The results are in! Voters have spoken and the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame class has been announced. The new members are:
-Henrik Lundqvist
-Pierre Lacroix
-Pierre Turgeon
-Caroline Ouellette
-Mike Vernon
-Ken Hitchcock
-Tom Barrasso
Excuse me for a moment…
Noticeably absent from the announcement are the names Chris Osgood and Henrik Zetterberg.
Debate has always been strong around Osgood. The guy has the numbers and team hardware to belong in the Hall – but he’s been forever shadowed by the quality of the Red Wings teams in front of him, and by playing in the same era as guys like Mike Vernon (sorry, now Hall Of Famer Mike Vernon), Marty Brodeur, and Dominik Hasek who all somehow seemed bigger than their position should normally allow.
Zetterberg is a member of the triple-gold club, Conn Smythe winner, Stanley Cup champ, and all around handsome man. Other players with less hardware (but better personal stats) have made it in, so why not Z? This feels more like a “just not on your first try” type thing, but both these snubs raise an important question…
What’s the importance of hardware, and particularly team hardware, in making it into the Hockey Hall of Fame? How much can (or should) the team you’re playing on influence your legacy? I obviously don’t have the answer here. But I would hate to think that great players could miss out on the recognition they deserve just because they had great teammates, and I kind of feel like that’s what is happening here.
What are your thoughts? Should Ozzie and Z get in eventually? Does one or either of them not deserve the honor? Bring your best argument in the comments, and…
LGRW
