
21. Johnny Bucyk, LW - 621
22. Frank Mahovlich, LW - 616
23. Dave Andreychuk, LW - 614
24. Mats Sundin, C - 611
25. Stan Mikita, C - 603

Career Adjusted Assists

1. Wayne Gretzky, C - 1751
2. Gordie Howe, RW - 1339
3. Ron Francis, C - 1217
4. Mark Messier, C - 1131
5. Adam Oates, C - 1092
6. Ray Bourque, D - 1087
7. Joe Sakic, C - 1070
8. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 1034
9. Paul Coffey, D - 1028
10. Steve Yzerman, C - 1028
11. Stan Mikita, C - 1021
12. Mark Recchi, RW - 1015
13. Alex Delvecchio, C - 1008
14. Mario Lemieux, C - 947
15. Nicklas Lidstrom, D - 928
16. Doug Gilmour, C - 927
17. Marcel Dionne, C - 921
18. Johnny Bucyk, LW - 910
19. Phil Esposito, C - 901
20. Al MacInnis, D - 896
21. Jean Beliveau, C - 883
22. Larry Murphy, D - 863
23. Mike Modano, C - 860
24. Norm Ullman, C - 860
25. Mats Sundin, C - 842

Career Adjusted Points

1. Wayne Gretzky, C - 2528
2. Gordie Howe, RW - 2370
3. Mark Messier, C - 1777
4. Ron Francis, C - 1747
5. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 1742
6. Joe Sakic, C - 1724
7. Steve Yzerman, C - 1683
8. Phil Esposito, C - 1646
9. Stan Mikita, C - 1625
10. Mark Recchi, RW - 1615
11. Mario Lemieux, C - 1573
12. Alex Delvecchio, C - 1571
13. Marcel Dionne, C - 1566
14. Johnny Bucyk, LW - 1532
15. Jean Beliveau, C - 1520
16. Ray Bourque, D - 1465
17. Teemu Selanne, RW - 1457
18. Mats Sundin, C - 1452
19. Mike Modano, C - 1451
20. Norm Ullman, C - 1438
21. Adam Oates, C - 1432
22. Brett Hull, RW - 1422
23. Brendan Shanahan, LW - 1413
24. Luc Robitaille, LW - 1385
25. Paul Coffey, D - 1380

Career Adjusted Points Per Game

1. Mario Lemieux, C - 1.70
2. Wayne Gretzky, C - 1.64
3. Sidney Crosby, C - 1.50
4. Alexander Ovechkin, LW - 1.40
5. Peter Forsberg, C - 1.36
6. Bobby Orr, D - 1.36
7. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 1.33
8. Evgeni Malkin, C - 1.30
9. Joe Sakic, C - 1.22
10. Eric Lindros, C - 1.22
11. Mike Bossy, RW - 1.22
12. Phil Esposito, C - 1.20
13. Jean Beliveau, C - 1.18
14. Howie Morenz, C - 1.17
15. Gordie Howe, RW - 1.15
16. Pavel Bure, RW - 1.15
17. Bobby Hull, LW - 1.14
18. Dany Heatley, LW - 1.14
19. Marcel Dionne, C - 1.13
20. Teemu Selanne, RW - 1.13
21. Joe Thornton, C - 1.12
22. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW - 1.11
23. Syl Apps, C - 1.11
24. Brett Hull, RW - 1.09
25. Paul Kariya, LW - 1.09

Career Adjusted Goals per Game

1. Howie Morenz, C - 0.70
2. Alexander Ovechkin, LW - 0.69
3. Nels Stewart, C - 0.69
4. Mario Lemieux, C - 0.68
5. Bill Cook, RW - 0.67
6. Pavel Bure, RW - 0.64
7. Mike Bossy, RW - 0.63
8. Charlie Conacher, RW - 0.62
9. Maurice Richard, RW - 0.60
10. Bobby Hull, LW - 0.60
11. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW - 0.58
12. Brett Hull, RW - 0.57
13. Aurele Joliat, LW - 0.57
14. Sidney Crosby, C - 0.57
15. Phil Esposito, C - 0.54
16. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 0.54
17. Teemu Selanne, RW - 0.54
18. Dany Heatley, LW - 0.54
19. Eric Lindros, C - 0.52
20. Gordie Howe, RW - 0.50
21. Wayne Gretzky, C - 0.50
22. Bernie Geoffrion, RW - 0.50
23. Syl Apps, C - 0.50
T24. Jean Beliveau, C - 0.49
T24. Jarome Iginla, RW - 0.49
T24. Evgeni Malkin, C - 0.49

Career Adjusted Assists per Game

1. Wayne Gretzky, C - 1.13
2. Mario Lemieux, C - 1.02
3. Peter Forsberg, C - 0.97
4. Bobby Orr, D - 0.96
5. Sidney Crosby, C - 0.94
6. Evgeni Malkin, C - 0.81
7. Adam Oates, C - 0.79
8. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 0.79
9. Joe Thornton, C - 0.77
10. Joe Sakic, C - 0.76
11. Pavel Datsyuk, C - 0.72
12. Alexander Ovechkin, LW - 0.72
13. Brad Richards, C - 0.71
14. Paul Coffey, D - 0.70
15. Eric Lindros, C - 0.70
16. Ron Francis, C - 0.68
17. Jean Beliveau, C - 0.68
18. Stan Mikita, C - 0.67
19. Bobby Clarke, C - 0.67
20. Bill Cowley, C - 0.67
21. Steve Yzerman, C - 0.66
22. Marcel Dionne, C - 0.66
23. Phil Esposito, C - 0.66
24. Daniel Alfredsson, RW - 0.66
25. Gordie Howe, RW - 0.65

Adjusted Goals Scored per season during Peak Average

1. Howie Morenz, C - 75
2. Nels Stewart, C - 67
3. Bill Cook, RW - 63
4. Phil Esposito, C - 59
5. Bobby Hull, LW - 56
T6. Gordie Howe, RW - 55
T6. Brett Hull, RW - 55
T8. Wayne Gretzky, C - 54
T8. Alexander Ovechkin, LW - 54
T10. Charlie Conacher, RW - 53
T10. Aurele Joliat, LW - 53
T12. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 50
T12. Mike Bossy, RW - 50
T12. Maurice Richard, RW - 50
15. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW - 47
T16. Mario Lemieux, C - 46
T16. Teemu Selanne, RW - 46
T18. Jarome Iginla, RW - 45
T18. Busher Jackson, LW - 45
T20. Jean Beliveau, C - 44
T20. Marcel Dionne, C - 44
T22. Guy Lafleur, RW - 43
T22. Luc Robitaille, LW - 43
T24. Jari Kurri, RW - 42
T24. Dit Clapper, D/RW - 42

Adjusted Assists per season during Peak Average

1. Wayne Gretzky, C - 103
2. Bobby Orr, D - 76
3. Joe Thornton, C - 75
4. Adam Oates, C - 72
T5. Phil Esposito, C - 71
T5. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 71
7. Peter Forsberg, C - 70
8. Mario Lemieux, C - 69
9. Ron Francis, C - 66
T10. Sidney Crosby, C - 64
T10. Stan Mikita, C - 64
T10. Bobby Clarke, C - 64
13. Andy Bathgate, RW - 63
14. Joe Sakic, C - 62
T15. Guy Lafleur, RW - 61
T15. Paul Coffey, D - 61
17. Marcel Dionne, C - 60
T18. Gordie Howe, RW - 59
T18. Bryan Trottier, C - 59
T18. Peter Stastny, C - 59
T18. Bill Cowley, C - 59
T18. Doug Gilmour, C - 59
T18. Martin St. Louis, RW - 59
T24. Steve Yzerman, C - 58
T24. Denis Savard, C - 58
T24. Mark Messier, C - 58

Adjusted Points per season during Peak Average

1. Wayne Gretzky, C - 157
2. Phil Esposito, C - 131
3. Jaromir Jagr, RW - 121
4. Gordie Howe, RW - 115
5. Mario Lemieux, C - 113
6. Alexander Ovechkin, LW - 111
7. Howie Morenz, C - 111
8. Bobby Orr, D - 108
9. Stan Mikita, C - 105
T10. Joe Thornton, C - 104
T10. Guy Lafleur, RW - 104
T10. Marcel Dionne, C - 104
13. Sidney Crosby, C - 103
14. Joe Sakic, C - 101
15. Bobby Hull, LW - 100
T16. Peter Forsberg, C - 99
T16. Andy Bathgate, RW - 99
T16. Mike Bossy, RW - 99
T19. Steve Yzerman, C - 98
T19. Teemu Selanne, RW - 98
T21. Adam Oates, C - 97
T21. Jean Beliveau, C - 97
T23. Martin St. Louis, RW - 95
T23. Nels Stewart, C - 95
T25. Eric Lindros, C - 94
T25. Bill Cook, RW - 94

#86 - Andy Bathgate

Andy Bathgate (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #86)

Adjusted Stats

1952-1953   NYR        21 GP   0 goals     2 assists     2 points       0.07 PPG
1953-1954   NYR        23 GP   3 goals     3 assists     6 points       0.26 PPG
1954-1955   NYR        82 GP   29 goals   29 assists   57 points     0.70 PPG
1955-1956   NYR        82 GP   27 goals   67 assists   94 points     1.14 PPG
1956-1957   NYR        82 GP   36 goals   67 assists   103 points   1.26 PPG
1957-1958   NYR        76 GP   39 goals   62 assists   100 points   1.32 PPG
1958-1959   NYR        82 GP   50 goals   60 assists   109 points   1.33 PPG
1959-1960   NYR        82 GP   32 goals   59 assists   90 points     1.10 PPG
1960-1961   NYR        82 GP   35 goals   58 assists   92 points     1.13 PPG
1961-1962   NYR        82 GP   34 goals   67 assists   101 points   1.23 PPG
1962-1963   NYR        82 GP   42 goals   56 assists   98 points     1.20 PPG
1963-1964   NYR/Tor* 83 GP   25 goals   75 assists   100 points   1.20 PPG
1964-1965   Tor         64 GP   20 goals   36 assists   56 points     0.88 PPG
1965-1966   Det         82 GP   18 goals   38 assists   56 points     0.68 PPG
1966-1967   Det         70 GP   10 goals   28 assists   37 points     0.53 PPG
1967-1968   Pit           82 GP   24 goals   48 assists   72 points     0.88 PPG
1970-1971   Pit           80 GP   16 goals   30 assists   46 points     0.57 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1955-1956   NYR        5 GP     1 goal      2 assists     3 points      0.60 PPG
1956-1957   NYR        5 GP     2 goals     0 assists     2 points     0.40 PPG
1957-1958   NYR        6 GP     5 goals     3 assists     7 points     1.21 PPG
1961-1962   NYR        6 GP     1 goal       2 assists     3 points     0.50 PPG
1963-1964   Tor*       14 GP   5 goals     4 assists     9 points     0.68 PPG
1964-1965   Tor         6 GP     1 goal       0 assists     1 point      0.18 PPG
1965-1966   Det         12 GP   6 goals     3 assists     10 points   0.79 PPG

Career - 1237 GP, 440 goals, 785 assists, 1219 points, 0.99 PPG
Career-Highs - 50 goals (58-59); 75 assists (63-64); 109 points (58-59); 1.33 PPG (58-59)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 77 GP, 28 goals, 49 assists, 76 points, 0.99 PPG
Peak Avg. (56-64) - 81 GP, 37 goals, 63 assists, 99 points, 1.22 PPG, 1 Cup

Playoff Career - 54 GP, 21 goals, 14 assists, 35 points, 0.65 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (57-58); 4 assists (63-64); 10 points (65-66); 1.21 PPG (57-58) 

Accolades - MVP Award
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion

For all of the Original Six stars on my Pyramid, one thing that struck me is how few New York Rangers there are. The Montreal Canadiens are certainly well-represented, as well they should be considering the ungodly amount of championships they have won. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings, both successful franchises before expansion in 1967, also have a good chunk of stars. And even the Bruins and Blackhawks have some of the best players of all-time representing them. But the New York Rangers have almost no one who starred for them from between 1935 and 1970. One of the rare exceptions is Andy Bathgate.

Bathgate is one of the best right-wingers of the pre-expansion era, but his career was constantly upstaged by two right-wingers who were stealing headlines ahead of him: Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard. Despite having the two greatest right-wingers playing at the same time as him, Bathgate managed to forge his own hall-of-fame worthy career, winning an MVP award in 1959 and a scoring title in 1962. His run from 1955 to 1964 is one of the greatest of any forward: he was one of the top five scorers in the league in each of the nine seasons, and averaged 99 adjusted points.

Bathgate's legend would be greater (perhaps more in line with, say, a Dickie Moore or a Bernie Geoffrion) if he had only been fortunate enough to play for more of a contender, as opposed to a New York Rangers team that was famously one of the doormats of the Original Six era (and continued without a Stanley Cup until 1994). He was the Ernie Banks of hockey: a superb player on a team with a massive championship drought. During Bathgate's run with the Rangers from '56 to '63, the team's record was a pedestrian 171-231-88, for a winning percentage of .439. That's Hartford Whalers territory.

If there was something noteworthy for Bathgate during his tenure with the Rangers (beyond his remarkably consistent production), it's the fact that it was Bathgate who was indirectly responsible for one of the great innovations in hockey history: the goalie mask. After missing a shot and being mockingly booed by the Montreal crowd, the normally-calm Bathgate was upset and fired a high slapshot at Habs' goalie Jacques Plante, whose face was busted open. Plante returned to the game with a mask on and the goaltending position was changed forever. It's interesting that it was this bit of viciousness that changed the game, because Bathgate was rarely dirty. For a big man, he hated cheap physical contact...like Mike Bossy twenty years later, he believed the ice rink was a canvas on which beautiful offensive plays should be painted. He wrote an article entitled "Atrocities on Ice" that pointed out the epidemic of spearing and slashing that was creeping into the game (Exhibit A in my argument that the old-timers claim that there "used to be respect in the game" is hogwash).

Mercifully, Bathgate was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the middle of the 1963-1964 campaign, in which he was having yet another top-five campaign. He chipped in 9 playoff points in 14 games, including a great Cup finals series in which he scored a critical breakaway against Terry Sawchuk, as the Leafs won their third consecutive championship and Bathgate got his one and only Cup ring. Bathgate would play five more seasons (eventually ending up on the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins as their initial star attraction), but he didn't come close to producing the numbers he did during his run with New York.

We'll remember his as one of the most unsuccessful successful careers in hockey history...not quite at the Marcel Dionne level of tragedy since he did get his name on the Cup, but as a predecessor to the Hawerchuks, Stastnys and Sundins of the world, one of the first marquee names on a perenially mediocre team. He was unlucky to be on the Rangers and unlucky to be in the shadow of Howe and Richard. Bathgate perservered anyway and emerged through the adversity as a universally-respected right-winger whose career still stands up as one of the best of the Original Six era.

BUT WHAT ABOUT?

Now that the Pyramid (which you can view here: http://hockeypyramid.blogspot.com/2011/01/greatest-players-of-all-time-definitive.html) stands completed (although always shifting...some players will move up or down depending on how the rest of their careers pan out), there comes the question of why certain people were left off. As I already explained, Dino Ciccarelli was my cutoff point...if I felt your career wasn't as good as his, you were off the list. Here are some of the players who I debated including, but didn't quite make it, divided into three categories:

Bubble Guys Who Probably Won't Ever Make It:

Claude Lemieux - Three Stanley Cup rings and known as one of the most clutch playoff performers of all-time, but the regular season numbers just aren't quite there. If you let him in, now you're opening the door for the Johan Franzens of the world. Would I want his career over Ciccarelli's? Yes. But at some point, you need to look beyond the fact that Lemieux was fortunate to play with some very good teams.

Clark Gillies - Often derided as one of the worst players in the hall-of-fame, Gillies actually had a decent peak as a left-winger. He was twice named the league's best left-winger, and of course was a key part of the Islander team that won four straight championships. But the stretch of excellence wasn't nearly long enough.

Wendel Clark - Described by a friend of mine who's a Leaf fan as "the Jarome Iginla of his day". Umm, no. Good player, galvanized the city...but check the numbers, and his lack of credentials.

Lanny McDonald - A beloved player, a great ambassador for the game, he scored 500 career goals (before adjustment...in real terms, it'd be around 420) and finally won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames. But McDonald wasn't a key contributor on that team, even though his leadership was valuable. Great ambassador, but just falls short.

Keith Tkachuk - In the mid-90s, seem destined to be putting together a great career as a power-foward LW. But disinterest kicked in, then weight gain, and by the end he wasn't nearly as productive as his potential would have suggested. Doesn't quite make it.

Curtis Joseph - The toughest call...he almost made the Pyramid. Perenially one of the five to ten best goaltenders in the league, but was never named to a year-end all-star team. Also may have been the greatest 1st-round goaltender in the history of the playoffs, and the worst 2nd-round one.

Bernie Nicholls - Had two amazing seasons in 1988-1989 and 1989-1990. Yet the fact that he was traded right after the 1989 season tells you all you need to know. Aside from that, his gaudy numbers are mostly a product of playing in the 1980s. One of the most forgettable 70-goal scorers of all-time.

Bernie Federko - Essentially what I said about Nicholls, except for the 70-goal scoring part.

Mike Richter - Wrestled the title of preeminent "big game" goalie away from Patrick Roy briefly around 1994, when he won a Stanley Cup and then stoned Canada in the World Cup in 1996. Still, the peak was a little too short to earn Pyramid honours.

John Vanbiesbrouck - Like Richter, wracked up a ton of wins and even a Vezina trophy. But he seemed to choke come playoff time, aside from his great 1996 run with the Panthers. Can't quite give him a nod.

Rod Langway - One of the best defensive-defenseman of all-time, a punishing hitter who for three years in the mid-1980s won two Norris trophies and was considered the league's best D-man. Still, considering he was defensively-minded and there aren't a lot of numbers to go on, some team success would have been nice. In the end, Langway comes up just short.

John LeClair - Essentially the same career trajectory as Tkachuk, although at least LeClair got a Stanley Cup ring.

Doug Bentley - A good stretch that occurred mostly during World War II when the league was watered-down. Never won a Stanley Cup in the Original Six either, which hurts his case.

Lorne Chabot - One of the better goaltenders of his era, but it was an ultra low-scoring era, so points deducted.

Chuck Gardiner - Made three year-end all-star teams, but far too brief a career, and as with Chabot, played in a completely low-scoring era.

Markus Naslund - Spent three years in the early 2000s as arguably one of the best forwards in the league, and even took home a scoring title. But the crappy start and finish to his careers, and the fact that he never made it past the second round, keep him off the list.

Joe Mullen - Almost a carbon-copy of Ciccarelli's career trajectory, only with one first-team all-star appearance and three Stanley Cup rings. So why isn't he in? The final numbers are just a tad too mediocre, and given that he played for sixteen seasons, his career totals don't quite justify inclusion. Tough call, though...one of the closest to making it.

Paul Henderson - Put it this way: if Brenden Morrow had scored "the goldennnn goallll!" instead of Sidney Crosby, would that make Morrow a hall-of-famer? I think not. And Henderson wasn't even as good as Brenden Morrow. Brutal career numbers, very little team success in the NHL, was fortunate to score an iconic goal. Give it up Cherry, Henderson's out!

Players Who Were Dominant In an Era That's Too Old for me to Judge:

George Hainsworth
Georges Vezina
Clint Benedict
Newsy Lalonde
Joe Malone
Cy Denneny
Babe Dye
King Clancy

Players Who May Make the Pyramid Next Time:

Roberto Luongo - Has had the mantle of "next great goalie" handed to him for seemingly the past six or seven years without doing anything to earn it. Has never won a Vezina trophy or been past the second round of the playoffs (granted, for the first few years of his career he was saddled with awful teams). I could see the Canucks winning a Cup soon, though, and if they do, Luongo earns a spot on the Pyramid.

Marc-Andre Fleury - Has won a Stanley Cup, been one of the winningest regular-season and playoff goaltenders of the past few seasons, yet seems perenially underrated. He's still remarkably young, and could end up surprising many by finishing his career very high on the all-time wins list. I see him making the list soon.

The Sedin Twins - Certainly not Pyramid-worthy until about two seasons ago, when their games both took off. Henrik won the scoring title in 09-10, Daniel is leading in 10-11, and the Canucks are one of the best teams in hockey. If they can only add some playoff production to their resume, they could make it in a few years. And if they continue to produce at these levels for another four or five seasons, they're on for sure.

Mike Richards - One of the most complete two-way forwards in the game, and one of the winningest also. All that's missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup ring. The production isn't mind-blowing, but you get 75-80 points, great leadership and amazing defence. 'Nuff said.

Jonathan Toews - Pretty much a lock to make the Pyramid in a few more years, especially with a Stanley Cup ring, Conn Smythe and Olympic gold (in which he led Canada in scoring) on his resume. As with Richards, the production is more in the 75-80 range, but that's nothing to sneeze at when you're talking about one of the premium two-way forwards in the league. The heir apparent to Steve Yzerman.

Patrick Kane - More one-dimensional than Toews or Richards, but he does have that Cup ring, as well as electrifying scoring touch. Will probably make the list in a few more years, so long as he takes it easy on cab drivers.

Steven Stamkos - Already off to an incredible start to his career. We may be watching a special goal-scorer developing.

#125 - Mike Vernon

Mike Vernon (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #125)

Adjusted Stats

1982-1983   Cgy     2 GP, 0-2-0, .000 win%, 103 min, 9 GA, 5.25 GAA
1983-1984   Cgy     1 GP, 0-1-0, .000 win%, 11 min, 3 GA, 17.01 GAA
1985-1986   Cgy     18 GP, 9-3-3, .700 win%, 944 min, 41 GA, 2.62 GAA
1986-1987   Cgy     55 GP, 31-22-1, .583 win%, 3031 min, 153 GA, 3.03 GAA
1987-1988   Cgy     66 GP, 40-16-7, .690 win%, 3654 min, 178 GA, 2.93 GAA
1988-1989   Cgy*   53 GP, 38-6-5, .827 win%, 3011 min, 110 GA, 2.18 GAA
1989-1990   Cgy     48 GP, 24-14-9, .606 win%, 2865 min, 125 GA, 2.62 GAA
1990-1991   Cgy     55 GP, 32-19-3, .620 win%, 3199 min, 157 GA, 2.94 GAA
1991-1992   Cgy     65 GP, 25-31-9, .454 win%, 3731 min, 197 GA, 3.16 GAA
1992-1993   Cgy     62 GP, 28-25-9, .524 win%, 3643 min, 168 GA, 2.77 GAA
1993-1994   Cgy     47 GP, 25-17-5, .585 win%, 2731 min, 121 GA, 2.67 GAA
1994-1995   Det      51 GP, 32-10-7, .724 win%, 3087 min, 134 GA, 2.60 GAA
1995-1996   Det      32 GP, 21-7-2, .733 win%, 1855 min, 68 GA, 2.21 GAA
1996-1997   Det*    33 GP, 13-11-8, .531 win%, 1952 min, 83 GA, 2.56 GAA
1997-1998   SJ        62 GP, 30-22-8, .567 win%, 3564 min, 170 GA, 2.86 GAA
1998-1999   SJ       49 GP, 16-22-10, .438 win%, 2831 min, 125 GA, 2.65 GAA
1999-2000   SJ/Fla  49 GP, 24-18-3, .567 win%, 2791 min, 129 GA, 2.77 GAA
2000-2001   Cgy      41 GP, 12-23-5, .363 win%, 2246 min, 135 GA, 3.61 GAA
2001-2002   Cgy      18 GP, 2-9-1, .208 win%, 825 min, 45 GA, 3.24 GAA

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1985-1986   Cgy       21 GP, 12-9, .571 win%, 1229 min, 52 GA, 2.53 GAA
1986-1987   Cgy       5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 263 min, 14 GA, 3.27 GAA
1987-1988   Cgy       9 GP, 4-4, .500 win%, 515 min, 26 GA, 2.98 GAA
1988-1989   Cgy*     22 GP, 16-5, .762 win%, 1381 min, 45 GA, 1.94 GAA
1989-1990   Cgy       6 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 342 min, 16 GA, 2.82 GAA
1990-1991   Cgy       7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 427 min, 18 GA, 2.52 GAA
1992-1993   Cgy       4 GP, 1-1, .500 win%, 150 min, 12 GA, 4.93 GAA
1993-1994   Cgy       7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 466 min, 23 GA, 2.91 GAA
1994-1995   Det        18 GP, 12-6, .667 win%, 1063 min, 36 GA, 2.04 GAA
1995-1996   Det        4 GP, 2-2, .500 win%, 243 min, 11 GA, 2.60 GAA
1996-1997   Det*      20 GP, 16-4, .800 win%, 1229 min, 38 GA, 1.85 GAA
1997-1998   SJ          6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 348 min, 16 GA, 2.69 GAA
1998-1999   SJ          5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 321 min, 14 GA, 2.67 GAA
1999-2000   Fla         4 GP, 0-4, .000 win%, 237 min, 14 GA, 3.66 GAA

Career - 807 GP, 402-278-95, .580 win%, 46074 min, 2151 GA, 2.80 GAA
Career-Highs - 66 GP (87-88); 40 wins (87-88); .827 win% (88-89); 3654 min (87-88); 2.18 GAA (88-89)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 49 GP, 25-15-6, .580 win%, 2814 min, 131 GA, 2.80 GAA
Peak Avg. (87-95) - 56 GP, 31-17-7, .622 win%, 3240 min, 149 GA, 2.76 GAA, 1 Cup

Playoff Career - 138 GP, 77-56, .579 win%, 8214 min, 335 GA, 2.45 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (twice); .800 win% (96-97); 1.85 GAA (96-97)

Accolades - Jennings Trophy, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion

It's funny that Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood were the goaltending tandem for the Red Wings in the mid-1990s, and that they are ranked right beside each other on my Pyramid, because essentially Osgood's career is Vernon's shifted ten years later. Go ahead, look for yourself. The similarities are there, both in the rhythm of their careers and in the ways in which they were viewed.

Both played for teams that were stacked and suffered from the "well anyone could win with those teams" syndrome (lest we forget, the 1989 Flames team is one of the greatest ever assembled...they're just not often discussed because they came after the Oilers dynasty). Both earned second all-star team honours during a season in which their teams went apeshit and tore through the league (the '89 Flames in Vernon's case, the '96 Red Wings in Osgood's). Despite winning a Stanley Cup early in their careers, both Vernon and Osgood were criticized for subsequent early playoff exits. And both battled through towards the end of their careers to earn the respect of fans with postseason runs that made people think "Hey, maybe this old dude wasn't such a bad goalie after all".

If you want to earn a free pint from a drunk who knows hockey but not in the encyclopedic sense, bet him that he won't be able to guess the Conn Smythe winner for the Red Wings' 1997 Cup (their first of the modern era). They get only one guess. He won't guess Yzerman, because he'll know that since you've made the bet, it can't be the obvious one. Fedorov? Nope. Shanahan? No. Lidstrom? No. That's right...it was Mike Vernon, the beleaguered goaltender who wasn't even the team's #1 option heading into the playoffs. Mike Vernon, who just two years earlier had been criticized for his playoff performance as the Red Wings were swept in the Stanley Cup final by a less-talented Devils' squad, with Martin Brodeur soundly outplaying him. Vernon made up for all of his past shortcomings in the postseason by going 16-4 with a sparkling .927 save percentage.

Again, the comparisons to Osgood are hard to ignore. Both goaltenders have won two Stanley Cups as a starter, one in which they were integral, another in which they were merely passable. And both played well in leading their team to the Cup finals in a losing cause...in Vernon's case, he led the Flames to the 1986 Cup finals as a rookie, matching up with his longtime rival Patrick Roy in the first of what was to be many classic head-to-head duels (Vernon bested Roy in 1989, then again in 1997 as the Red Wings defeated their rivals the Avalanche). Of course, the most famous Roy/Vernon battle was this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5D7iHruPFI. You had to love those Wings/Avs games.

Again, as with Osgood, I say this: Mike Vernon wasn't a goaltender who made your jaw drop at his excellence. He wasn't as remarkably acrobatic as Curtis Joseph or as positionally sound as Roberto Luongo, nor was he a workhorse like those two. Like Osgood and some of the other goaltenders on this Pyramid, he was lucky to play for some excellent teams. But as his 77-56 career postseason record attests, despite his shortcomings, Vernon came through when it mattered. He won, and in the end, that's what a goaltender's job is.

#124 - Chris Osgood

Chris Osgood (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #124)

Adjusted Stats

1993-1994   Det     40 GP, 22-8-5, .700 win%, 2153 min, 97 GA, 2.71 GAA
1994-1995   Det     32 GP, 24-9-0, .727 win%, 1857 min, 72 GA, 2.33 GAA
1995-1996   Det     50 GP, 39-6-5, .830 win%, 2933 min, 104 GA, 2.12 GAA
1996-1997   Det*   47 GP, 23-13-9, .611 win%, 2769 min, 112 GA, 2.42 GAA
1997-1998   Det*   64 GP, 33-20-11, .602 win%, 3807 min, 163 GA, 2.57 GAA
1998-1999   Det     63 GP, 34-25-4, .571 win%, 3691 min, 174 GA, 2.83 GAA
1999-2000   Det     53 GP, 30-14-8, .654 win%, 3148 min, 141 GA, 2.69 GAA
2000-2001   Det     52 GP, 25-19-4, .563 win%, 2834 min, 142 GA, 3.00 GAA
2001-2002   NYI    66 GP, 32-25-6, .556 win%, 3743 min, 183 GA, 2.93 GAA
2002-2003   NYI/Stl  46 GP, 21-17-6, .545 win%, 2525 min, 144 GA, 3.41 GAA
2003-2004   Stl       67 GP, 31-25-8, .547 win%, 3861 min, 172 GA, 2.68 GAA
2005-2006   Det      32 GP, 20-6-5, .726 win%, 1846 min, 86 GA, 2.81 GAA
2006-2007   Det      21 GP, 11-3-6, .700 win%, 1161 min, 49 GA, 2.54 GAA
2007-2008   Det*    43 GP, 27-9-4, .725 win%, 2409 min, 95 GA, 2.37 GAA
2008-2009   Det      46 GP, 26-9-8, .698 win%, 2663 min, 148 GA, 3.33 GAA
2009-2010   Det      23 GP, 7-9-4, .450 win%, 1252 min, 69 GA, 3.31 GAA
2010-2011   Det      11 GP, 5-3-2, .600 win%, 629 min, 33 GA, 3.11 GAA

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1993-1994   Det      6 GP, 3-2, .600 win%, 307 min, 12 GA, 2.30 GAA
1994-1995   Det      2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 68 min, 2 GA, 1.56 GAA
1995-1996   Det      15 GP, 8-7, .533 win%, 936 min, 32 GA, 2.02 GAA
1996-1997   Det*    2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 47 min, 2 GA, 2.68 GAA
1997-1998   Det*    22 GP, 16-6, .727 win%, 1361 min, 53 GA, 2.35 GAA
1998-1999   Det      6 GP, 4-2, .667 win%, 358 min, 15 GA, 2.58 GAA
1999-2000   Det      9 GP, 5-4, .556 win%, 547 min, 22 GA, 2.38 GAA
2000-2001   Det      6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 365 min, 18 GA, 2.89 GAA
2001-2002   NYI     7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 392 min, 20 GA, 3.09 GAA
2002-2003   Stl        7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 417 min, 20 GA, 2.92 GAA
2003-2004   Stl        5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 287 min, 15 GA, 3.20 GAA
2007-2008   Det*     19 GP, 14-4, .778 win%, 1160 min, 31 GA, 1.63 GAA
2008-2009   Det       23 GP, 15-8, .652 win%, 1406 min, 48 GA, 2.06 GAA

Career - 756 GP, 410-220-95, .631 win%, 43281 min, 1984 GA, 2.75 GAA
Career-Highs - 67 GP (03-04); 39 wins (95-96); .830 win% (95-96), 3861 min (03-04); 2.12 GAA (95-96)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 44 GP, 24-13-6, .631 win%, 2546 min, 117 GA, 2.75 GAA
Peak Avg. (95-03) - 55 GP, 30-17-7, .617 win%, 3181 min, 145 GA, 2.74 GAA, 2 Cups

Playoff Career - 129 GP, 74-49, .602 win%, 7651 min, 290 GA, 2.27 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (97-98); .778 win% (07-08); 1.63 GAA (07-08)

Accolades - 2 Jennings Trophies
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion

Chris Osgood never quite got the respect he deserved, and it's likely he never will. He was the backstop for a Detroit Red Wings team that had such top-to-bottom organizational excellence and such a sound defensive system that it seemed inevitable that they would be one of the best teams in the league even if their goaltending was average. When the Red Wings won a Stanley Cup or 60 games in the regular season, it was in spite of Osgood. When they lost early in the first or second round, it was his fault. For a goaltender lucky enough to be in one of the best situations in hockey, Osgood also was in one of the unluckiest in terms of getting individual accolades.

Like the man right behind him on the Pyramid (Mike Vernon), there's no way I would make a case for Osgood being one of the twenty best goaltenders to ever play the game, even though he's one of only sixteen goaltenders to make my hall-of-fame list. It would be a difficult argument trying to prove that Osgood was a better goaltender than Roberto Luongo, Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph, Henrik Lundqvist, Miikka Kiprusoff, and probably about another seven or eight goalies who have passed through the league in the last twenty or so years. But Osgood has had one of the best careers, by virtue of playing for Detroit.

Osgood and Vernon's careers have been like the hockey equivalent of Andy Pettitte's in baseball. In fact, the similarities are eerie between Osgood and Pettitte. Both were recognized as runner-up for the best at their position early in their careers, in the mid-1990s (in Pettitte's case, it was as Cy Young runner-up to Pat Hentgen...in Osgood's case, it was as Vezina runner-up in 1996 to, get this, Jim Carey). Both then won championships but didn't earn much respect because of the view that "anyone could win a boatload of games on the Yankees/Red Wings". Both went to other teams and proved that they weren't solely dependent on playing for excellent squads (it's forgotten that Osgood took a doormat Islander team to the playoffs, then had an excellent first full year with the St. Louis Blues). And then both returned to their original teams and eventually started earning fan respect with playoff performances that defied their age.

Look, Billy Smith is ranked a good fifty spots higher than Osgood, and his regular-season numbers are just as underwhelming. One of the main reasons Osgood may be underrated is that although he is associated with the Red Wings' Stanley Cup wins, he was only the main goaltender for two, while Mike Vernon was the Cup winner (and Conn Smythe winner) in 1997 and Dominik Hasek was the go-to goalie in 2002. The feeling is that, since the Red Wings could win Cups with any goaltender, the fact that Osgood won two is somewhat less impressive. Whereas Fuhr and Smith are immediately identified with their teams, Osgood wasn't always "the man" for the Red Wings.

But the thing is, in every year that the Red Wings have won the Cup, their goaltending has been excellent, whether it's Vernon, Osgood or Hasek. That's why I think Osgood finally started getting his due in the back-to-back runs the Red Wings made in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, when the Wings won the Cup, Osgood took over for an enigmatic Dominik Hasek and had a sparkling 1.63 adjusted-GAA and .930 save percentage in the playoffs. The following season, he had a dreadful 3.33 adjusted-GAA in the regular season, but won 15 games and had a .926 save percentage in the playoffs as the Red Wings came within one win of yet another Cup. Osgood clearly showed that, like Fuhr and Smith, he didn't need to be at his best for a great team in the middle of January, but was perfectly capable of stepping up when needed in the postseason.

With over 400 wins now and two Stanley Cups, it will be hard to keep Osgood out of the hall-of-fame. Many won't want him there, and will point to the fact that he was almost never considered one of the league's top five (or even top ten) goaltenders from season to season. I point to his 74-49 career playoff record and his postseason save percentage, which is eleven points higher than his regular season mark and getting into the area of a Martin Brodeur. Did Osgood benefit from playing for an excellent team? Yes. But it's fair to say that he helped them more than a little when the chips were down.

#116 - Serge Savard

Serge Savard (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #116)

Adjusted Stats

1966-1967   Mtl        2 GP     0 goals     0 assists     0 points      0.00 PPG
1967-1968   Mtl*      74 GP   2 goals     16 assists   18 points    0.25 PPG
1968-1969   Mtl*      80 GP   9 goals     26 assists   35 points    0.43 PPG
1969-1970   Mtl        69 GP   14 goals   22 assists   35 points    0.51 PPG
1970-1971   Mtl*      39 GP   5 goals     10 assists   16 points    0.40 PPG (no Stanley Cup ring for Savard)
1971-1972   Mtl        24 GP   1 goal       8 assists     9 points      0.39 PPG
1972-1973   Mtl*      78 GP   7 goals     32 assists   38 points    0.49 PPG
1973-1974   Mtl        70 GP   4 goals     14 assists   18 points    0.26 PPG
1974-1975   Mtl        82 GP   18 goals   37 assists   55 points    0.67 PPG
1975-1976   Mtl*      73 GP   7 goals     36 assists   43 points    0.60 PPG
1976-1977   Mtl*      80 GP   9 goals     31 assists   40 points    0.50 PPG
1977-1978   Mtl*      79 GP   8 goals     33 assists   40 points    0.51 PPG
1978-1979   Mtl*      82 GP   6 goals     23 assists   30 points    0.36 PPG
1979-1980   Mtl        47 GP   4 goals     7 assists     12 points    0.25 PPG
1980-1981   Mtl        79 GP   3 goals     11 assists   14 points    0.18 PPG
1981-1982   Wpg      48 GP   2 goals     4 assists     5 points      0.11 PPG
1982-1983   Wpg      78 GP   3 goals     13 assists   16 points    0.21 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1967-1968    Mtl*      6 GP     2 goals     0 assists     2 points     0.33 PPG
1968-1969    Mtl*      14 GP   4 goals     6 assists     10 points   0.71 PPG
1971-1972    Mtl        6 GP     0 goals     0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG
1972-1973    Mtl*      17 GP   3 goals     7 assists     10 points   0.57 PPG
1973-1974    Mtl        6 GP     1 goal       1 assist      2 points     0.33 PPG
1974-1975    Mtl        11 GP   1 goal       6 assists     7 points    0.67 PPG
1975-1976    Mtl*      13 GP   3 goals     6 assists     9 points     0.67 PPG
1976-1977    Mtl*      14 GP   2 goals      6 assists    8 points     0.57 PPG
1977-1978    Mtl*      15 GP    1 goal      7 assists     8 points    0.52 PPG
1978-1979    Mtl*      16 GP    2 goals     6 assists     8 points    0.51 PPG
1979-1980    Mtl        2 GP      0 goals     0 assists     0 points    0.00 PPG
1980-1981    Mtl        3 GP      0 goals     0 assists     0 points    0.00 PPG
1981-1982    Wpg      4 GP      0 goals     0 assists     0 points    0.00 PPG
1982-1983    Wpg      3 GP      0 goals     0 assists     0 points    0.00 PPG

Career - 1084 GP, 102 goals, 323 assists, 424 points, 0.39 PPG
Career-Highs - 18 goals (74-75); 37 assists (74-75); 55 points (74-75); 0.67 PPG (74-75)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 68 GP, 6 goals, 20 assists, 27 points, 0.39 PPG
Peak Avg. (72-80) - 74 GP, 8 goals, 27 assists, 35 points, 0.47 PPG, 5 Cups

Playoff Career - 130 GP, 19 goals, 45 assists, 64 points, 0.49 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 4 goals (68-69); 7 assists (77-78); 10 points (68-69); 0.71 PPG (68-69)

Accolades - Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
7-time Stanley Cup Champion

As with Scott Stevens and Tim Horton, Serge Savard makes the Pyramid for reasons that have nothing to do with his offensive numbers. They are among the worst of anyone on my hall-of-fame list, but they are irrelevant, because Serge Savard's job was to shut down the opposition, retain the puck, and move it up-ice so that the other wizards on the Canadiens could pot a goal. At that, few were better.

His career +/- is an excellent +36 per 82 games played, although that is hardly surprising considering that Savard spent almost his entire career with a Canadiens team that won Stanley Cups more often than it didn't. Savard wasn't some mere passenger on the team though...he was the defensive glue that allowed more offensive experimentation from Lapointe in the early part of the decade and Robinson in the later half. It's been said time and again (on this blog and elsewhere) that the late-1970s Canadiens were the most defensively-sound team ever assembled, and since that led to an unprecedent run of success, doesn't it stand to reason that we should recognize those who contributed to that defence? That is why Robinson, Lemaire, Lapointe, Gainey and Savard are all no-brainer hall-of-famers. Who cares that in the case of Gainey and Savard, there offensive numbers aren't eye-popping.

With that said, Serge Savard did have it within him to be more of a puck-moving defenceman than he let on, even if he would never be mistaken for Bobby Orr. Contrary to popular belief, the "Savardian spinorama" was actually named for Serge, not Denis (although Denis later demonstrated it many times himself). He became the first defenceman in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe award in 1969, leading the Canadiens to a championship with 10 points in 14 games and sterling defensive play. And his career PPG in the playoffs is about 25% higher than it is in the regular season. This is a man who, like so many of the Habs, stepped it up when it mattered most.

Does Serge Savard deserve to be ranked higher on the Pyramid than Borje Salming, his contemporary? I debated this for a while. Salming has more year-end all-star accolades and was undeniably more talented. Given that their careers coincided in the 1970s, it's clear that those watching at the time thought that Salming deserved recognition for his regular-season work and was the better player. But due to the fates, Salming was saddled with a mediocre Maple Leafs team, while Savard was one of the key leaders (and eventually captain) of one of the greatest teams assembled.

Is this luck, or do we have to factor this stuff in? I lean toward the Bill Simmons "secret" of winning, and there's no doubt that Serge Savard knew it. As captain or alternate-captain, he knew what it took to maintain a team's identity and work ethic. Certainly the Canadiens were an ultra-talented group. But they also got the most out of their third and fourth-liners, and that's why they were so successful. It was players like Savard and Gainey who always knuckled down and shut down the opposition, and I have a lot of admiration for players like that.

Look at Serge Savard's subsequent career as general manager of the Canadiens. He assembled two more Stanley Cup winners, the 1986 and 1993 squads, teams that are generally viewed as among the less-talented to win in the modern era, groups that were just "lucky" in that odd off-year of the dynasty-caliber Oilers and Penguins. Certainly it helps that they had Patrick Roy standing on his head. But when you look at the character players that Savard assembled, the Carbonneaus, the Keanes, the Mullers, you realize that it was no fluke. As a GM, as a captain, and as a player, Savard demonstrated that he innately could recognize (and contained himself) that intagible quality that separates merely good players from those who can truly be called champions.

#121 - Borje Salming

Borje Salming (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #121)

Adjusted Stats

1973-1974   Tor        80 GP   5 goals     34 assists   39 points     0.49 PPG
1974-1975   Tor        62 GP   11 goals   23 assists   34 points     0.55 PPG
1975-1976   Tor        80 GP   15 goals   38 assists   53 points     0.66 PPG
1976-1977   Tor        78 GP   11 goals   63 assists   74 points     0.95 PPG
1977-1978   Tor        82 GP   15 goals   57 assists   73 points     0.89 PPG
1978-1979   Tor        80 GP   15 goals   50 assists   66 points     0.82 PPG
1979-1980   Tor        76 GP   17 goals   47 assists   64 points     0.84 PPG
1980-1981   Tor        74 GP   4 goals     50 assists   54 points     0.73 PPG
1981-1982   Tor        71 GP   9 goals     35 assists   44 points     0.62 PPG
1982-1983   Tor        71 GP   6 goals     31 assists   37 points     0.52 PPG
1983-1984   Tor        70 GP   4 goals     30 assists   34 points     0.49 PPG
1984-1985   Tor        75 GP   5 goals     27 assists   32 points     0.42 PPG
1985-1986   Tor        42 GP   6 goals     12 assists   17 points     0.42 PPG
1986-1987   Tor        57 GP   3 goals     14 assists   17 points     0.30 PPG
1987-1988   Tor        68 GP   2 goals     20 assists   22 points     0.33 PPG
1988-1989   Tor        65 GP   3 goals     14 assists   17 points     0.26 PPG
1989-1990   Det        50 GP   2 goals     15 assists   16 points     0.32 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1973-1974   Tor        4 GP     0 goals      1 assist      1 point        0.24 PPG
1974-1975   Tor        7 GP     0 goals      4 assists    4 points       0.52 PPG
1975-1976   Tor        10 GP   3 goals      4 assists    7 points       0.68 PPG
1976-1977   Tor        9 GP     3 goals      5 assists    8 points       0.88 PPG
1977-1978   Tor        6 GP     2 goals      2 assists    4 points       0.65 PPG
1978-1979   Tor        6 GP     0 goals      1 assist      1 point        0.15 PPG
1979-1980   Tor        3 GP     1 goal        1 assist     2 points       0.57 PPG
1980-1981   Tor        3 GP     0 goals      1 assist      1 point        0.47 PPG
1982-1983   Tor        4 GP     1 goal        3 assists    4 points      0.98 PPG
1985-1986   Tor        10 GP   1 goal        5 assists    6 points      0.61 PPG
1986-1987   Tor        13 GP   0 goals      3 assists    3 points      0.21 PPG
1987-1988   Tor        6 GP     1 goal        2 assists    3 points     0.50 PPG

Career - 1181 GP, 133 goals, 560 assists, 693 points, 0.59 PPG
Career-Highs - 17 goals (79-80); 63 assists (76-77); 74 points (76-77); 0.95 PPG (76-77)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 69 GP, 8 goals, 33 assists, 41 points, 0.59 PPG
Peak Avg. (75-83) - 77 GP, 12 goals, 46 assists, 58 points, 0.75 PPG, 0 Cups

Playoff Career - 81 GP, 12 goals, 32 assists, 44 points, 0.54 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (76-77); 5 assists (76-77); 8 points (76-77); 0.98 PPG (82-83)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 5-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup

Before there was Nicklas Lidstrom, there was Borje Salming. No, Salming never won a Stanley Cup or a Norris trophy, things that Lidstrom has done so many times that it's become routine. But Salming paved the way for not just Swedish defencemen, but European players everywhere in the North American game. Before Salming's impact, there had been European-born players who had thrived (like Stan Mikita), but rarely someone who had actually grown up oversees and had their junior training anywhere but in Canada.

It's worth noting the prejudices that Salming had to overcome. He arrived in hockey-mad Toronto when they were a team in transition. The Original Six days were over, and Toronto struggled to keep up with the dynasty Canadiens and the solid teams that the Bruins and Flyers had assembled. Without Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming, the Leafs of the 1970s would have been the laughingstock they turned into in the 1980s. Instead, they were perenially average but sometimes surprised come playoff time, winning a playoff round or two where they had no business doing so. Salming's excellent two-way play and visionary passing eventually earned him the respect of the Toronto fanbase, as demonstrated by the fact they gave him a standing ovation when he played for Sweden in the 1976 Canada Cup.

Unfortunately, moronic owner Harold Ballard remained convinced that European players couldn't thrive in the NHL and went out of his way to make things difficult for Salming. If Salming had been fortunate enough to play for the Canadiens or Bruins during the prime years of his career instead of for a mediocre organization with an unappreciative owner, we'd be talking about him in the top 100, no question.

His accomplishments as they are still stand up. While he never won the Norris, Salming was considered one of the league's four best defencemen six times (all in a row, from the period of 1974 to 1980). This is all the more impressive when you consider that that stretch coincided with the run of the greatest hockey team of all-time, the late-1970s Habs, as well as excellent teams like the Islanders, Bruins and Flyers whom Salming had to face on a regular basis. Furthermore, he was earning all-star honours going up against fellow Pyramid defencemen Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson, Brad Park, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and, oh yeah, Bobby Orr in 1974 and 1975. It's arguably the time when the NHL was deepest at defence, and yet Salming was consistently considered one of the best.

That stretch is what makes Salming's legend. His career +/- averages out to a decent +13 per 82 games played (all the more impressive when you consider the truly awful Maple Leaf teams Salming toiled on throughout the 1980s). But if you isolate his six-year stretch from 1974 to 1980, Salming's impact becomes clear. During that run, Salming averaged 61 adjusted points and a +25...and as mentioned before, it's not like he and the Maple Leafs were running into creampuffs.

Salming doesn't rank higher on the Pyramid not only because of his lack of team success (like Sundin, that could be forgiven given that he was cursed with playing for the Maple Leafs), but rather because after his first eight or nine seasons, Salming's impact and production dropped off considerably. He never made another all-star team, and sank into the 25-30 point range. Part of this may have been due to Salming's admitted cocaine use. In 1986, he was almost suspended for the entire season after admitting to regularly using cocaine in a newspaper interview, but the suspension was reduced to eight games. It wasn't exactly shocking news: Salming looked like a cross between Rutger Hauer and Peter Weller from Robocop. There wasn't a lot of meat on his face to say the least.

Salming ended his career with the Red Wings, but he is of course remembered as a Maple Leaf. He's the best defencemen they've had since the post-expansion era, and quite possibly their best offensive-defencemen ever. Stanley Cup glory and Norris recognition never came to Salming. Instead, he is revered in Sweden, and quite possibly by all Europeans, for showing the North American audience that a European defencemen could not only survive in the NHL, but thrive.

#122 - Dave Keon

Dave Keon (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #122)

Adjusted Stats

1960-1961   Tor        82 GP   24 goals   30 assists   54 points     0.66 PPG
1961-1962   Tor*      75 GP   31 goals   42 assists   73 points     0.97 PPG
1962-1963   Tor*      80 GP   34 goals   34 assists   68 points     0.85 PPG
1963-1964   Tor*      82 GP   30 goals   48 assists   78 points     0.95 PPG
1964-1965   Tor        76 GP   26 goals   36 assists   63 points     0.82 PPG
1965-1966   Tor        81 GP   28 goals   36 assists   64 points     0.79 PPG
1966-1967   Tor*      77 GP   23 goals   40 assists   63 points     0.81 PPG
1967-1968   Tor        74 GP   13 goals   45 assists   59 points     0.79 PPG
1968-1969   Tor        81 GP   30 goals   38 assists   68 points     0.84 PPG
1969-1970   Tor        78 GP   37 goals   34 assists   71 points     0.91 PPG
1970-1971   Tor        80 GP   39 goals   39 assists   79 points     0.99 PPG
1971-1972   Tor        76 GP   19 goals   32 assists   51 points     0.67 PPG
1972-1973   Tor        80 GP   37 goals   36 assists   72 points     0.90 PPG
1973-1974   Tor        78 GP   25 goals   28 assists   54 points     0.69 PPG
1974-1975   Tor        80 GP   15 goals   40 assists   54 points     0.68 PPG
1979-1980   Hfd        78 GP   9 goals     47 assists   56 points     0.71 PPG
1980-1981   Hfd        82 GP   11 goals   28 assists   39 points     0.47 PPG
1981-1982   Hfd        80 GP   6 goals     9 assists     15 points     0.19 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1960-1961   Tor         5 GP    1 goal       1 assist       2 points      0.45 PPG
1961-1962   Tor*       12 GP  5 goals      3 assists     8 points      0.66 PPG
1962-1963   Tor*       10 GP  7 goals      5 assists     12 points    1.19 PPG
1963-1964   Tor*       14 GP  7 goals      2 assists     9 points      0.68 PPG
1964-1965   Tor         6 GP    2 goals      2 assists     4 points      0.73 PPG
1965-1966   Tor         4 GP    0 goals      2 assists     2 points      0.53 PPG
1966-1967   Tor*       12 GP  3 goals      5 assists     8 points      0.69 PPG
1968-1969   Tor         4 GP    1 goal        3 assists     4 points     0.99 PPG
1970-1971   Tor         6 GP    3 goals      2 assists     5 points      0.77 PPG
1971-1972   Tor         5 GP    2 goals      3 assists     5 points     0.93 PPG
1973-1974   Tor         4 GP    1 goal        2 assists     3 points     0.73 PPG
1974-1975   Tor         7 GP    0 goals      5 assists     5 points      0.65 PPG
1979-1980   Hfd         3 GP    0 goals      1 assist      1 point       0.28 PPG

Career - 1420 GP, 437 goals, 642 assists, 1081 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 39 goals (70-71); 48 assists (63-64); 79 points (70-71); 0.99 PPG (70-71)
Avg. (18 seasons) - 79 GP, 24 goals, 36 assists, 60 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (63-71) - 79 GP, 28 goals, 40 assists, 68 points, 0.87 PPG, 2 Cups

Playoff Career - 92 GP, 32 goals, 36 assists, 68 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (62-63); 5 assists (74-75); 12 points (62-63); 1.19 PPG (62-63)

Accolades - 2 Lady Byngs, Calder, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 2-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion

Dave Keon's offensive numbers wouldn't appear to make him deserving of a spot on the Pyramid. Here is a center who never topped 80 points or a point-a-game. Remarkably durable, Keon played in 18 seasons without ever missing more than eight games in a season, yet he was consistently, unspectacularly in the 60-70 point range. Is this a case of a Maple Leaf legend being overrated?

In Keon's case, no. We all know that Bob Gainey was a superb defensive forward, but Keon doesn't quite get his due amongst today's generation of hockey fans. He was his era's defensive specialist, but he still managed to pot 30 goals and 70 points every season. Those who saw the Maple Leafs during the 1960s speak fondly of Mahovlich, of course, and Tim Horton, but it is Keon who is often referred to as the team's best player, a speedster with a deadly backhand who was always pitted against the opposition's best centre, and usually stifled them.

Here's a good indication of Keon's two-way value: in 1967 (the last year the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, in case you didn't know), Keon won the Conn Smythe award despite having a mere eight points in twelve playoff games. That is the lowest point total of any non-goaltender to win the Conn Smythe. Why did Keon deserve it? Because he shut down the great Jean Beliveau in the Cup finals, leading an aging Toronto team to hockey's pinnacle for one last time.

As the Leafs got more mediocre, Keon's play remained consistent. He made the second all-star team in 1971 after potting career highs in goals and points. Unfortunately for Keon, he followed that up with a lackluster 1972 season that may have cost him the final spot on the Team Canada roster for the '72 Summit Series. Even though he bounced back, Keon began to grow progressively more sour with Maple Leafs' management, specifically their notoriously cantankerous owner Harold Ballard. He left the NHL to play in the WHA for four seasons, before eventually returning for a retirement stint with the Hartford Whalers.

Perhaps because Keon's tenure with the Maple Leafs ended so badly, he's rarely mentioned in the same revered breath as more modern Leaf staples like Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming and Doug Gilmour. It's a shame though, because Keon was the team's most complete forward during the 1960s, even if he wasn't as dynamic a scorer as Mahovlich. Keon eventually found it within him to forgive the Maple Leafs' organization and return to the Air Canada Centre during the celebration of the 1967 championship team's 40th anniversary. He was given one of the longest ovations during that ceremony...Maple Leaf fans may not get much right, but they knew that Keon should be welcomed back and finally treated with the respect his career had earned.

#118 - Sweeney Schriner

Sweeney Schriner (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #118)

Adjusted Stats

1934-1935   NYA        82 GP   38 goals   46 assists   84 points      1.02 PPG
1935-1936   NYA        82 GP   46 goals   63 assists   109 points    1.33 PPG
1936-1937   NYA        82 GP   45 goals   53 assists   98 points      1.20 PPG
1937-1938   NYA        82 GP   44 goals   35 assists   79 points      0.96 PPG
1938-1939   NYA        82 GP   27 goals   64 assists   91 points      1.11 PPG
1939-1940   Tor           67 GP   23 goals   32 assists   55 points      0.82 PPG
1940-1941   Tor           82 GP   47 goals   27 assists   74 points      0.91 PPG
1941-1942   Tor*         80 GP   34 goals   27 assists   61 points      0.76 PPG
1942-1943   Tor           61 GP   27 goals   24 assists   50 points      0.83 PPG
1944-1945   Tor           43 GP   30 goals   21 assists   51 points      1.19 PPG
1945-1946   Tor           77 GP   20 goals   9 assists     29 points      0.37 PPG

Career - 820 GP, 381 goals, 401 assists, 781 points, 0.95 PPG
Career-Highs - 47 goals (40-41); 64 assists (38-39); 109 points (35-36); 1.33 PPG (35-36)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 36 assists, 71 points, 0.95 PPG
Peak Avg. (34-42) - 80 GP, 38 goals, 43 assists, 81 points, 1.02 PPG, 1 Cup

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion

Another gem of the pre-WWII era, Sweeney Schriner was the best left-winger in the league in the mid-to-late 1930s, leading the league in scoring two years in a row for the (now non-existent) New York Americans. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about him, aside from pointing out his four years of 40+ adjusted goals, two Stanley Cup rings, and three appearances on year-end all-star teams.

Schriner retired from hockey at quite a young age in 1943, annoyed with what he perceived as growing individualism within the game (one wonders how he would have reacted to, say, Ilya Kovalchuk sixty years later). He returned in 1945 after playing a year with an Army/Navy team, and still clearly had a fair measure of skill, scoring 51 adjusted points in only 43 games. Perhaps if he hadn't missed a season and a half, Schriner's career totals would be even more impressive.

The postseason numbers are lacking, which is probably due to the fact that the New York Americans never got over the hump to win a championship while Schriner was their star. In a trade that gives an indication of how highly Schriner was viewed, he was traded to the Maple Leafs for five different players, including former star Busher Jackson. Schriner was never quite as productive with the Leafs, but he was a part of two Stanley Cup champions, adding well-deserved team success to his individual accolades.

#117 - Steve Shutt

Steve Shutt (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #117)

Adjusted Stats

1972-1973   Mtl*       53 GP   8 goals      8 assists      16 points     0.30 PPG
1973-1974   Mtl         74 GP   15 goals    20 assists    35 points     0.48 PPG
1974-1975   Mtl         79 GP   28 goals    32 assists    60 points     0.76 PPG
1975-1976   Mtl*       82 GP   42 goals    31 assists    73 points     0.89 PPG
1976-1977   Mtl*       82 GP   57 goals    43 assists    100 points   1.22 PPG
1977-1978   Mtl*       82 GP   47 goals    35 assists    82 points     1.00 PPG
1978-1979   Mtl*       74 GP   33 goals    36 assists    69 points     0.94 PPG
1979-1980   Mtl         79 GP   42 goals    38 assists    80 points     1.01 PPG
1980-1981   Mtl         79 GP   29 goals    31 assists    60 points     0.76 PPG
1981-1982   Mtl         58 GP   24 goals    19 assists    43 points     0.74 PPG
1982-1983   Mtl         80 GP   29 goals    18 assists    46 points     0.58 PPG
1983-1984   Mtl         65 GP   11 goals    18 assists    30 points     0.46 PPG
1984-1985   Mtl/LA   71 GP   15 goals    20 assists    35 points     0.49 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1972-1973    Mtl*      1 GP      0 goals      0 assists      0 points      0.00 PPG
1973-1974    Mtl        6 GP      5 goals      3 assists      8 points      1.30 PPG
1974-1975    Mtl        9 GP      1 goal        5 assists      6 points      0.71 PPG
1975-1976    Mtl*      13 GP    7 goals      8 assists      15 points    1.12 PPG
1976-1977    Mtl*      14 GP    7 goals      9 assists      16 points    1.13 PPG
1977-1978    Mtl*      15 GP    9 goals      8 assists      17 points    1.10 PPG
1978-1979    Mtl*      11 GP    4 goals      6 assists      10 points    0.91 PPG
1979-1980    Mtl        10 GP    5 goals      3 assists       8 points     0.77 PPG
1980-1981    Mtl        3 GP      1 goal        1 assist        2 points     0.71 PPG
1982-1983    Mtl        3 GP      1 goal        0 assists       1 point      0.26 PPG
1983-1984    Mtl        11 GP    6 goals      2 assists       8 points     0.73 PPG
1984-1985    LA         3 GP      0 goals      0 assists       0 points    0.00 PPG

Career - 958 GP, 380 goals, 349 assists, 729 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 57 goals (76-77); 43 assists (76-77); 100 points (76-77); 1.22 PPG
Avg. (13 seasons) - 74 GP, 29 goals, 27 assists, 56 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 77 GP, 38 goals, 33 assists, 71 points, 0.92 PPG, 4 Cups

Playoff Career - 99 GP, 46 goals, 45 assists, 91 points, 0.92 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 9 goals (77-78); 9 assists (76-77); 17 points (77-78); 1.30 PPG (73-74)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
5-time Stanley Cup Champion

Let's be honest: Steve Shutt probably benefited from his circumstances and surroundings more than almost any other player on the Pyramid...even more than a Jari Kurri or Johnny Bucyk. Shutt was a short, pudgy man with limited defensive abilities and a slow skating style, but he struck gold by being on the Montreal Canadiens right as Guy Lafleur was entering his prime, providing Lafleur and Lemaire with a premier finisher who was stealthy and potted goals at just the right time.

Talent wise, Shutt doesn't belong on the Pyramid. His final career numbers are middling because he only played for thirteen seasons, of which only five were particularly good. The adjusted averages of 29 goals and 56 points are quite lame, especially when one considers he only played for thirteen years (not that there was ever any question of him playing longer...his conditioning was so mediocre that it would have been sad to see a mid-30s Shutt lumbering around).

But Shutt belongs here for the same reason that Serge Savard and Bob Gainey do: because I have a lot of time for someone who peaked during a run in which their team won four straight Championships. From 1975 to 1980, Shutt averaged 44 goals for the Habs as they were in the midst of their dynasty. Like so many of his teammates, Shutt reached his peak during the 1976-1977 season, scoring 60 goals (57 when adjusted) and earning first-team all-star honours at LW. Shutt was also particularly reliable come playoff time, stepping up his already-impressive scoring average and recording nearly a point a game over 99 playoff games.

Perhaps due to conditioning or possibly simply due to a lack of sustained motivation, both Shutt and Lafleur saw their production plummet after Lemaire retired in 1979. The Habs wouldn't win another Cup during Shutt's career, and sadly he ended as a Los Angeles King, not with the Montreal team that he had spent his entire career with. It's still a hall-of-fame career merely because Shutt was the premier finisher on one of the best teams ever assembled. And if I were in doubt, Shutt would make it onto my Pyramid simply because he's such a likeable personality: laidback, relaxed and always willing to joke about his own shortcomings as a player.

That's what it comes down to with Shutt: you can criticize the shortcomings in his game or claim that he was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time, but he would probably just shrug off those criticisms. And with five Stanley Cup rings, I would to.