Hockey Hall of Fame - Dino gets the call

The Hockey Hall of Fame at the corner of Front & Yonge
the site of my funny story is in this pic too!!

When people ask me about things to do when coming to Toronto, I always suggest a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame.  It's at the corner of Front St & Yonge St, which coincidentally is also the site of one of the funniest things I've ever had the opportunity to witness in person (ask me about it or I'll post about it another time)...but back to the Hockey Hall of Fame.  It's cool to walk to gallery and check out all the hockey memorabilia - old sticks, ugly jerseys & what some might consider protective equipment.  You can even sit in a replica of the Montreal Canadian Dressing Room from the old Montreal Forum - if you're inclined for such things.  One of my favourite things to do at the Hall is to call a play in the TSN Broadcast Zone.  You get to do the play-by-play for some of the most cherished hockey moments...and it helps me further understand why I'm no longer in radio or broadcasting!  The interactive stuff is cool but for the hockey purest, the Great Hall is the best part of any trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame.  In the Great Hall you can check out a number of the NHL's most coveted trophies; such as the Vezina, the Calder, the Hart and the toughest trophy to earn in all of sport, after the Fifa World Cup Trophy, the Stanley Cup.

The Great Hall is also where you can see the portraits & bios for all honoured members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.  This past week, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted 5 new members into it's prestigious club.  It was a big year for The Hall as 2 women would be enshrined alongside hockeys greatest...for the first time ever!!!  Next time you visit the Great Hall, alongside Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux & Scotty Bowman, you'll be able to see the portraits of the 2010 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees; Angela James, Cammi Granato, Dino Ciccarelli, Jim Devellano, & Daryl "Doc" Seaman.

As with any list of inductees for any sport hall of fame, the achievements of those that made the list will be compared to others and questions will be posed about whether the right people got in.  I won't argue with the selection of Angela James, Cammi Granato, Jim Devellano & Daryl Seaman.  I don't believe it was time for Dino Ciccarelli.  I'm on the fence about whether Mr. Ciccarelli even deserves his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame however hockey powers greater than I have already made that decision and I congratulate him on his achievement.  Sure, Dino Ciccarelli had to wait 8 years before he got the call and ok, he had a nice career with 1232 games played, 608 goals, 592 assists, 11 30+ goal seasons and a couple trips to the Stanley Cup final.  All that said, he never won a Stanley Cup and there are players who have & there are players with far better numbers who are still waiting to take their rightful spot alongside hockey's greatest.  Some people will argue that despite his numbers & lack of Stanley Cups, Dino Ciccarelli was the greatest retired player not already in the Hockey Hall of Fame.   This dude was convicted of assault for an incident on the ice!!!

When you review the summary for the Election Procedure, a player is considered based on their "playing ability, sportsmanship, character and their contribution to the team or teams and to the game of hockey in general". CHARACTER & SPORTSMANSHIP!!!  Dino pleaded guilty to indecent exposure in 1987.  I believe the Hockey Hall of Fame made a mistake this time around and Dino Ciccarelli should still be waiting for his turn.  Dino was a fantastic hockey player and a great goal scorer but I don't believe he should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame...that spot should be given to a few other folks with greater positive impact to the game of hockey.


Adam Oates never won a Stanley Cup but holds a couple NHL records.  He's the player who has accumulated the most career playoffs points without winning the Stanley Cup.  Also, at the age of 39, he was the oldest player to lead the NHL in assists in a single season...he had 64 in 2001–02.  He is considered one of the greatest play-makers to ever play the game and had more assists than any other playing in the 1990's, except Wayne Gretzky.  Adam Oates was a six time finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy as "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability".  He has the most career points (1420 points in 1337 games) of any retired and eligible player for the Hockey Hall of Fame.  This dude deserves his Hall of Fame ring.

Joe Nieuwendyk was the rookie of the year in 1988.  He is a 3 time Stanley Cup winner and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in 1999.  Joe won a gold medal in ice hockey with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and enjoyed a successful playing career of over 1200 games and more then 1100 career points. In 1995, Joe Nieuwendyk won the King Clancy Award as the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. There is no need to list any other accolades, he's a Hall of Famer!

Gilmour earn him a portrait alongside Cam Neely, Dino Ciccarelli & Mario Lemieux.  What about Eric Lindros, Pierre Turgeon, Pavel Bure, Kevin Lowe or even John LeClair?  While we may not always agree with the committees selections, I think they get it right...9 times out of 10.

Next time you're looking for something to do in Toronto, check out the Hockey Hall of Fame.  See for yourself where your favourites rank alongside some of the greatest people associate with our national pastime...and say hi to Dino's portrait while you're there!