I want to thank all the contestants for their patience throughout this process. I have yet to decided the best way to pick a winner and am open to suggestions from the readers. Should have one selected by the end of this week though.
With that said, here is the final submission. It comes from the same writer that contributed on week 1, Day 5 and it covers the subject of Daniel Alfredsson's case for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Enjoy!
Is Daniel Alfredsson a Hall of Famer?
This was a dangerous topic to choose. It’s bound to be polarizing, but it will no doubt generate a ton of debate in the comments section. When I first started thinking about this topic, my first reaction as a die-hard Sens fan was “Obviously! I mean…he’s Aflie! He should be in there already!” *high fives everyone he sees*. However, I figured that this was a little premature. Let me state my case.
Alfredsson was drafted in the 6th round, 133rd overall in the 1994 NHL Entry draft. His name was called by the Senators brass long after Radek Bonk (3rd overall), Stan Neckar (29th overall), and Bryan Masotta (who?). He has scored more points in his career than any other player drafted in the 1994 draft. 1000+ games played. 1000+ points scored. All by a little Swede who never thought he was going to play in the NHL.
Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a difficult thing to predict. Much of it is based on career statistics, as well as individual awards, character, leadership abilities and number of Stanley Cups won. Induction is also based on what that player meant individually to the team they played for and where they stand in the history of that franchise.
So let’s break it down.
Alfredsson’s career statistics are impressive. In the NHL’s 93 year history only 78 players have broken the 1000 point barrier. Alfie is one of them. He is 11 goals shy of 400 and currently sits at 634 assists for an impressive grand total of 1023 points and counting. He holds the majority of Ottawa Senators records in most offensive stat categories including goals, assist and points.
Alfredsson’s first year as a Senator was a total revelation. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie team and went on to win the 1996 Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best rookie, finishing with 26 goals and 35 assists, for a total of 61 points making him the only modern era Senator to earn a major award. The legend was born.
From that point on, Alfie’s career took off. With a quiet and unassuming personality off the ice, Alfredsson became a guiding light for a team building towards greatness. In the 1999-2000 season he was named captain during Alexi Yashin’s contract holdout. Since that season, no other player has worn the ‘C’ in Ottawa. He is the longest tenured captain currently playing in the league and is the longest serving European captain in the history of the NHL.
In the 2005-2006 season, Alfie was a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He was also a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player on two separate occasions, the first in 2003-2004 (finishing second in voting) as well as in 2005-2006 (finishing fourth). On top of all this, he has been named to the All-Star team a total of 6 times (not including this upcoming season, where he will most definitely be named to the team when the game is held in Ottawa). The Hall of Fame also takes international play into consideration. Alfredsson is a 4 time Olympian, winning a Gold Medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics playing for Sweden. He has competed 6 times in the World Championships and twice in the World Cup of Hockey.
His leadership abilities are comparable to those of Steve Yzerman. Alfie leads by example. On and off the ice he is the prototype for all players around him to aspire to. He possesses an intimidating competitiveness that forces players around him to be better. And let’s not forget, the guy is tough as nails. He battles through injuries like they didn’t even happen. I mean, the guy had surgery on his knee and he ONLY MISSED ONE GAME! Alfie is just one of those guys who truly hates to lose. You can see it in his eyes and almost feel it come over you while watching him in post-game scrums, or when addressing the media after a long season in which expectations were not met.
You could sense the disappointment and heartbreak in his voice when hearing him speak of the loss at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. It didn’t matter to him that he and his line mates lead the league in Playoff scoring, or that he was the first European Captain to lead his team to an NHL Final. He just wanted to win. He wanted it for himself, for his teammates, for the city of Ottawa, and the fans who were so desperately yearning for it.
Some may say that Alfie is a borderline Hall of Famer. Some players have been ushered into The Hall with similar career statistics and some have been turned away. Other will say he doesn’t have enough hardware. No Stanley Cups, too few awards in his trophy case. But is this really the measuring stick for greatness? (see the Chris Osgood debate – 4 cups, average player).
What puts Alfredsson over the top is his place in Senators History. He is hands down the single most important player in the history of the franchise and that cannot be ignored. Alfie is to the Sens as Bobby Orr is to the Bruins, or Rocket Richard is to the Canadiens. He is our first true hero. He is the definition of Ottawa Senators hockey, and for that he should be considered our first modern era Hall of Famer.
When he retires in a few short years, a new Captain will be crowned in Ottawa. He will have the seemingly impossible expectations thrust upon him that Alfie effortlessly exceeded day in and day out. The comparisons will be endless, but this new captain should have only one mindset. Do it like Alfie and I’ll be OK.
Daniel Alfredsson has indeed set the bar quite high. Let’s face it, it could be quite a long time before another Senators captain is able to raise it a few notches higher. Alfredsson is a role model throughout the league. He truly embodies what it means to be an Ottawa Senator, but most importantly, he is OUR captain. Number 11 is the first true legend to emerge from our franchise, and for this reason, I feel that an induction into the Hall of Fame is both deserved and justified.
Maybe my attention span is far too short, but anything longer than a couple of paragraphs starts to lose me unless I'm super interested in the topic.
The first entry wins for me, but I can't say that it was because of the writing, I think it was because of the topic. So that is a bit unfair to the final two authors. I think all of them were written extremely well and would have no problem with any selection.
You just said you're not 'super interested' in Daniel Alfredsson. Shame on you.
Nah, more like... what haven't I read about Alfy.
Keeping up with Alfredsson's stats is how you put a Leaf fan in his place. Their beloved Sundin can't hold a candle next to Alfredsson.
My article would have been this: Look at the HHOF inductees lately, Alfy is a HHOFer without question.
I'm kind of offended that anyone here would think that I'm not an Alfredsson fan or even suggest that.
I didn't mind the length of the article, but strictly speaking I did feel it doted a bit much on the 'love' for Alfie by the author and us other fans instead of sticking more to presenting an unbiased case for why Alfie should be in the hall one day based on his hockey merits and vs stats / accomplishments for other who have made or not made the HHOF.
Still though a great piece and a fun read. Hands down my favorite of the three finalists.
Alfie for the Hall of Fame!
King in the North!
Also: "Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a difficult thing to predict. Much of it is based on career statistics, as well as individual awards, character, leadership abilities and number of Stanley Cups won. Induction is also based on what that player meant individually to the team they played for and where they stand in the history of that franchise." I kind of know this, but some explanation or a few examples would have gotten me to nod my head in agreement.
Held my attention with opinion based on facts.
The others were good as well and all deserve to win but, overall, I just enjoyed this one more.
Great job by all the participants!
after Alfies retirement this will undoubtedly spark many debates, but only a Sens fan can truly appreciate what Alfie has done for the Ottawa Senators. Many years he has single handedly taken this team on his back, but again only Sens fans truly understand this. Outside of Ottawa, I can assure you that they will argue "NO CUPS = NO HALL" but on many nights he alone could bring 19,000 paying fans out to watch the Sens, and have them standing and chanting "Alfie Alfie..."
couple of things that really stick out
Taking down Mother Tucker, and scoring the OT goal against TO
or the OT goal against Buffalo
or somethng as simple as being at SCB Place vs Leafs shootout Alfie with the chance to win it, the Leaf fans booing so loud you can't hear anything else, and in typical Alfie fashion zings top corner to win it and shut them all up
"Praise Alfie"
IMO the best so far
Yeah, I find that weird....
You might be an 'Alfy' fan, but I'm an ALFIE fan. Big difference! : )
AVATARS!
I guess that means that Sundin will not make it to the hall then will he? If anyone argues the "NO CUPS = NO HALL" (which is likely to come from laff fans), we can just throw it right back in their face with Sundin.
----2nd-----------1st--------------------------------------------------------------------------3rd
Alfie!
Sens win cup, Alfie in the Hall!!!
Who makes the decision on HHOF inductees? Do I sens a Sens Chirp road trip to his hometown for a cup of tea?
I'd much prefer the 1st article over this one as well!
Still not sure this lands Alfie in the Hall but it certainly presents a great case when you factor in the importance he's had to Ottawa and that he has more points than anyone in his draft year.
great job!
Oh and for the record, I still have faith that King Alfie will win a cup in his career!
we're outcasts for criticizing this article?
who was the author of this article? did he create 40 accounts to thumbs down any criticism?
Ya, I think I missed where it says a good stats article is one that only lists the stats that supports the reader's opinion? No counter points? This will win on topic, not quality.
I also liked his 1st article about sens fans. that one made me think.
It grabbed my attention from the get go and maintained it throughout.
Very well written.
It was day 2 and 4 from Week 1 but this one takes the cake for round 2 and if I lump them all in together, I think this one met all my expectations the most out of all of them.
Just wanted to give a shout-out to all the authors and of course the finalists. Some very well written articles and thank you for putting in both the time and effort. It has been entertaining
Anyone can go and stare at a stats table on wikipedia. That has nothing to do with the quality of the article. People are looking for in depth analysis, and opinions based on stats. That seems to be the consensus anyways, and I think the writer did just that. You guys don't have to agree article, but your arguments seem pretty weak, that's the reason IMO for no counterpoints. Since so many people like it, why are you surprised you are getting thumbs down when you disagree?
PS. JABS didn't you write one of the previous articles?
Counter points still have to be included to draw any significance. Writing an article saying Alfie should be in the Hall of Fame will be popular no matter how it's written, as this has shown.
Yes I wrote an article, but I am still a reader. I didn't realize that excluded me from having a preference between the other two finalists.
If the readers just want someone who will make them feel good about their own opinion while disregarding anything to the contrary, that's cool, it's just not for me.
I don't feel the writer is doing that at all. Could it not be his/her opinion? I feel like a few counterpoints are included in the article, but people also have to realize that you are going to have bias in an opinion piece (something that people said they wanted). Your article doesn't exclude you from commenting, but you, like this pieces writer, will also have bias.
IMO the point of the blog is to intrigue people with facts and opinion, I and others feel this article did that the best, that's all. Make people want to keep reading.
Down to earth opinion, didn't feel like the writer was in fantasy land & I agree with everything the writer wrote.
Had a feeling that would be your argument, bias. Such a cop out. I want to lose this contest to a great article not a great topic that wasn't covered properly. You can't back up an opinion without covering the main counterpoints. That's all there is to it. You guys can put negatives all u want, but I still prefer the first article and felt this one missed a great opportunity for such a strong topic.
The article didn't disappoint, it was a good read.
However, I disagree with the writer - I love the Sens and Alfie but I don't think he will get into the NHL Hall of Fame for the lone reason he has a 0 beside Stanely Cups won. You compared him to Stevie Y which, although I like to think of Alfie like this, he was never able to lead his team to the ultimate goal of NHL franchise, winning the Stanely Cup. With that being said I do think Alfie deserves to be in the discussion for his leadership and loyalty he has given this city and franchise and no doubt his number will be retired and he will be given a position in the front office after he retires.
Alfie is a warrior.
Bias exists and therefore isn't really a cop out at all. If what you are looking for is realism and counterpoints, then article 1 is the most biased and fantasy based article in the bunch.
All that article said was that every single one of our prospects will make it to the NHL, we won't ever need to sign a free agent, and that everything will be great and amazing. No realistic proof, no arguments or stats to show why players will be good.
THAT is why this article is the best. IF you lose, it will be because people preferred this article. Whether you think yours is better or not, would be irrelevant. Give the people what they want. This article held peoples interest more than the others, and this is why it should be the winner.
Couldn't agree more, article 3 > 2 > 1 although as JABS pointed out it would have been hard to mess up an article about whether Alfie should be in the HoF on a Senators blog.
You're missing the point, this topic was great for a statistical comparison, as was attempted, the 1st article was not. I'm judging based on their content and what they were going for individually.
My comments have 0 to do with my article or how I feel my article compares to the other 2, hence removing my bias. If I was not in the running I'd just be comparing articles that I did not write and say which one I prefer, which is what I have done above. For someone to take this topic and write an incomplete, imo, piece is not something I'd prefer over a writer's opinion based article on where we'd be in a few years. I'm allowed my opinion on this article as much as you are, as we are both readers 1st and foremost.
I agree, It would be interesting to hear an article written by a reasonable Leaf fan or someone who doesn't like Alfie, and see their points on why he shouldn't be included.
Because it does seem that outside of Ottawa fans, there isn't much support for Alfie in the Hall...
I agree to your point that this will win because it's a feel good story, and if he had pointed out many more counter arguments, a lot of people wouldn't have liked the article.
I get your point, and I'm expressing my opinion. I enjoyed your article very much. I would argue that all of the articles are incomplete because they didn't touch all bases. Johne is arguing the article is too long, and you are arguing it's incomplete. Considering everything he wrote about is relevant, that puts the writer in a tough spot. He obviously can't please everybody, but it appears he pleased many. I hope this is what Chrip is looking for.
You can do what you want to do, but I find it inappropriate to comment on articles if you're still in the running. Whether you say you have bias or not, it's still there. Figure skaters don't judge their own performances; others do it for them for a reason. You can't help bias.
I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 of the finalists, I just agree with the consensus that this one takes it.
Once again, IMHO.
I thought the writing was good but the author was guilty of pandering to Sens fans rather than making a compelling argument based on other players who are either in or out of the Hall. Many of the comments here make me suspect that, as long as the conclusion was that Alfie belongs in the Hall of Fame, Sben could have written one of his no punctuation pieces and received massive support.
So I'm judging the 2 articles I didn't write differently now then if I hadn't written the 3rd? That would be bias and is not at all the case. And because I'm in the running I have no right to say which of the other 2 I like? Wow, enjoy.
Exactly!
Poor, poor Leaf fans.
Figure skaters don't judge their own competitions but have every right to compare the other skaters within their competitions to each other, and not themselves, without it becoming bias. Impartial judges are needed because in the end they would have to compare those performances to their own and their bias would come into play.
Please look up what bias means. Bias would be me saying my article is best or even comparing my article to these 2, which I have not done.
A better peice would have been layed out like this: expose of alfie's career, historical HOF comparisons, and comparison to other cant miss HOF candidates of the same generation. This was merely a fan boy post with no substance.
Ij vote for the first article
Then there is a guy like Steve Larmer who has won a cup (94) and is also waiting for the call.
Yes. This.
I think it's a toss-up between Round 2: Articles 2 & 3.
Article #2 wasn't able to really stay on-topic of Binghamton
Article #3 didn't make the simple comparison to other players with over 1000pts and not in the HHOF. Also - the Alfie love-in was nice, but not as objective as I like.
Good luck Chirp, you've got a tough decision on this one. You probably can't go wrong with either one of them though.
Bernie Federko (1130 pts in 1000 games) would be a better comparison to Daniel Alfredsson. Neither player won any hardware and although Federko had a slightly better PPG it was done in a higher scoring era. If you believe that Federko belongs in the Hall it would follow that Alfredsson does too. If you believe, as I do, that Federko should not be in the Hall then neither should Alfie.
Although if I had to choose from the ones in round 2, I would have to go with the 1st one simply because it was the most fun to read.
No one is going to be completely happy with any article, but an overwhelming number of people think this article is the best of the 3 we have seen. When asked to give opinion about an article, some go on their high-horse and critique things that aren't really necessary. If Chrip wrote this piece, people would not single out what they thought he omitted, it's happened rarely in the past. People have to realize that all bases aren't going to be covered all the time, it's impossible. An opinion was given, take it for what it's worth, make discussion. That's the point - to make discussion in the comment section.
You couldn't be more wrong. This writer is going to be an assignment writer, not a regular contributor. a fill-in if you will.
i would have loved a little more devil's advocate in the article even if the end conclusion was the same, in fact, id argue recognizing the counter arguments and addressing them would have have made this piece a lot stronger and the clear winner.
I likes Jabs' article the best, and vote for him, bonus points because he is really active on the comment boards without ever getting too personal.
My vote is for Jabs; I don't want to be a part of a senschirp readership that all "drinks the kool-aid" and i think jabs is better at addressing controversial points. that said based on quality of the writing, this one is definitely the runner up.
I am not talking about the frequency Johne, I am talking about the content.
You mean the usual blogger with opinion stories?
That's exactly what I mean when I was referring to 'content' and not frequency.
Anyways good luck to all 3 finalists! All very enjoyable!
When Yost was going to join the site, there was going to be two writers, a section for Chirp and a section for Yost.
Thats what I mean.
Chirp will write 90+% of the content on this site from what I understand. And this contest was to find a writer who could write whatever Chirp wants the writer to write when Chirp is out of town or too busy.
I hate speaking for Chirp, so I hope he chimes in soon.
I'm not arguing for my article at all! I'm only comparing articles 1 & 3.
Ya, I agree. And now there are going to be 2 writers and 1 section, with the 'guest writer' being more infrequent than Yost. You don't have to speak for Chrip, because we know what he said in past blogs. Doesn't mean he can't have a similar writing style. Give the commenters what they want.
For the second time Johne, I was referring to content and not frequency.
Regardless, you shouldn't be commenting. You have a vested interest in the outcome, so you should take yourself our of the conversation. Its not your place if you are still in the running.
I can't wait for real news again.
As I said I'm a reader 1st, and a very active member of this community. If I'm not allowed to share my opinion on who else I would like to read on this website out of the other contenders, not quite sure why I'd be here at all.
im pretty sure you're entitled to having an opinion, maybe if you were some olympic judge judging this contest then we might need to exclude you from an opinion...
today is ridiculous.
This article felt like a high school kid writing a piece about his favourite hockey player.
Haha, thanks Johne, not sure what universe I woke up in this morning.
The first round was much better and yes, I agree about todays article. I didn't feel like I learned anything at all, maybe its a great article if I had never heard of Alfredsson before. Not sure why the 2nd round went south like it has, but this contest has overstayed its welcome.
Healthy debate RUSH, healthy debate! lol
-People that wrote the article are free to defend their piece in the comment section. I have no idea why they wouldn't be..?
-The winner will be a part-time contributor that will submit articles off and on, ideally when I ask them to.
-I see absolutely no problem with drinking beers and watching/writin g about hockey. Sorry Kovalev.
-Daniel Alfredsson is a Hall of Famer
No one is being verbally attacked, and it's not really an argument. Just people voicing how they feel. Nothing wrong with that.
We're all passionate about this site and where it's going forward. I respect the opinions others have shared even when I disagree. Healthy debate! :)
All of you have valid points and are entitled to your opinions, not every one likes the same movies all the time but if you enjoyed it, there is no way someone can convince you to un-enjoy it and vice versa
good points but lets not get into an argument and try to force our opinions on others
p.s. I know un-enjoy is not a word but do not want to get into an argument over it HAHA
Speaking of which, how did these three finalists do in meeting their 'deadlines'? From the way this one was introduced it sounded as though it may have been late coming.
Uh ohhhhhh haha. Nah I was flexible with deadline in Round 2 because I really didn't tell people there was going to be a Round 2.
If there was only one more slot left for the HHOF and it was Alfy vs Kovalev, who gets in?
ALFIE********** ***********
JABS - you did write a great piece, and have a right to your opinion on the others, but it does come across that you are bothered by the fact that some appreciated this article over the others. IMO
Good luck to you JABS it sounds like you really want this
so keep going for it, and to all of the writers, I enjoyed them and well done! Makes August easier
All I asked for was something Binghamton Senators related. Thought he did a nice job with the topic.
AMEN!
1st Russian born player drafted in the 1st round.
Stanley Cup winner
One of the 1st Russian born players to have his name on the cup.
1000 nhl games played
1000 points in the nhl
I think he's got more of a resume than Alfy.
Alfy only has the Calder and 1000 pts and games played.
Not sure that leadership or character should go any further than a number hanging from the rafters.
I think Alfredsson is without a doubt a HHOF, but if it was down to Alfy vs Kovy, Kovy should get the nod.
not sure if it about the learning, but more about the inevitable debate as to whether Alfie should be in the Hall...clearly in Sens fans eyes it is pretty clear that he has earned his #11 in the rafters, but does he have the credentials for the HHOF, will be a huge debate for many years after his retirement? IMO the memories Alfie has brought me personally, I say yes, but I am biased!
Makes sense. So Chirp, are you going a poll to determine the winner? Or are you going to reflect on the comment section and make a decision? Or just choose your favourite?
www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.as..._01_06&ID=306258
I apologize if it comes over that way. I truly would have no problem losing this contest, I really just want a great 2nd contributor on the site. If it's me I'd be on cloud 9, but if it's not there are certain things I do and don't like, just like the rest of you. That's all I'm trying to share, is judging which of the other two I'd want to win.
Well said and Good Luck!
My preference is for this one.. held my attention better.
As for HHOF inductees and their Stanley Cups... is not the best way to judge a player's skill and whether they deserve the HHOF.
Ray Bourque was lucky enough to be traded to a Cup contender and he won with Colorado. If he had of stayed in Boston... no Cup for him... so then I assume no HHOF -- for one of the best defenseman ever.
What if Ovechkin never wins a Cup? No HHOF for him either.
It should be based on players' skills and his history in the NHL... not by how many Cups they won.
But that's just my opinion.
All jokes aside, I preferred today's entry, though it was lacking -especially in comparison to other notable hhof'ers or possible inductees.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that a Stanley Cup win is mandatory for Hall of fame induction. It is a factor that merits strong consideration though considering that the Cup is THE ultimate prize in the NHL.
I think statistically Kovalev has the better resume overall, but the leadership and character of Alfie is so above and beyond the average NHL player, hell even the average NHL captain, that he would be able to win out in a 1v1 scenario. So many of the voting members still expected more out of Kovalev and I think they would have trouble ignoring that fact when they make the selection. In real life though I think both deserve it.
I think Alfie gets the nod for the following reason:
- despite the 94 Cup, he didn't lead his team (3rd on Rangers & 5th in playoff scoring) and is generally perceived to be an under-achiever
- no major individual awards
- named to 3 All Star teams (Alfie has 4)
- never broke 100 points
- lower point-per-game (0.786 to Alfie's 0.969)
What makes it worse is when you constantly spell Alfie incorrectly.
Please forgive me for misspelling a nickname.
I do believe that Alfie's Olympic gold is roughly equivalent to a Stanley Cup and let's not forget that the guy's career is still in progress. Another strong season or two could put him over the top.
But others are saying Alfie would not qualify as he has not won a Cup... to me that states winning a Cup is one of the criteria...
Yea, I like this idea too. Might be a good direction, long term.
Link to a brief summary of the attributes they are looking for to get in the Hall. There's also a link at the top of that page to the official wording in the By-law.
Marcel Dionne
Gilbert Perrault
Jean Ratelle
Pat LaFontaine
Dale Hawerchuk
Borje Salming
Darryl Sittler
Mike Gartner
Peter Stastny
All of these players didn't win a cup and all made the HHOF. With the exception of Dionne, all had comparable stats to Alfie. These are just to name a few.
In response to no additional hardware, Gartner didn't even win a single award throughout his career. (Though he did have 700 goals).
------ end of article ------
Anyone think I should win? vote for me.
Was this the best of the three? Not necessarily. It's good and I really enjoyed it. I also think all three had many positives to consider. Chirp has a tough decision to make.
3 >> 1 > 2
Well written, stats were in it, and it was entertaining. I don't know whether he will get it to the HHOF, but he should IMO.
If Alfie's 1026 points is comparable to Perreault's 1326 points then my zero Stanley Cup rings is comparable to Henri Richard's 11 Stanley Cup rings.
That's a bit of an exaggeration ... Perrault played 172 more games than Alfie has yet. Certainly if Alfie manages to bridge that gap in games played, he will most likely have numbers in the 1140-1180 points range. Considering the differences in offense between the two eras, those numbers are fairly close.
Granted Perrault's numbers are still better, but the difference is not nearly as big as you make it out to be.
Jean Ratelle is probably the best comparison with 1267 points in 1281 games played.
Fair enough but there are still a bunch of guys out there with comparable numbers not in the Hall. I'm a little protective of Gilbert Perreault because he's on my list of the five most exciting players it's ever been my pleasure to watch. Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Guy Lafleur and Pavel Bure round out my list with Crosby and Ovechkin knocking on the door.
Now with 30 teams in the league and 700+ players they are more 'picky' as to who qualifies?
Previous round was 4 then 2.
how can you leave gretzky off that list? arguably the greatest player of all time...
Gretzky was a puck possession guy and a great passer but not nearly as exciting to watch as the guys I listed. Bobby Orr is the greatest player who ever lived.
some would argue the quality of players overall is drastically higher today than 10 years ago and those players were a higher caliber than the generations before them.
with that said not sure I've ever heard anyone reference 99 as a player that wasnt exciting but i think i understand what you are getting at.
let me pose this wuestion to you and anyone else that would care to comment;
who is the most exciting senator in modern history? ( my vote would be havlat although Karlsson may challenge that in the near future)
Ignoring all other sub-par performances: Kovalev on game 1000. Breathtaking. (& ultimately heart breaking...)
Sure, the article may seem biased from a Sens fan's point of view, but what the %%$#%@#@ is wrong with the that?!!!!!
There were enough facts to support the opinion. If poeple are looking for reasons why he should not be voted to the Hall of Fame as to reasons he should, why don't you write a counter piece and satisfy your selves.
Loved the piece.
KJ
He certainly has games played and points on his side, his Calder, his leadership on and off the ice, his Olympic gold.. Unfortunatley it is still a grey area to know if he will make it. One thing that would solidify Alfie being inducted is a Stanley Cup ring.. Not likely but we can hope and dream.
It's been a very long summer. I am just glad this contest is over. Soon we can focus on training camp and preseason.
I'm in complete agreement on Havlat. Spezza has his moments as well including the best goal in Sens history when he undressed Sheldon Souray a few years back.
The opening was a bit too casual and tweeny for my taste, but the rest of the article flowed well. The statistics were there, but the information wasn't dry. The conclusion went more from HoF basis to Ottawa great, but still a feel good story, and well done, overall.
ppg as someone stated above. Not to mention era was way easier to put up points in. Not to mention he is a C not a winger.
About 20 of the 77 players to score 1000 points were wingers. Another handful are D. Meaning about 65% of the 1000 point club are C's.
Of the players in the 1000 point club not to make the HHOF, 6 were C's 6 were wingers (although Mogilny still has a shot at it) and 1 was a D.
Debates have been heated at times but I'd say overall, I'm pretty happy with the way this has gone. Now we just gotta pick a winner :)
It indeed did keep things interesting during the deadest of news times. But you can only take so much opinion before madness occurs
I think a poll would be interesting and give us another eventful day and then match the poll up vs your own decision, I'd just say that the poll would weigh some into your decision. IMHO all three of the finalists could write well enough, don't know if you can go wrong. Lets just hope that no one gets butthurt over not being chosen.
If Alfie gets the nod to the HHOF, what do fellow Chirpers think about Mats Sundin's possibilities of getting in? Both have a few similarities to each others career.
Mats had a better offensive side to him, but never won an individual award. Alfie has been nominated for a Byng (came second in voting in '04) and has a Calder...Mats has more PM's than Alfie...
Alfie is on the cover of NHL 09 in Sweden, Mats Sundin had his Chunky Soup commercials (amongst others). Alfie presented at the Junos.
Discuss…
Ah - here are their respective Wiki pages for some background bio's and stats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mats_Sundin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Alfredsson
And before the Laffs bashing starts - he did play in QC and Van! :)
As for the Hall of Fame, he probably does make it in but not for a while. Just not flashy enough, no Cup, no MVP, no Art Ross, no Lester B. Pearson...and let's not forget that Pat Quinn is on the committee, so nuf said.
Perrault was the catalyst for the French Connection line.
Dionne was at oone point the NHLs all time scorer
Etc.
Those guys had ELITE offensive numbers in the NHL in their prime. Not just for one year either. Alfredsson had elite numbers in TWO years. He just lacks the OOMPH factor, sadly.
And yes, Sundin should be in...500 goals, 1000+ points, captained Sweden to gold, captain of an original six franchise and holds its offensive records. Alfie will meke it in too...