Chicago Blackhawks: Evaluating Marian Hossa’s Hall of Fame case
Does Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame?
On Saturday, May 19, Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa announced his unfortunate retirement from the NHL. He developed an allergy to his hockey equipment and it didn’t improve after a year. This forces Hossa out in a very unceremonious manner.
Quietly, he has put together quite a resume. However, does Hossa deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day? He was unquestionably a great player. But was he at the level of the rest of the best players of all-time? Let’s evaluate his Hall of Fame case.
Hardware
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Hossa didn’t pick up any individual awards. The closest he came to one was finishing second in the Calder Trophy race to Chris Drury. Hossa also finished fifth in Selke Trophy voting back in 2013-14 That’s especially noteworthy because wings rarely finish anywhere close to the top three.
However, a lack of individual awards doesn’t exclude a player from the Hall of Fame. Mike Gartner and Mark Recchi are perfect examples. He has as many All-Star team selections (one) as Recchi and more than Gartner.
The smartest move of Hossa’s career was signing with the Blackhawks. This got him three Stanley Cups, which definitely helps his resume. Before, Hossa was thought of as a great, but not Hall of Fame caliber, player. It’s amazing what winning three Stanley Cups does for your resume. Hossa’s three championships make up for his lack of individual awards.
Stats
When evaluating a Hall of Fame case, it’s important to compare apples to apples, instead of oranges or bananas. Here’s how Hossa ranks among all right wings in various categories.
- 525 goals (13th)
- 609 assists (16th)
- 1,134 points (12th)
- +245 plus-minus (seventh)
- 1,161 era-adjusted points (10th)
The first three stats confirm Hossa’s easily in the discussion for best right wings of all-time. In my book, that makes you a Hall of Fame player. Let’s talk about his plus-minus and era-adjusted points, though, because that’s what cements his case for me.
Hossa played on some darn good teams, including the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Blackhawks. However, he also played on some dreadful ones (most of them with the Atlanta Thrashers). Hossa had a negative plus-minus just once in his career. Plus-minus isn’t the best stat for judging someone’s defense, but with him, it’s relevant.
Era-adjusted points help create an even playing field for everyone. It removes eras from the equation. For example, it’s hard to compare someone who played in the 1980’s to someone who played primarily in the 21st century. We’re talking two entirely different eras.
Hossa isn’t thought of as being a very productive wing. Maybe it’s because he was consistently great, but just short of elite. Perhaps it’s because his best years came with the Thrashers. But his era-adjusted numbers really solidify the argument that Hossa is one of the best players of all-time.
Among Slovakian players, only Peter Stastny has more points. This puts an exclamation point on an already impressive resume.
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Verdict
Hall of Fame voting is weird. For some reason, it took Dave Andreychuk a while to get in. Mark Recchi and Daniel Alfredsson didn’t get in on the first ballot. So who knows, maybe Marian Hossa has to wait for a little bit. But there’s not a doubt in my mind he deserves to be enshrined.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!