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.