NHL Hall Of Fame Goalies

Who’s In And Who Should Be?

Jun 13, 2009 Dan Leggieri

There are 35 goalies that are honoured members of the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Who will be number 36?

Debate has raged on since the beginning of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs as to whether or not Chris Osgood is a worthy Hall Of Fame inductee, even though his playing career has yet to come to an end.

On the surface, it’s easy to argue against Osgood’s potential induction, but a closer look at his statistical numbers tells a different story.

Chris Osgood Career Stats

Osgood has played 710 NHL games; he has won 389 of those, compiling 49 shutouts and a career 2.47 goals against average. Osgood has won 79 playoff games, earning 15 shutouts and has been a part of 3 Detroit Red Wings championship teams.

Osgood has more wins that Johnny Bower, Turk Broda, Gary Cheevers, Ken Dryden, Bernie Parent, Billy Smith and Gump Worsely. He has the same amount of Stanley Cups as Patrick Roy and a better career goals against average than Grant Fuhr. So why is there even a debate as to Osgood’s career?

If the Hall of Fame is suppose to recognize the best of the best in the NHL, than Osgood should be a shoe-in, even ahead of future Hall members Dominik Hasek, Eddie Belfour and Curtis Joseph.

Consider who is already in the Hall of Fame:

Hall Of Fame Members

-John William (Johnny) Bower, Inducted in 1976

Regular Season Career: 250 wins, 195 loses, 37 shutouts, 2.51 GAA

Playoff Career: 35 wins, 34 loses, 5 shutouts, 2.47 GAA

Accomplishments: Vezina Trophy winner in 1961 and 1965, 4 Stanley Cups

-Walter Edward (Turk) Broda, Inducted in 1967

Regular Season Career: 302 wins, 224 loses, 62 shutouts, 2.53 GAA

Playoff Career: 60 wins, 39 loses, 13 shutouts, 1.98 GAA

Accomplishments: Vezina Trophy winner 1941 and 1948, 5 Stanley Cups

-Gerald Michael (Gerry) Cheevers, Inducted in 1985

Regular Season Career: 230 wins, 102 loses, 36 shutouts, 2.89 GAA

Playoff Career: 53 wins, 34 loses, 8 shutouts, 2.69 GAA

Accomplishments: 2 Stanley Cups

-Kenneth Wayne Dryden, Inducted in 1983

Regular Season Career: 258 wins, 57 loses, 46 shutouts, 2.24 GAA

Playoff Career: 80 wins, 32 loses, 10 shutouts, 2.40 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1972, Conn Smyth Trophy winner 1971, Vezina Trophy winner 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979, 6 Stanley Cups

-Anthony James (Tony) Esposito, Inducted in 1988

Regular Season Career: 423 wins, 306 loses, 76 shutouts, 2.92 GAA

Playoff Career: 45 wins, 53 loses, 6 shutouts, 3.07 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1970, Vezina Trophy winner 1970, 1972 and 1974, 1 Stanley Cup

-Grant Fuhr, Inducted in 2003

Regular Season Career: 403 wins, 295 loses, 25 shutouts, 3.38 GAA

Playoff Career: 92 wins, 50 loses, 6 shutouts, 2.92 GAA

Accomplishments: Vezina Trophy winner1988, William M. Jennings Trophy winner 1994, 5 Stanley Cups

-Glenn Henry Hall, Inducted in 1975

Regular Season Career: 407 wins, 326 loses, 84 shutouts, 2.49 GAA

Playoff Career: 49 wins, 65 loses, 6 shutouts, 2.78 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1956, Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1968, Vezina Trophy winner 1963, 1967 and 1969, 1 Stanley Cup

-Bernard Marcel (Bernie) Parent, Inducted in 1984

Regular Season Career: 271 wins, 198 loses, 54 shutouts, 2.55 GAA

Playoff Career: 33 wins, 38 loses, 6 shutouts, 2.43 GAA

Accomplishments: Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1974 and 1975, Vezina Trophy winner 1974 and 1975, 2 Stanley Cups

-Joseph Jacques (Jake the Snake) Plante, Inducted in 1978

Regular Season Career: 437 wins, 236 loses, 82 shutouts, 2.38 GAA

Playoff Career: 71 wins, 36 loses, 14 shutouts, 2.14 GAA

Accomplishments: Hart Trophy winner 1962, Vezina Trophy winner (956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1969, 6 Stanley Cups

-Patrick Roy, Inducted in 2006

Regular Season Career: 551 wins, 315 loses, 66 shutouts, 2.54 GAA

Playoff Career: 151 wins, 94 loses, 23 shutouts, 2.30 GAA

Accomplishments: Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1986, 1993 and 2001, Vezina Trophy winner 1989, 1990 and 1992, William M. Jennings Trophy winner 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992 and 2001, 3 Stanley Cups

-Terrance Gordon (Terry) Sawchuk, Inducted in 1971

Regular Season Career: 447 wins, 330 loses, 103 shutouts, 2.51 GAA

Playoff Career: 54 wins, 48 loses, 12 shutouts, 2.54 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1951, Lester Patrick Trophy winner 1971,

Vezina Trophy winner 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1965, 4 Stanley Cups, NHL record for most career regular season shutouts - 103

-William (Bill) John Smith, Inducted in 1993

Regular Season Career: 305 wins, 233 loses, 22 shutouts, 3.17 GAA

Playoff Career: 88 wins, 36 loses, 5 shutouts, 2.73 GAA

Accomplishments: Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1983, Vezina Trophy winner 1982, William Jennings Trophy winner 1983, 4 Stanley Cups, first goalie to be credited with a goal on November 28, 1979

-Lorne John (Gump) Worsley, Inducted in 1980

Regular Season Career: 335 wins, 352 loses, 43 shutouts, 2.88 GAA

Playoff Career: 40 wins, 26 loses, 5 shutouts, 2.78 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1953, Vezina Trophy winner 1966, 1968, 4 Stanley Cups, tied with Curtis Joseph for the most career losses in the NHL

Retired Goalies Who Should Get Hall Of Fame Consideration

-Mike Vernon

Regular Season Career: 385 wins, 273 loses, 27 shutouts, 2.98 GAA

Playoff Career: 77 wins, 56 loses, 6 shutouts, 2.68 GAA

Accomplishments: William M. Jennings Trophy winner 1996, Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1997, 2 Stanley Cups

-Tom Barrasso

Regular Season Career: 369 wins, 277 loses, 38 shutouts, 3.42 GAA

Playoff Career: 61 wins, 54 loses, 6 shutouts, 3.01 GAA

Accomplishments: Calder Trophy winner 1984, Vezina Trophy winner 1984, William M. Jennings Trophy winner 1985, 2 Stanley Cups

-Rogie Vachon

Regular Season Career: 355 wins, 291 loses, 51 shutouts, 2.99 GAA

Playoff Career: 23 wins, 23 loses, 2 shutouts, 2.77 GAA

Accomplishments: Vezina Trophy winner 1968, 3 Stanley Cups

-Andy Moog

Regular Season Career: 372 wins, 209 loses, 28 shutouts, 3.13 GAA

Playoff Career: 68 wins, 57 loses, 4 shutouts, 3.03 GAA

Accomplishments: William M. Jennings Trophy winner 1990, 3 Stanley Cups

-Ron Hextall

Regular Season Career: 296 wins, 214 loses, 23 shutouts, 2.97 GAA

Playoff Career: 47 wins, 43 loses, 2 shutouts 3.03 GAA

Accomplishments: Vezina Trophy winner 1987, Conn Smythe Trophy winner 1987, Scored a goal vs. Boston, December 8, 1987, Scored a goal in playoffs vs. Washington, April 11, 1989

The copyright of the article NHL Hall Of Fame Goalies in Ice Hockey is owned by Dan Leggieri. Permission to republish NHL Hall Of Fame Goalies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Comments

Nov 5, 2009 7:54 PM
Guest :
Chris Osgood absolutely should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He has compiled good statistics as a result of playing for the best team in hockey most of his career. Those that argue he should get in based on his playoff play, playoff wins and championships, should take a look at what he did in the years he played somewhere other than Detroit. He never even won one playoff series.
Those that argue he should get in based on number of wins and goals against average have to realize playing for the Wings had a huge impact on these statistics.
You cannot compare statistics from one generation to another and argue he should get in because he has more wins than this guy or a better goals against average than that guy. Osgood was not among the best goalies of his era. He was never considered the best goalie in the league in any year. I doubt he ever posted the best statistics in any year. Detroit even let him walk. I doubt a brilliant organization like the Wings would let a Hall of Fame golatender walk. I suspect the reason they brought him back was a financial decision and the realization that he was "Good enough" for them to win.
Only so many goalies from each generation should qualify for the Hall of Fame. Only the elite. Osgood was bettered by many in his era, Brodeaur, Roy, Belfour, Joseph, Hasek to name a few.
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