Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Hockey Hall of Stats
Adam turns his view over to hockey.
One thing I've been meaning to do, but maybe Adam will be inspired to do it: how many years do players wait? The BBWAA is notorious for not having "1st timers". But, the NHL voters don't see it that way at all. There was one year where they had five guys that would have gone in the first time, but they have a strict max-4 limit, so one guy (Larionov) had to wait a year.
The Hockey Hall of Fame elects about 25 players every 10 years, which makes it a medium hall, and right around the size that the average Straight Arrow reader expects from baseball.
So, that's what I like about the hockey process:
1. players have a 3-year waitlist, not 5 years (and waive the 3-year rule under exceptional circumstances)
2. deserving players are elected extremely quickly
3. they don't get a year without electing SOMEONE?
4. had active Hall of Famers (unretired Gordie Howe, Mario, Guy Lafleur)
5. you never, and I mean never, have the annual drone of the Jack Morris type of candidate... if a guy like that is on the horizon (Clark Gillies?), he's quietly elected, there may be some consternation, and then it's over and done with... Hall of Fame is really about celebration of players elected, and not hand-wringing about players ignored (Housley, Gilmour, etc)