HOF/HOVG/HOG - An Analyzation of Active Players' HOF Chances

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HOF/HOVG/HOG - An Analyzation of Active Players' HOF Chances

Season 94 Edition (S86-88 Players)

 

 

Those that have known me long enough will know that I love talking about the history of the league, especially with true connoisseurs like @Victor.  I have been fortunate enough to be able to vote on things like the Hall of Fame for the majority of my time in the league, but sometimes I also like to look ahead and see who has a good shot at making it one day or who will probably fall short of the ballot but still has a career worth recognizing as very impressive.  @Gustav has done some looking into the Hall of Very Good in the past and I really wanted to use this article to look at current players that are either just about to retire or are soon going to be retired, in order to not only find out who will probably be inducted one day (or at least make the ballot) but also shine some light on those that have snuck by and had a great career regardless.

With that, I decided to embark on a fairly ambitious idea where I would essentially analyze the career of several VHL players and look at their statistics, statistical finishes, awards and even shine a light on those that might still have some to really pad their resumes.  Here are the guidelines and some key information on how I have approached this article:

 

1. There are 31 players (26 skaters and 5 goalies) that have been represented in this article.
2. Statistics/Finishes for Season 94 are as of the morning of June 25 (ultimately I had to decide an end point as this article was going to take me enough time to write, therefore that is the point at which I collected all the data and started writing)
3. Only Season 86-88 Draftees were eligible. I felt like there was still too much time left for Season 89 and newer players to really judge their placement.  However, I do intend on doing this every season, so next year would see some S89’s present in this.
4. When it comes to goaltenders, I deemed one eligible for Save Percentage and GAA statistical category finishes, when they played 60% of their teams games (IE: Fuukka Rask is not eligible with his S94 season for those categories since he has played roughly 54% of Seattle's games at the time of writing this)
5. I have broken down the players into the following tiers: 

• First Ballot HOF (No-brainer picks that will easily make it on their first try in)
• Probable HOF (Players that will definitely make the ballot and I do expect will get in after potentially waiting on the ballot for a little bit)
• The Future (Players that I can’t say are for sure HOF if they retired right now, but I do think with the remaining seasons left in their career, that they can make it)
• Hall of Very Good (Self-explanatory, these are players that may make the ballot one day but I would be surprised if they were to ever get inducted)
• Hall of Good (Really good careers that I wanted to shine light on, but are going to be more known as players that were really impactful for their respectful teams rather than someone that stands out as all that close to a HOFer)

 

And with that, please enjoy the article and let's celebrate some of the best talent this league has to offer! I also just want to make it clear that this simply my opinions and I hope not to offend anyone as that is not the intention.  And I do intend on going through this every year and include the next set of available players, while also updating others that I featured in the previous ones, to see which ones I have gotten right or wrong thus far.

 

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FIRST BALLOT HOF

 

G - Lachlan Summers (: S87-94) @kirbithan
RS: 272-135-35, .932 SV%, 2.46 GAA, 32 SO
PO: 26-17-6, .923 SV%, 2.87 GAA, 1 SO

 

Statistical Finishes

Wins - 1st (S90), 2nd (S89), 2nd (S91), 3rd (S88), 3rd (S94), 5th (S93)
GAA - 1st (S90), 1st (S94), 2nd (S88), 3rd (S89), 3rd (S91)
Save% - 1st (S88), 1st (S90), 1st (S93), 1st (S94), 3rd (S91)
SO - 1st (S90), 1st (S94), 3rd (S88), 3rd (S91), 4th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S89
Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S90, S91
Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP) - S93
Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player) - S90
Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie) - S90, S93
Greg Clegane Trophy (Best GAA) - S90
Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie) - S88
All-VHL First Team - S90, S93
All-VHL Second Team - S88
All-VHL Rookie Team - S88

40 Win Seasons - S89, S90, S91, S93

.930+ SV% Seasons - S88, S90, S91, S93, S94

Sub 2.30 GAA Seasons - S88, S90, S91

 

Lachlan Summers is one of two absolute first ballot Hall of Fame players that will be featured in this article (or at least that is my point of view).  Summers, who will be retiring at the end of this season, was drafted 12th overall in Season 86 by the Davos Dynamo, before being traded to Warsaw.  As a member of Davos, Summers would go on to win his only Continental Cup thus far in Season 89, was named Most Outstanding Player in Season 90 and finished his time there with the second best Save Percentage in Davos history (only behind Hall of Famer, Benoit Devereux).  In a goaltending era marked with a lot of similar goaltending resumes (you will see what I mean over the course of this article), Summers truly is an absolute standout.  Including his monstrous lead this season, Summers will likely finish his career with four 1st place finishes in Save Percentage, which marks his incredible volume of quality he has churned out during his eight seasons in the Victory Hockey League. He is currently having his best season yet and will likely sweep awards season when it comes to the major awards that he is eligible for.  The term “generational” is one that gets thrown around too much in sports, but Summers absolutely fits that bill and will be the easiest first ballot Hall of Fame player in quite some time.

 

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D - Skor McFleury (: S87-94) @Alex
RS: 559 GP, 155 G, 456 A, 611 P, +147, 1357 HIT, 1240 SB
PO: 54 GP, 15 G, 36 A, 51 P, -1, 147 HIT, 160 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 2nd (S93), 4th (S90), 5th(S91), 8th (S89)
Points - 6th (S90)
DMan Points - 1st (S90), 1st (S91), 2nd (S93), 2nd (S94), 5th (S89), 6th (S92)
DMan Goals - 1st (S94), 3rd (S90), 3rd (S91), 5th (S93), 6th (S89)
Hits - 9th (S93)
SB - 4th (S93), 10th (S89)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S89
Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S90
Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman) - S93
Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) - S90, S93
Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) - S93
All-VHL First Team - S90, S91, S93
All-VHL Rookie Team - S87

100+ Point Seasons - S93

80+ Point Seasons - S89, S90, S91, S93

20+ Goal Seasons - S89, S90, S91, S93, S94

60+ Assist Seasons - S89, S90, S91, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S90, S91, S93

150+ SB Seasons - S89, S90, S93

 

Skor McFleury is another player I really don’t see having any issues getting into the VHL Hall of Fame.  If he were to retire now, he would still be an absolute lock but with another season (plus his current strong one that he is in the middle of) McFleury looks to only be padding that eventual Hall of Fame resume.  The well-travelled defender was drafted 2nd Overall by Riga in Season 87 and has played for Riga, Davos, Malmo, Calgary and Prague.  Despite a decent but unspectacular offensive start to his career, McFleury started to explode in Season 89 and hasn’t stopped since, reaching the 70 point plateau every season since, despite being a physical presence and one of the better shot blockers in the Victory Hockey League.  He has been named the Best Defenseman in the VHL (Labatte) once, the Best Offensive Defenseman (Valiq) twice and the Best Defensive Defenseman (Wylde) once.  He has also been voted onto the All-VHL First Team on three separate occasions, and looks poised to potentially find himself there again.  While his playoff resume is less than spectacular, Skor has still managed to win a Continental Cup and continues to be a tremendous threat in all three zones regardless of the stakes.  Assuming that Skor McFleury manages to hit the 700 point plateau (only needs 89 points in 89 games) he would join only Japinder Singh (inducted in HOF in S28) as VHL defensemen to record 700 points, 1000 hits and 1000 blocked shots.  While he will have had an extra season to do it, McFleury has more than proven that he will be a bonafide first ballot Hall of Fame player.

 

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PROBABLE HALL OF FAME

 

C - The Frenchman (: S86-94) @OrbitingDeath

RS: 631 GP, 312 G, 454 A, 766 P, +88, 379 HIT, 49 GW

PO: 61 GP, 33 G, 47 A, 80 P, +16, 27 HIT, 7 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 4th (S88)

Assists - 2nd (S92), 8th (S89), 9th (S93)

Points - 1st (S92), 6th (S89), 7th (S93), 9th (S88), 

Faceoff% - 3rd (S92), 6th (S89), 6th (S90), 6th (S93), 6th (S94), 10th (S91)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S92

Mike Szatkowski Trophy (VHL Leader in Points) - S92

All-VHL First Team - S92

All-VHL Second Team - S89

100+ Point Seasons - S89, S92, S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S88, S91, S93

60+ Assist Seasons - S89, S92, S93

 

The Frenchman doesn’t find himself on my First Ballot HOF list but I do think he is going to be someone that will certainly find his way inducted (and quickly) given the incredibly consistent career he has had.  The French center was drafted 1st Overall back in Season 86 by the Riga Reign, and played parts of six seasons with the club.  He spent the rest of his time with Davos and was recently traded to Vancouver to play out the rest of his final season.  The Frenchman, like Skor McFleury, has benefitted from playing nine seasons in the VHL, and while he will likely fall short of the 800 point plateau, anyone that is even in the conversation to hit that number usually doesn’t stay on the ballot for too long (especially in the current era of the VHL).  The Frenchman has been a point-per-game player in every season except for his rookie campaign (where he still recorded a pretty impressive 51 points in 72 games) and has hit the 100 point plateau on three separate occasions.  The center has proven to be a good scorer but a truly elite playmaker and has been one of the best in the faceoff zone for almost the entirety of his long career.  Perhaps more importantly, Frenchman has been a playoff standout, elevating his offensive production on more than one occasion, being a PPG or better in his last five playoff campaigns.  His peak was absolutely two seasons ago where he not only won the Mike Szatkowski Trophy for the Most Points in the VHL (108), but he also tallied a remarkable 13 goals and 27 points in 17 playoff games on route to his only Continental Cup at this point.

 

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C - Wann Kerr (: S87-94) @VattghernCZ

RS: 559 GP, 293 G, 354 A, 647 P, +143, 1348 HIT, 47 GW

PO: 91 GP, 39 G, 62 A, 101 P, +27, 212 HIT, 10 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 1st (S93), 7th (S94)

Assists - 6th (S93)

Points - 1st (S93), 10th (S90), 10th (S94)

Hits - 9th (S94)

GW - 3rd (S93), 4th (S91)

Faceoff% - 5th (S93), 9th (S90), 9th (S91), 10th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S87

Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player) - S93

Mike Szatkowski Trophy (VHL Leader in Points) - S93

Kevin Brooks Trophy (VHL Leader in Goals) - S93

All-VHL First Team - S93

100+ Point Seasons - S93

90+ Point Seasons - S91, S93, S94

50+ Goal Seasons - S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S90, S91, S93, S94

60+ Assist Seasons - S93

 

Wann Kerr is ultimately someone I think could fall just short of the Hall of Fame.  The Czech-born center was drafted 9th overall by Vancouver in Season 86 and split his career between the Wolves and London, after he was traded prior to the Season 91 season. His current resume is mainly based off of last season where he dominated the league, leading in goals and points, while also taking home the Brett Slobodzian Trophy for Most Outstanding Player.  The rest of his argument will depend on how he finishes his last season here, as he currently sits 7th in Goals (four back of 3rd) and 10th in Points (six back of 5th) while also still being in the top ten for hits.  The other major contributor to his HOF resume is his three playoff campaigns with 23+ points and his 100+ playoff points really showcase someone you can absolutely rely on even when the quality gets ramped up. Now by no means do I think Kerr absolutely won’t make the Hall of Fame, but I do wonder if he finds himself just sitting on the ballot for quite some time (maybe gets in on a weaker season), as a good two-way forward that hit the 80 point mark six different times.  His biggest issue may end up being his inability to take that next step to elite status, until his second last season.  With that being said, two elite seasons and a bunch of very good years to go along with a decent award cabinet and good playoff results….may just actually be enough. Time will tell though.

 

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C - Daryl Dixon (: S87-94) @Ricer13
RS: 556 GP, 279 G, 361 A, 640 P, +77, 1731 HIT, 45 GW
PO: 60 GP, 39 G, 43 A, 82 P, +16, 153 HIT, 6 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 3rd (S92), 4th (S94)
Assists - 9th (S91)
Points - 3rd (S92), 7th (S94)
Hits - 4th (S89), 6th (S93)
GW - 1st (S93), 3rd (S94)
Faceoff% - 2nd (S93), 3rd (S91), 4th (S90), 5th (S94), 7th (S92)

 

Awards

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S93
All-VHL Second Team - S92

100+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

90+ Point Seasons - S91, S92, S93, S94

50+ Goal Seasons - S92

40+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93, S94

60+ Assist Seasons - S91, S93

300+ Hits Seasons - S89

200+ Hits Seasons - S87, S88, S89, S90, S93

 

Dixon, like Leonard Triller, really could go either way for me.  I actually enjoy them as a comparable because I honestly think they have a lot of similarities but a few notable differences.  Dixon was drafted by Helsinki 3rd overall in the Season 86 draft, and proceeded to play parts of seven seasons with the Titans, and now finds himself on Seattle looking to win back-to-back Continental Cups.  Dixon is on a bit of a nice run right now currently sitting 4th in goals and 7th in points, which considering he is an old vet, is pretty damn impressive.  In all honesty, if not for the fact that it took him almost five seasons to become elite as an offensive producer and not just a solid two-way presence, he probably would be a no-brainer. He really has done a ton of work over the last few seasons to put himself in.  Opposing Triller and his playmaking ability, Dixon has shown to be an elite goal scorer and an absolute force on the ice, with over 1700 hits over the course of his career. Additionally, he has been a top-10 faceoff man in the VHL in five of his eight season career.  With that being said, like Triller, Dixon has been an excellent playoff performer.  His biggest contesting points? His award cabinet is pretty much bare and probably won’t grow outside of potentially an All-VHL Team selection and maybe if he can rattle off a great playoff run, he could add a very illustrious Playoff MVP.  Is that super likely? Probably not.  So while he has showed up in the playoffs with a tremendous 82 points in 60 games to go along with 153 hits, I do think he could spend a few seasons on the ballot before getting in on a slightly weaker year.  That being said, he does remind me a bit of a former Warsaw Predators legend in Zach Kisslinger II, who finished his career with 290 goals, 730 points and 1766 hits.  Despite his incredible statistics, a more barren awards cabinet and complete resume has left him on the ballot and he doesn't necessarily look close to getting in.  This could very well be the fate of someone like Dixon as well, unless he really cleans up some awards at the end of this season, but I am banking on the possibility that he may just sneak in.

 

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THE FUTURE

 

D - Mark Calaway (: S89-94) @Beketov
RS: 414 GP, 130 G, 297 A, 427 P, +68, 966 HIT, 926 SB
PO: 42 GP, 10 G, 30 A, 40 P, +7, 113 HIT, 87 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 6th (S92)
DMan Points - 1st (S92), 7th (S93), 7th (S94), 9th (S91)
DMan Goals - 1st (S93), 2nd (S92), 6th (S90), 6th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S92
All-VHL First Team - S92
All-VHL Second Team - S93
All-VHL Rookie Team - S89

80+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93

20+ Goal Seasons - S90, S92, S93

60+ Assist Seasons - S92

150+ SB Seasons - S89, S90, S91, S92

 

Here is the first name I have listed with the mindset that he still has a few more seasons to really pad his resume.  Mark Calaway is in his sixth of eight seasons after being drafted by the DC Dragons 1st overall back in Season 88.  He has primarily been known as an elite shooting defender that has been known as both a consistent physical presence while being a consistently solid shot blocker for the entirety of his career.  Calaway is on pace to find himself in the Top-10 for Defensemen in points for a fourth consecutive time.  Additionally, this goes for the Top-10 for Defensemen in goals as well. He has finished twice in the All-VHL voting Calaway and had an incredible Season 92 Continental Cup run as a member of the DC Dragons.  The American defender tallied 7 goals and 21 points in 17 games during that playoff campaign, while also adding 51 hits and 28 blocked shots over that stretch.  It was his impact as the big gun on the PP that really propelled that team through a lot of games, finishing with 6 PP goals during that run.  With a couple of really good seasons, Calaway could really rack up the hardware while likely finishing close-to-around 600 points while easily dwarfing 1000 hits and blocked shots. That would make him an absolute guarantee to make it. He also could just remain a good producer and all-around player and end up probably being a tougher call, but I like his chances with how strong he has been after the last five seasons of his career .

 

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C - Jimi Jaks (: S88-94) @ke1vi
RS: 487 GP, 245 G, 300 A, 545 P, +125, 922 HIT, 42 GW
PO: 48 GP, 22 G, 36 A, 58 P, +28, 105 HIT, 3 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 1st (S94), 10th (S92)
Points - 2nd (S94)
GW - 4th (S94)
Faceoff% - 4th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S91
All-VHL Rookie Team - S88

100+ Point Seasons - S93

90+ Point Seasons - S93, S94

40+ Goal Seasons - S93, S94

200+ Hits Seasons - S92

 

Up until last season, Jimi Jaks wasn’t on anyone’s radar to make it to the VHL Hall of Fame.  The third overall pick in the Season 87 draft had a career high of 83 points at that point, and while he had started to develop into a more consistent physical presence in Season 92, he was looking like a solid contributor but not one that could carry offenses, at that point.  However, after finishing in the Top-10 in goals and topping 40 goals and 100 points for the first time as a VHL player, Jimi Jaks all of a sudden had the start that he would need over his last three seasons in order to take a shot at it.  This year though? It may be the biggest boon to his career resume imaginable.  As of writing this, Jimi finds himself 1st in the VHL in goals and 2nd in Points, and with a really good finish may be able to find himself bringing in multiple pieces of hardware this season and really start to build a potential HOF calibre resume.  If he can finish his career with a bang, Jaks could very well become a bonafide Hall of Fame player after a solid, yet unspectacular first five seasons in the league.  Regardless if he makes it or not, he has been an excellent talent for the Legion over the last nearly 7 seasons of his career and one that contributed tremendously to their Season 91 Continental Cup with 25 points and 32 hits over that fifteen game stretch.  As of now, he sits 7th all-time for Toronto in points and looks poised to pass Max Molholt and Peyton Nydroj before this season even ends, while he also could find himself in 5th for goals before season’s end.  If Jaks plays in Toronto next season, there is a very good chance he becomes the Legion’s All-Time Goals and Points leaders and that alone impresses me enough to think he has a decent chance of potentially making the Hall of Fame.

 

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D - Jacob Stone (: S88-94) @scoop
RS: 487 GP, 123 G, 311 A, 434 P, +86, 1002 HIT, 1058 SB
PO: 14 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 P, -4, 48 HIT, 36 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 3rd (S92)
DMan Points - 4th (S92), 4th (S93), 5th (S94), 8th (S91)
DMan Goals - 1st (S94), 3rd (S93), 4th (S92), 6th (S91)
SB - 6th (S88), 10th (S91)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S92, S93
Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) - S92
All-VHL First Team - S93
All-VHL Second Team - S92
All-VHL Rookie Team - S88

80+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

20+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93, S94

60+ Assist Seasons - S92, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S92, S93

150+ SB Seasons - S88, S89, S91, S92, S93

 

Jakob Stone is a bit of a weird case honestly, as the first three seasons of his career saw the defender record just 34 goals and 131 points over the 216 games, while adding 268 hits and 467 blocked shots.  Defensively a very strong player but not one that had showcased a lot of offensive potential or someone that was committed to using the most of their 6”6 222 lb frame.  However, over the next few seasons, Stone has stayed a stalwart but one with tremendous puck skills and a big booming shot that has found the American defender in the Top-6 in Goals for a Defenseman on four occasions.   Over the last four years, Stone has recorded 89 goals and 303 points in 271 games, while tallying a very impressive 734 hits and 591 blocked shots over this strong run that has seen him win the Jake Wylde Trophy and be named on both the All-VHL First Team and All-VHL Second Team. The American defender was drafted 5th overall by the Malmo Nighthawks in Season 88, and with two seasons left and still being a member of the Nighthawks, Stone has been an incredible pick to anchor the backend for the Swedish club. With that being said, his playoff success, or lack thereof, is one of my biggest concerns if he ends up being someone that sticks on the ballot for a bit. His uninspiring 13 points in 14 games and no playoff series wins will need to improve for him to definitively make it, in my honest opinion.  With that being said, he could dominate over the next couple seasons and join a club of not many defenders who have made the Hall of Fame without any contention whatsoever where he could really pad his hardware resume.  Or he could become Lincoln Tate that could get in after his first few seasons in the league resulted in him having just 508 points over the course of his career (lowest by any HOF player that played more than three seasons).  It’s a tough call and he may end up not making it, but without two seasons left, I think there is a pretty good chance that Jacob Stone could vault himself into the Hall of Fame.

 

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C - Mac Atlas (: S87-94) @v.2
RS: 559 GP, 289 G, 283 A, 572 P, +35, 1224 HIT, 52 GW
PO: 48 GP, 28 G, 31 A, 59 P, +19, 122 HIT, 6 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 3rd (S94), 7th (S90), 7th (S91), 7th (S93)
Points - 5th (S94)
GW - 4th (S91), 4th (S93)

Faceoff% - 3rd (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S91

90+ Point Seasons - S93, S94

40+ Goal Seasons - S90, S91, S93, S94

200+ Hits Seasons - S92

 

The 1st overall pick in Season 87, by the Toronto Legion, is in the midst of his best season yet.  Mac Atlas is in his eighth of nine potential seasons, and has tallied up 42 goals and 90 points in 55 games thus far, putting him on pace for what would be a career-high 55 goals and 118 points while still having a decent chance of topping the 200 hits total for only the second time in his career.  Atlas should find himself being in the Top-7 in goals for the fourth time in his career and has also been a great playoff performer, especially in their Season 91 Continental Cup run, where the American center finished with 11 goals and 29 points in the fifteen-game run.  I do think Atlas had a decent chance of making the Hall of Fame, but it would require a few things in my opinion.  One, I do think he has to make a serious run or even make it, to both 350 goals and 700 points.  I also think he needs to bring in at least a little bit of hardware, with him at least looking like a lock to be named to one of the two All-VHL Teams.  If Atlas can’t win at least one major individual award, he will probably never make it past a ballot inclusion, but if he at least hits the two aforementioned statistical plateaus, you never know what could happen.  

 

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D - Bobby Bob (: S89-94) @Baby Boomer

RS: 415 GP, 71 G, 329 A, 400 P, +78, 598 HIT, 759 SB

PO: 48 GP, 9 G, 30 A, 39 P, +17, 62 HIT, 95 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 1st (S94), 4th (S93)

DMan Points - 1st (S94), 6th (S92), 7th (S93), 10th (S91)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S91

80+ Point Seasons - S93, S94

70+ Assist Seasons - S93, S94

 

Bobby Bob has definitely entered his prime, after recording 72 assists and 85 points last season, and currently sitting first in the VHL with 65 assists in 55 games.  The Canadian defenseman has displayed strong skating and both brilliant puckhandling and tremendous playmaking, while still showing off a decent shot and being a very capable player in his own end.  I do think he has a decent chance at winning some hardware shortly, especially with the season he is currently having, but with him peaking and still being in the middle of what will likely be his fourth time in the Top-10 for Points by a Defenseman, I think he could have some incredible growth over the next two seasons.  To me, Bob seems like a prime candidate to go from the Hall of Very Good to the Hall of Fame, and the Legion are enjoying watching their third overall pick from the Season 88 draft, ascend into one of the game’s best defensemen.  I do think there is a chance though, that Bobby Bob ends up being this era’s Bo Johansson, who was a playmaking monster throughout the 80’s, but seems likely to spend up to perhaps five or more seasons on the ballot.

 

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D - Liv Slater (: S89-94) @Subject056
RS: 414 GP, 105 G, 250 A, 355 P, -47, 973 HIT, 985 SB
PO: 11 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 P, -4, 8 HIT, 19 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

DMan Points - 3rd (S92), 4th (S93)
DMan Goals - 1st (S92), 2nd (S93), 6th (S94)
SB - 2nd (S92), 3rd (S91)

 

Accomplishments

Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman) - S92
Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) - S92
Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) - S92
All-VHL First Team - S92)

80+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S92

20+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S91, S92

200+ SB Seasons - S91, S92

150+ SB Seasons - S89, S91, S92

 

Liv Slater is a player that, like Kardashian, has a very high peak but has lacked the consistent elite play that typically guides players into the Hall of Fame.  With that being said, there is still a lot of time for Slater to propel himself to Hall of Fame status.  The petite Canadian defender was drafted 7th overall in Season 88 and has made a name for himself with his great shot and tremendous skating ability to go along with nearly unmatched puckhandling ability.  Defensively he is very good, but he does lack strength and is a decent but not incredible playmaker, which does hamper him at times.  While he is in the middle of his worst season since Season 91, Slater is coming off back-to-back 87 point campaigns that saw him record 64 goals over that two year stretch.  If he can rebound and return to his previous offensive form and continue to build on his strong hits and shot-blocking statistics, I could see him definitely at least make the ballot and would have a chance of making it, especially if he can add onto his impressive award list he created in Season 92.  Time will tell, but I am not completely counting him out just yet.

 

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G - Merome Dilson (: S89-94) @MexicanCow123
RS: 355 GP, 167-148-38, .925 SV%, 2.59 GAA, 17 SO
PO: 17 GP, 6-9-2, .918 SV%, 2.96 GAA, 2 SO

 

Statistical Finishes

Wins - 2nd (S94), 3rd (S92)
GAA - 3rd (S94), 4th (S92), 5th (S91)
Save% - 1st (S92), 3rd (S90), 3rd (S94)
SO - 1st (S92)

 

Accomplishments

Scotty Campbell Trophy (S92)
Aidan Shaw Trophy (S92)
All-VHL First Team (S92)
All-VHL Rookie Team (S89)

40+ Win Seasons - S92

.930+ SV% Seasons - S92

Sub 2.30 GAA Seasons - S92

 

Merome Dilson is maybe the most interesting case of the four goaltenders who isn’t Summers, because unlike the other three, there are still seasons left where he can build his resume.  Dilson still has two seasons left and currently sits with a solid 167-148-38 record and an impressive .925 Save Percentage.  He is on track to find himself in the top three in save percentage for the third time after this season, and when you pair that with some of the major hardware he has already won, Dilson has the beginnings of a really excellent career.  After winning the Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP) and the Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie), Dilson had an underwhelming Season 93 for the Wranglers, in what was probably the worst season of his career.  After being traded to London and switching teams for the first time, the 10th overall pick in Season 88 has bounced back in a huge way this year.  Currently sitting second in Wins, third in GAA and third in Save Percentage, Dilson has a chance to make the All-VHL Second Team this year, but even if he isn’t able to snatch that away from someone else, with Summers, Castle, Sparks and Rask all retiring after this season, Merome may be the goaltender to watch out for over the next couple seasons.  It would also be encouraging to see some playoff success as well, with Dilson having never won a playoff series and sitting with a losing record and just a .918 Save Percentage in the playoffs.  While he is Hall of Very Good for now, a couple more elite years may just buy him an induction, especially with the League MVP and Top Goalie awards already in his award case.  

 

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C - Jasper Davis (: S89-94) @Josh
RS: 415 GP, 193 G, 257 A, 450 P, +26, 428 HIT, 26 GW
PO: 27 GP, 12 G, 8 A, 20 P, -2, 28 HIT, 2 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 6th (S91)
Points - 5th (S91)
GW - 8th (S94)
Faceoff% - 4th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie) - S89
All-VHL Rookie Team - S89

100+ Point Seasons - S91

90+ Point Seasons - S91, S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S93

60+ Assist Seasons - S91

 

Jasper Davis was a phenom that was drafted 4th overall by the New York Americans in Season 88, and then won the MVP of the VHLE in his only season there before winning the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy in Season 89 for the Top Rookie of the VHL.  However, the Swiss born center declined in his sophomore season, dropping down 9 points off of last his rookie season.  The incredibly strong 6”5 frame that has patrolled center ice for six seasons, has had incredible seasons since that sophomore year.  In Season 91, Jasper Davis scored 39 goals and had 105 points, finishing 5th in the VHL in Points and 6th in Assists.  He has also developed into one of the best faceoff men in the league this season while being just outside the top ten in goals and points.  Davis will probably need to be elite for the rest of his career to make the HOF, but I definitely don’t think it’s impossible if he can add some hardware in one of these next couple seasons.  For now, I think it’s more likely he finds a spot in the Hall of Very Good, but you never know.

 

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HALL OF VERY GOOD

 

RW - Leonard Triller (: S88-94) @Triller
RS: 487 GP, 202 G, 388 A, 590 P, +112, 809 HIT, 31 GW
PO: 86 GP, 48 G, 53 A, 101 P, +16, 154 HIT, 7 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 1st (S91), 4th (S94), 6th (S92)
Points - 6th (S94), 7th (S91), 7th (S93)
GW - 7th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S88
Alexander Beketov Trophy (VHL Leader in Assists) - S91
All-VHL Rookie Team - S88

100+ Point Seasons - S91, S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S93

70+ Assist Seasons - S91

60+ Assist Seasons - S91, S92, S93

 

Leonard Triller is someone I originally had as someone I thought would definitely get in, but have slowly realized it could honestly go either way.  The Canadian forward was selected 11th overall in Season 86 by London and has spent his entire career with the squad.  Triller has had a terrific career and looks likely to hit the 600 point plateau while still being a decently physical presence over the years.  Primarily a playmaker, Triller has finished in the Top-6 in Assists on three different occasions and has found himself Top-7 in Points three different times as well.  His peak is his stretch from Season 91 to the current season where he has been a 100+ point player twice (likely three times after the end of this season) and another where he hit 97 points.  Ultimately, while there are other players on this list who I think may not make it despite probably having more points, the fact that Triller will likely be a 600 point player in just 7 seasons is actually pretty impressive.  Additionally, and one of the biggest reasons I think he could find his way in would be his playoff success that has seen him be a double digit point producer in five of his six playoff runs (his only goose egg was a literal one in four games in S89).  His overall playoff production puts him in the Top-25 for All-Time playoff producers, which given we are in Season 94…that is really impressive.  The biggest issues for him will be his award cabinet (which could grow after this year but still no All-VHL Team finishes) and perhaps his statistical finishes, but there is something to say for elite consistency and as someone who has come up in a lot of clutch moments, I do think he could get in after sitting for a while on the ballot, but I am afraid I think he may be a bit of a victim of not really getting enough in the award cabinet to topple other names that will eventually find their way on it.  It's kind of crazy to say given how incredible his career has been, but he may be the very definition of Hall of Very Good.

 

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LW - Vincent Laroche-Gagnier (: S87-94) @vincentlg2007

RS: 559 GP, 267 G, 315 A, 582 P, +127, 843 HIT, 47 GW
PO: 74 GP, 24 G, 29 A, 53 P, +19, 117 HIT, 4 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 3rd (S90), 3rd (S93), 7th (S89)
Assists - 8th (S92)
Points - 4th (S90), 5th (S93), 8th (S92)
GW - 2nd (S89)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S87, S92
All-VHL Second Team - S90, S93

100+ Point Seasons - S90, S93

90+ Point Seasons - S90, S92, S93

50+ Goal Seasons - S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S89, S90, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S92, S93

 

Vincent Laroche-Gagnier in his last season but is still flirting with a point per game, which would give VLG his six consecutive seasons hitting that mark.  He has been in the top three in goals twice and top five in points twice, and still sits as a good goal scorer in this league, peaking at 55 goals last season and hitting the 40 goal mark three times and the 30 goal mark five times.  Being drafted 15th overall in Season 86, Laroche-Gagnier has been a great steal by the Wranglers. He would spend three seasons there before being traded to the DC Dragons, where the talented defender has played four seasons before being traded prior to Season 94 to the London United. He might have a chance to make the ballot for a little bit due to the two placements on the All-VHL Second Team, but VLG likely will carve a little spot on the shelf to being in the Hall of Very Good.

 

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C - Randy Bobandy (: S87-94) @AJW
RS: 559 GP, 199 G, 373 A, 572 P, +54, 891 HIT, 37 GW
PO: 56 GP, 10 G, 33 A, 43 P, -8, 73 HIT, 2 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 4th (S89), 8th (S94)
GW - 9th (S94)
Faceoff% - 1st (S93), 2nd (S92), 5th (S91), 7th (S89), 7th (S94), 8th (S90)

 

Accomplishments

All-VHL Rookie Team - S87

90+ Point Seasons - S89

80+ Point Seasons - S89, S90, S92

70+ Assist Seasons - S89

200+ Hits Seasons - S89

 

Randy Bobandy is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, after being traded to the Malmo Nighthawks prior Season 94.  This would be the third team for Bobandy after being drafted 4th overall in Season 87 by Seattle and later being traded to the Calgary Wranglers. He won’t probably make the Hall of Fame, despite being a very solid point producer for quite some time and also being one of the best faceoff men over the course of his career.  I think he definitely fits the Hall of Very Good spot for me, as despite the fact that he hasn’t won any individual hardware, he looked poised to hit the 80 point mark for the third time of his career and has also hit the 30 goal mark three different times during his career as well.  He also still has another season left that could see the center hit the 650 point plateau, so while I think he will not been inducted, his career still has some pretty legendary moments with some incredible play that will definitely be remembered by the fans of the teams he has played for.

 

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G - Ash Sparks (: S87-94) @DarkSpyro
RS: 380 GP, 226-115-35, .925 SV%, 2.43 GAA, 31 SO
PO: 14 GP, 3-6-5, .916 SV%, 2.97 GAA, 0 SO

 

Statistical Finishes

Wins - 1st (S92), 1st (S93), 1st (S94)
GAA - 1st (S93), 1st (S94), 2nd (S92), 5th (S89)
Save% - 2nd (S94), 3rd (S89), 5th (S92)
SO - 1st (S89), 1st (S94), 2nd (S93), 3rd (S92)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S92, S93
Greg Clegane Trophy (Lowest GAA) - S93

40+ Win Seasons - S92, S93

.930+ SV% Seasons - S89, S92, S94

Sub 2.30 GAA Seasons - S92, S94

 

Ash Sparks has truly been a very divisive player over the last few seasons, especially in regards to his status as one of the better goaltenders in the league.  Some aren’t ready to have that conversation and point to his playoff performances (which definitely have not been stellar) and his overall work ethic compared to some of the league’s elite workhorses.  With that being said, Malmo would not be a two-time Victory Cup winner without his elite play, and if things stay the same, we might be adding another one to his trophy case.  Ultimately, I think there is a decent argument that Sparks is the second best goalie out of the Summers era, with four top-3 finishes in shutouts, potentially three first place finishes in wins, four top-5 finishes in GAA and three top-5 finishes in Save Percentage.  He may very well be in the middle of the best season of his career after spending most of it with Malmo after being drafted by Seattle 6th overall in Season 86.  While he will not ever win an Aidan Shaw Trophy or anything like that, there is a very real chance he ends up being a two-time Greg Clegane Trophy Winner and there are many in Malmo that are hopeful he can add some playoff hardware to that in what is his last season.  I think he’s destined to stay Hall of Very Good, but with him just a few wins shy of the all-time record for Malmo, I do think a retired jersey is inevitable for the Canadian netminder.  

 

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G - Joel Castle (: S87-94) @animal74
RS: 488 GP, 244-197-44, .923 SV%, 2.61 GAA, 28 SO
PO: 48 GP, 27-20-1, .927 SV%, 2.49 GAA, 2 SO

 

Statistical Finishes

Wins - 2nd (S93), 3rd (S94), 4th (S91), 5th (S90)
GAA - 2nd (S90), 2nd (S91), 4th (S89), 4th (S94)
Save% - 1st (S91), 4th (S89), 4th (S90)
SO - 1st (S92), 4th (S87), 5th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S91
Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP) - S91
All-VHL Second Team - S91

40+ Win Seasons - S91, S93

.930+ SV% Seasons - S89, S91

Sub 2.30 GAA Seasons - S90, S91

 

Castle was drafted 13th overall in Season 86 by the Toronto Legion and has played all eight seasons with the club.  He has had an excellent career and spent almost six seasons as one of the better goaltenders in the league, including two seasons that saw the netminder finish with above a .930 save percentage.  He currently sits third all-time in Wins for Toronto while still being top-10 in both Save Percentage and GAA (among goalies with 100+ games).  He definitely isn’t going to be a Hall of Fame goalie but he’s very reminiscent of some great netminders in the past (Holik, Clarence, etc.) that fell just short in eras with legendary goalies running their generation.  He’s been a bit up-and-down as a playoff performer, albeit with no weak performances, but the Season 91 run carrying the Legion to the Continental Cup is the biggest mark on what is a great career.  The goalie finished with a 12-3-0 record with a 2.02 GAA and .939 Save Percentage, on route to the Legion winning the Continental Cup.  A legend in Legion fans’ heart and one that will be remembered in Toronto forever for sure.

 

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G: Fuukka Rask (: S87-94) @Jubis
RS: 461 GP, 214-187-42, .923 SV%, 2.76 GAA, 27 SO
PO: 60 GP, 34-22-4, .927 SV%, 2.57 GAA, 3 SO

 

Statistical Finishes

Wins - 4th (S92)
GAA - 3rd (S92), 5th (S93)
Save% - 1st (S92), 3rd (S93)
SO - 3rd (S91), 3rd (S92), 5th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S93
All-VHL Second Team - S92

.930+ SV% Seasons - S92

Sub 2.30 GAA Seasons - S92

 

Fuukka, along with pretty much every goalie that isn’t Lachlan Summers from this era, will probably find himself in the Hall of Very Good when his career is over.  With a really impressive .923 Save Percentage, including five consecutive seasons at that number or higher, Rask has really found himself a niche as being a reliable number one netminder in the league.  Even in Season 94, where Rask is splitting goalie duties, he is having easily the best year of his career, and frankly it’s a shame that I can’t include his statistical finishes this year, because he would find himself on there a couple more times.  His .938 SV% is only second in the league behind Lachlan Summers, but because I am only including players on the Save%/GAA lists if they have played in sixty percent of their teams games, I did not include them.  Nevertheless, Rask’s great achievement is his All-VHL Second Team finish, his Continental Cup win in Season 93 and of course his ridiculous performance in Season 91 with Helsinki.  While I don’t think he has the consistent elite results or the hardware required (Summers is definitely partially to blame), I do think his career has been impressive and one to remember for sure.

 

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D - Kronchy Kardashian (: S88-94) @Garsh
RS: 486 GP, 113 G, 287 A, 400 P, +45, 873 HIT, 988 SB
PO: 53 GP, 6 G, 26 A, 32 P, +0, 116 HIT, 130 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

DMan Points - 6th (S91), 9th (S92)
DMan Goals - 1st (S91)

 

Accomplishments

Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) - S91
All-VHL Second Team - S91
All-VHL Rookie Team - S88

70+ Point Seasons - S91

30+ Goal Seasons - S91

150+ SB Seasons - S88, S91, S93

 

Kronchy Kardashian has a pretty high peak but I do think his lack of consistently solid but not incredible production will keep him in the Hall of Very Good and not the Hall of Fame.  His main claim to fame is his Season 91 run with the Helsinki Titans that saw the American tiny defenseman record a ridiculous 31 goals and 76 points, which was good enough for Kardashian to lead in goals, win the Valiq Trophy (Best Offensive Defenseman) and be named to the All-VHL Second Team.  However, outside of that year, Kardashian has not broken into even the 20 goal territory and hasn’t ventured back into the 70 point level again.  His unimpressive playoff runs unfortunately don’t help his case either, as the 7th overall pick in Season 87 has only recorded 6 goals and 32 points in 53 playoff games.  Nevertheless, with Kardashian currently sitting right at a point-per-game and one season left, I do think he is poised to potentially finish above the 500 mark while likely hitting the 1000 Hits and Shot Blocks club.  Which for someone the size of Kardashian, and with the tough start he had to his VHL career, that is not too shabby at all.

 

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LW - Francesco Mancini (: S89-94) @GioSivo

RS: 414 GP, 171 G, 202 A, 373 P, +15, 444 HIT, 32 GW

PO: 27 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 P, -1, 25 HIT, 1 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 6th (S91)

Points - 8th (S91)

GW - 2nd (S94), 10th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Dustin Funk Trophy (Most Improved Player) - S91

100+ Point Seasons - S91

40+ Goal Seasons - S91

30+ Goal Seasons - S91, S92, S94

 

Mancini was the 8th overall pick in Season 88 for the New York Americans, and spent five years on the team prior to joining Chicago this past off-season.  I slot in Mancini as someone who will likely end up in the Hall of Very Good, as outside of his first two seasons in the league, he has been outstanding.  In his last four seasons, he currently sits at 141 goals and 315 points over that 288 game stretch, which is pretty dang impressive overall.  He is currently on pace for a career-high 103 points, so if he can keep that up and have another couple great seasons, he will definitely be a higher end candidate in the Hall of Very Good.  The biggest knocks on him right now, for me, are playoff success and lack of hardware.  While the Dustin Funk Trophy isn’t nothing, a Most Improved Player award doesn’t necessarily hold the weight of some of the others out there.  So that’s one major thing he needs to make the Hall of Fame one day, and very well is probably the biggest deciding factor between the two tiers.  His playoff performance hasn’t been too bad as most of his numbers there are influenced by his rookie Season 89 campaign and he had a pretty solid nine game run last season.  That being said, some playoff success as one of the teams leading contributors is what may vault him up to future induction status as well.  For now, I think he is a likely candidate to be in the Hall of Very Good, and there is nothing wrong with that at all.

 

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LW - Owen Lazaro (: S89-94) @traphag
RS: 414 GP, 170 G, 214 A, 384 P, +6, 1173 HIT, 24 GW
PO: 41 GP, 17 G, 25 A, 42 P, -1, 136 HIT, 2 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 5th (S93)
Hits - 6th (S93), 8th (S91)

 

Accomplishments

90+ Point Seasons - S93

50+ Goal Seasons - S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S91, S93, S94

200+ Hits Seasons - S90, S91, S92, S93

 

Owen Lazaro was drafted by Helsinki 9th overall in Season 88, and while it took him three seasons to hit the PPG mark, the Spanish winger has really started to breakout after a 50 goal and 99 point campaign last season.  The big well-rounded forward currently is on pace for 39 goals and 99 points this season, and with two more years left, has some time left to continue his elite play.  While I am still not at the point of saying that Lazaro is on track to becoming a Hall of Fame player, I don’t think it’s impossible to see him continue to dominate and make it, but there is still a lot of work left to do for Lazaro.  There is still an outside chance that Owen will hit the 600 point mark and he should end up north of 1500 hits as well, so if he is able to add a couple pieces of hardware to his resume, he has a chance to make it still.

 

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D - David Jokinen (: S87-94) @Ahma
RS: 559 GP, 99 G, 289 A, 388 P, 602 HIT, 1320 SB
PO: 63 GP, 13 G, 26 A, 39 P, +5, 43 HIT, 143 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 2nd (S93)
DMan Points - 1st (S93), 8th (S92)
DMan Goals - 3rd (S93), 5th (S92), 9th (S94)
SB - 2nd (S93), 3rd (S92), 4th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S89
Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S90, S91
All-VHL Second Team - S93

100+ Point Seasons - S93

20+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93

70+ Assist Seasons - S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S92

200+ SB Seasons - S92, S93

150+ SB Seasons - S87, S90, S92, S93, S94

 

This defender that is part of the famous Ahma Agency that has only picks Finnish players and allows them to only play for Davos, manages to make this list mainly due to last season.  The 10th overall pick scored 25 goals and finished with 103 points to go along with 251 blocked shots, being named to the All-VHL Second Team and being a finalist on multiple VHL Awards. He has had a consistently good career, but has really peeked from Season 91 on that saw him record 56 points to now being a 100+ point defender, which does vault him to HOVG status. He hasn’t quite had the start he had last year offensively, but he still managing to be pace for his second best offensive season, while also being physical and one of the best shotblockers the VHL has.  

 

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HALL OF GOOD

 

 

D - Moritz Stauffer (: S88-94) @GoodLeftUndone

RS: 488 GP, 73 G, 292 A, 365 P, +102, 702 HIT, 876 SB
PO: 40 GP, 3 G, 20 A, 23 P, -16, 41 HIT, 84 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

DMan Points - 7th (S94)
DMan Goals - 8th (S91)
SB - 10th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S90
Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S88

60+ Point Seasons - S92, S94

50+ Point Seasons - S90, S91, S92, S93, S94

50+ Assist Seasons - S92, S94

150+ SB Seasons - S92

Moritz Stauffer is a teammate with the very-defensive Jens Lekman, and while there are a lot of similarities in their games, I do think Stauffer has really started to develop a consistent offensive touch to his game while still maintaining his physical and defensive reputation. The 6th overall pick in Season 88 was drafted by Malmo before being traded to Prague, where he would spend the majority of his career playing.  Right before the Season 93 off-season, Stauffer was moved to Calgary in a deal to help bolster a top notch defensive group that the Wranglers already possessed.  The German defender has hit 55 points in five of his seven seasons so far, and looks poised to hit the 1000-1000 club with still two seasons left in the league after this one.  Stauffer has combined good skating and puck handling with a good shot and strong defensive play, being seen as more of an all-around utility defender rather than one that stands out in any specific way.  All in all, I do think he will find himself in the Hall of Consistently Good, because I am not sure he will be able to have that elite 90-100 point season that would probably be needed to be considered any higher, but he has been the definition of being consistently good.  There is an outside chance that Stauffer can hit the 500 point mark, and if he does that, maybe I can reevaluate where I slot him.

 

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D - Jens Lekman (: S87-94) @Bobcat
RS: 560 GP, 73 G, 300 A, 373 P, +169, 1083 HIT, 1029 SB
PO: 51 GP, 5 G, 18 A, 23 P, -11, 102 HIT, 93 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

DMan Points - 10th (S94)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S87

60+ Point Seasons - S91

50+ Point Seasons - S90, S91, S92, S94

50+ Assist Seasons - S91

200+ Hits Seasons - S91

 

Jens Lekman is on track to have the best offensive season of his career, all while still being the physical shutdown defender we have known for years.  Drafted 17th overall in Season 86 by the Vancouver Wolves, he would eventually find himself on the LA Stars for four seasons before ending up back in Vancouver, before being traded to Calgary so that he could finish his career with the Wranglers.  Currently sitting with 373 points but already being a member of the 1000-1000 club, Lekman has shown to be a reliable defensive presence for the majority of his career.  Lekman probably classifies more into the Hall of Consistently Good category as he has been a steady physical and defensive presence while hitting the 50+ point plateau four times.  He’s landed some nasty big hits over the years and played tremendously in front of his goalie for all eight seasons in his career, so while he may not be remembered for ridiculous offensive accomplishments, he has had a lasting impact on every team he has played for.

 

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LW - Sadie St-Louis (: S87-94) @sadie
RS: 557 GP, 234 G, 268 A, 502 P, +105, 1061 HIT, 40 GW
PO: 53 GP, 22 G, 23 A, 45 P, -13, 77 HIT, 5 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 10th (S90)
GW - 4th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S93
All-VHL Rookie Team - S87

80+ Point Seasons - S90

70+ Point Seasons - S89, S90

40+ Goal Seasons - S90

30+ Goal Seasons - S89, S90, S92, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S94

 

While I don’t think Sadie St-Louis is ever going to find herself on the ballot for the VHL Hall of Fame, I do think she has had herself a great career and one that will definitely be remembered by the fans of each team she has played for.  The 4th overall pick in Season 86 by the Riga Reign, St-Louis has showcased a well-rounded game, being a great defensive player and fairly physical, while showing off a good-enough scoring touch that the Canadian winger showed when she had four 30+ goal seasons during her VHL career.  Congratulations are in order for her as well with her reaching the 500 point marker this season and the 1000 hits total as well.  Ultimately, St-Louis never really hit that elite consistency needed to make the HOF, but I do think she will be a very good addition to the Hall of Consistently Good.

 

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D - Reese McFleury (: S89-94) @Spaz
RS: 415 GP, 80 G, 257 A, 337 P, +92, 359 HIT, 742 SB
PO: 14 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 P, -9, 9 HIT, 23 SB

 

Statistical Finishes

Assists - 8th (S92)
DMan Points - 5th (S92)
DMan Goals - 9th (S92)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S92, S93
All-VHL Rookie Team - S89

70+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

50+ Point Seasons - S91, S92, S93, S94

50+ Assist Seasons - S92, S93

150+ SB Seasons - S89

 

Reese McFleury is in the midst of a third straight season that sees the American defender at the point per game mark, while being a very important part of a Malmo defense that has been part of two straight Victory Cup winning teams.  He has finished once in the top-10 in assists and has been a very good shot block artist as a lockdown defender for quite some time.  With still one more season left after this one, there is a chance that Reese McFleury could hit the 450 point game mark while also being a solid defender for the majority of his career.  What would really boost his reputation all-time would be contributing in a major way to some playoff success, which Malmo has had none of for the last little while (as you can see by his 6 points in 14 games).  The Nighthawks are top notch once again and have added some real veteran talent to their squad this year, so perhaps this will be the year for Sweden’s team. He truly does fall into the Hall of Consistently Good category when it comes to this list, but the Nighthawks have to like having a career player like him after taking McFleury 8th overall in the Season 87 Draft. 

 

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RW - Yaroslav Trunov (: S87-94) @qripll
RS: 559 GP, 227 G, 233 A, 460 P, +37, 1210 HIT, 42 GW
PO: 21 GP, 8 G, 4 A, 12 P, +1, 35 HIT, 3 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Goals - 5th (S92)
Points - 9th (S92)
GW - 4th (S94), 6th (S91)

 

Accomplishments

90+ Point Seasons - S92

80+ Point Seasons - S92, S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S91, S92, S93

200+ Hits Seasons - S92, S93

 

Yaroslav Trunov will join a couple aforementioned players in the Hall of Consistently Good category.  Trunov has been a bit unfortunate by his statistics taking a big hit from his first two seasons in the VHL, that saw the Russian record 29 goals and 62 points in 144 games.  Even after having a solid Season 89 for Malmo, Trunov dropped down from 62 points to 39.  Once Season 91 happened though, Trunov became a whole different player in what was a coming age moment for him.  Recording over a point-per-game over the next three seasons, Yaroslav would explore for 2 40+ goal seasons and a 30 goal season while hitting as high as 94 points.  Additionally, he became one of the more physical forwards in the league and expanded his game from being the one-dimensional winger that the league saw over the first couple of seasons.  Perhaps most importantly for Trunov, is that he has been known as a clutch player for quite some time, with 45 game winning goals in his career, including three big ones in the playoffs.  While he won’t reach the Hall of Fame, I do think he has had a really solid career that saw him top out as an elite scorer that was one of the more physical wingers in the entire league.  

 

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LW/D - Left Alone (: S87-94) @okochastar
RS: 558 GP, 189 G, 295 A, 484 P, +12, 203 HIT (S94 as D)
PO: 36 GP, 7 G, 17 A, 24 P, +1, 7 HIT, 1 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

Points - 9th (S92)

 

Accomplishments

Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - S89

90+ Point Seasons - S91, S92

30+ Goal Seasons - S91, S92, S93

50+ Assist Seasons - S91, S92

 

Left Alone was a player that did barely make this list and definitely falls under the Hall of Good column, but given that he is in his last season, it was worth celebrating the winger turned defenseman’s eight season career.  The big 6”6 Czech was drafted by Seattle 8th overall in the Season 86 draft, but was traded early to Moscow, where he would spend most of his career, including his entire prime.  He is currently having a solid season in his one and only year as a defender, but it will be his Season 90-93 run that he will truly be remembered by. Alone tallied 135 goals and 320 points over those 288 games, and while he was not a very physical presence, he still remained very disciplined over the course of his career, staying on the ice and being someone that the team could truly rely on.  While he will never be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, Left Alone has garnered a great reputation and has been a great member of every team he has played for.

 

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RW - Lucas Grey (: S88-94) @emidas
RS: 488 GP, 191 G, 233 A, 424 P, +9, 697 HIT, 29 GW
PO: 42 GP, 16 G, 25 A, 41 P, +12, 67 HIT, 4 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

GW - 4th (S93)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S92

80+ Point Seasons - S93

70+ Point Seasons - S90, S91, S92, S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S90, S91, S92, S93

 

Another Hall of Good candidate, Lucas Grey has carved out a successful VHL career with 191 goals and 424 points over 488 games.  He has also been a near point per game player in the VHL, elevating his game when he needs to the most. He honestly fits the definition of someone who has been consistently good.  After a tough first two seasons that saw the American forward only tally 60 points in 144 games, he has been a 70+ point player in what will likely be five straight seasons to end his career.  He will likely also hit the 30 goal plateau for the fifth season of his career, as scoring is what the veteran winger is most known for.  What might be the most remarkable thing about Grey’s career, is that he has had all this success after being drafted 55th overall in Season 86. A monumental steal for the DC Dragons who were then rewarded with unbridled loyalty by the big man who has played all seven seasons of his career with the squad.

 

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RW - Oreo McFleury (: S88-94) @JB123

RS: 487 GP, 184 G, 231 A, 415 P, +84, 300 HIT, 36 GW

PO: 68 GP, 22 G, 33 A, 55 P, +6, 20 HIT, 8 GW

 

Statistical Finishes

GW - 2nd (S90)

 

Accomplishments

Continental Cup (League Champion) - S93

90+ Point Seasons - S93

40+ Goal Seasons - S93

30+ Goal Seasons - S92, S93

50+ Assist Seasons - S93

 

Oreo McFleury is another player that will find in the Hall of Consistently good category, with potentially hitting the 60 point mark for the fourth (practically fifth with 59 points in Season 89).  McFleury saw his peak last season, where he would hit the 40 point and 90 point plateaus for the first and potentially only time of their career. I say potentially cause you never know what can happen with one season left, but the 5th overall pick in the Season 87 has still had a good enough career that he could hit the 500 point mark, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at, and represents a consistently good VHL player over eight seasons. His true shining achievement is probably his 7 goals and 20 points in 19 playoff games during Seattle’s Season 93 run.  Finishing with 3 game winning goals, McFleury really stepped up and helped will his team to another Continental Cup win for the franchise.

 

 

*** With everything including all statistics, accomplishments and writeups -> 10,735 Words ***

 

Claiming Week 1 of 4

 

[Advantage 2,899]

As a FYI, I added the extra accomplishments (ie: 40+ Wins, 90+ Points, etc) at the end just because I felt bad for some of the guys towards the bottom who didn’t have much to show in pure awards.  Felt like, especially since some of them were about shining some light on them, I wanted to include something in their accomplishments that gave people a picture of their career.  
 

I was a bit more loosy goosy in terms of including things like 30+ goal seasons for them but was a bit stricter with HOF/HOVG talent but there are some inconsistencies with my method there, since it was last minute.  
 

I will make these changes for next time and already have some ideas for next seasons edition of this. 

[qripll 519]

Nice article! But I'd replace Yaroslav Trunov with his brother - Bogdan. He was a first gen player, a captain of Warsaw predators and raised the second cup in the history of franchise. Anyway, Yaroslav has time to build his legacy 

UPD: nvm I just saw its S86-88 draftees, so Bogdan can't be in the list for sure 

Edited June 29 by qripll

[Ahma 1,444]

Not enough Davos players represented here  we gotta step it up!

 

And I appreciate the shout, but I doubt if I'm worthy enough for here. 

What an article though! VHL needs more Forum Content like this! @frescoelmo

[Victor 11,021]

Strongly agree on the top 3 but doubt Dixon and Kerr make the ballot (not enough outside 1-2 seasons). The Frenchman I can see struggling on the ballot for a while like Nico Pearce which given he's literally #3 on here shows how competitive the HOF spots are.

 

Good work profiling the good but not great though.

[OrbitingDeath 3,229]

Fingers crossed for frenchie

[sadie 941]

criminal that you only get 4 weeks of claiming for this- great article! i wonder what could have been with st-louis if i hadn’t basically gone inactive for a couple seasons in the middle of her career

[VattghernCZ 1,054]

Kerr will definitely end up in the Hall of Unlucky, unless London gets the Cup this season

[Subject056 1,246]

What an article! Great work putting this together. I agree with Sadie, I wish you could get more than 4 weeks of claim for it. We'll done! I'm hoping Slater bounces back and can get into the HOF! 

[Triller 1,688]

To even be mentioned was pretty cool!  This is my HoF article that will never be written! Lol I appreciate the shout out and though Leonard is no HoFer, it has been a very fun first gen ride!

[Advantage 2,899]

4 hours ago, Victor said:

Strongly agree on the top 3 but doubt Dixon and Kerr make the ballot (not enough outside 1-2 seasons). The Frenchman I can see struggling on the ballot for a while like Nico Pearce which given he's literally #3 on here shows how competitive the HOF spots are.

 

Good work profiling the good but not great though.

Yeah I kinda agree with you after going over it at the end but felt a little bad.  Had Kerr, Dixon and Triller all in HOVG at one point. Almost felt I should have had a different category for those three.  Stuff I may workshop. 

[Advantage 2,899]

1 hour ago, sadie said:

criminal that you only get 4 weeks of claiming for this- great article! i wonder what could have been with st-louis if i hadn’t basically gone inactive for a couple seasons in the middle of her career

I debated releasing it in two parts but with 4 weeks from now making some of this very outdated, I thought better to just release it all. 

[OrbitingDeath 3,229]

If it were up to me i would give you the 4 extra weeks aswell to claim, this was great.

[Banackock 8,140]

Thanks for writing this kind of article @Advantage always lots of good content, but I really appreciate when these kinds come out. 

[kirbithan 1,765]

what an incredible and in-depth article! only four weeks of claim is definitely not enough.  it’s also such an honor to be atop the list of potential HOFers when there’s so many legendary names here. thank you so much for the amazing read @Advantage! 

[frescoelmo 1,282]

8 hours ago, Ahma said:

Not enough Davos players represented here  we gotta step it up!

 

And I appreciate the shout, but I doubt if I'm worthy enough for here. 

What an article though! VHL needs more Forum Content like this! @frescoelmo

 

I wrote a fan590 and @twists got upset

[GioSivo 167]

lets not talk about playoff success

[tcookie 927]

This is awesome @Advantage! 

[rory 1,943]

Midrome lol 

[Advantage 2,899]

Week 2/4

[Advantage 2,899]

Week 3/4

[Advantage 2,899]

Week 4/4

[Alex 3,248]

On 6/29/2024 at 2:34 AM, Advantage said:

Assuming that Skor McFleury manages to hit the 700 point plateau (only needs 89 points in 89 games) he would join only Japinder Singh (inducted in HOF in S28) as VHL defensemen to record 700 points, 1000 hits and 1000 blocked shots.

1 more point 

[BOOM 8,817]

I was bitterly disappointed to open this media, after seeing the heading....