Commentary

Top three Hockey Hall of Fame Snubs

Stats say Phil Housley leads list of overlooked stars worth enshrinement

Updated: June 28, 2011, 9:33 PM ET
By Tom Awad | Hockey Prospectus

Selections to the Hockey Hall of Fame are almost always a controversial subject. For every extraordinary player like Mario Lemieux or Mark Messier, there are many other players who were simply very, very good, for whom an argument could be made for either their inclusion or their exclusion. After Tuesday's announcement that multiyear omissions Doug Gilmour and Mark Howe had earned their spots in the Hall, there still remain three glaring snubs.

Using GVT, a statistic that can compare players across positions and eras, I found three players, all of whom retired in 2004 or before, who have been snubbed for several years now and should be in the Hall of Fame.

Before we look at our list, let's take a look at where the bar for HHOF admission sits. According to GVT, the names in the chart to the right represent the six lowest marks held by players currently enshined in the Hall. Take one look at that list, and you'll see our candidates are more than qualified. You'll also see the Hall voters might have a few biases.


To see the reasons three former stars belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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