The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its 2020 class on Thursday. Getting enshrined in the six-person class are Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre, and Doug Wilson in the player category as well as Ken Holland in the builder category.
Iginla’s admission in his first year of eligibility should come as no surprise. He was a premier power forward for the majority of his 20-year NHL career. He was a two-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals in a single season while he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s points leader in 2001-02 and the Pearson Award for MVP as voted by the players that same season. Iginla sits 14th all-time in regular season games played with 1,554 while sitting 16th in goals (625), 64th in assists (675), and 34th in points (1,300). He’s also one of only 34 players in league history with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 penalty minutes.
Hossa is another player who was elected in his first year of eligibility. While technically he’s still an active player (he’s on Arizona’s books through 2020-21), his playing career ended back in 2017 due to a skin disorder and he has since missed the minimum three years to become eligible for induction. He didn’t have the individual accolades that some others in this class had but he won a total of three Stanley Cups with Chicago (2010, 2013, and 2015) while reaching the Final in 2008 (Pittsburgh) and 2009 (Detroit) which made him the first player in NHL history to reach the Final in three straight years with three straight teams. During the span of his 17-year career, only three players had more points than Hossa – Joe Thornton, Jaromir Jagr, and Iginla. Hossa sits 57th all-time in points with 1,134 in 1,309 games.
While Iginla and Hossa got in on their first opportunity, this was Lowe’s 20th year of eligibility. He was an impact defenseman for the Oilers during their pinnacle in the 1980s, winning five Stanley Cups with them as well as one with the Rangers in 1994. He was never the most prolific offensively – his career high in points in a single season was 46 – but he was a very important defensive defender over his 1,254 games spanning 19 years. He is tied for sixth all-time for playoff games by a defenseman as well with 214.
Wilson had an even longer wait than Lowe as he has been eligible for induction since 1996. He was more of an offensive-minded blueliner throughout his 16-year NHL career and at the time of his retirement, he sat eighth overall in all-time points by a defenseman with 827. He has since slipped to 15th overall with all but one of those now in the Hall of Fame. Wilson won the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s top blueliner in 1982 and is Chicago’s franchise leader in goals, assists, and points by a defenseman.
St-Pierre becomes the first female goaltender to make it to the Hall. She was a fixture for Canada on the international front, leading the way for them in international appearances by a goaltender with 89 and wins with 64. She won nine medals at the World Championships (five gold, four silver) while taking home the best goalie award twice in those events. She also has a trio of Olympic gold medals and one top goalie award in that tournament. St-Pierre was also the first female player to win a regular season game in the men’s division of college hockey (CIS) while also winning two Clarkson Cups.
Holland has been involved in an NHL front office role since 1985 when he retired as a player in Detroit’s organization to join them as a scout. He was promoted to the GM role in 1997 and the team took off. They made the playoffs in each season under his watch through 2016 which extended their franchise record streak to 25 years. During that time, the Red Wings were the winningest team in the league during the regular season and won four Stanley Cups. Holland stepped down from Detroit in 2019 to become GM in Edmonton. On the international front, he was part of the management team for two Olympics, two World Championships, and one World Cup.
Each year, the Hall of Fame is allowed elect up to a maximum of four male players, two female players and two builders (or one builder and one referee/linesman) so it was nearly a full class of inductees this time around. A decision will be made by August with regards to the actual induction ceremony which typically takes place each November.
I won’t argue with any of them being HOF’ers, but these are 6 marginal HOF’ers in one class. Pretty blah.
Hossa and Iginla are borderline?
Borderline (or marginal) might be a bit strong, but neither are top tier. They aren’t slam dunk first ballot guys and in a different year might have had to wait.
Don’t get me wrong, both great, great players. Both former Pens, also. But, Iginla never won and Hossa was never the star of any team he played on.
Great players. HOF worthy by the watered down standards, no doubt. Just not elite.
Iginla was the definition of an elite power forward.
Great player. I’m probably underselling him as I forgot his Art Ross trophy.
Still not a top shelf HOF’er.
Is he the best player to never win a Cup? He’s up there.
Off the top of my head, the only better players I can name that never won had shortened careers like LaFontaine and Lindros.
I agree! Well thought out firwhomjoshbelltolls
Are you kidding? Those 2 were great players and definitely deserve to be there
There’s a three year stretch where Iginla was one of the top three players in the league. He should have been the Hart winner in 2002. He’s 16th in goals all-time – almost all of those coming in the dead puck era. He was an elite power forward for well over a decade. He had 11 straight 30+ goal seasons and he has two gold medals. He was a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Hossa is not a slam dunk case, but he was a very good player and he holds the Thrashers record for most points in a single season and led three different teams in scoring (Ottawa twice, Atlanta, and Chicago). He was the best player on those Sens teams and there’s a strong argument for him as the best player on Atlanta. He was a very good, very in-demand player for a long time. He’s a deserving hall of famer.
“I won’t argue with any of them being HOF’ers” was literally the first thing I said.
Iggy was great. Never won.
Hossa was great. Played a good portion of his career on the second line.
I see 3 tiers of HOF’ers…
1) Mt Rushmore…Lemieux, Gretzky, Orr, etc.
2) Elite HOF’ers. Think Steve Yzerman level.
3) HOF’ers. Worthy. They are in the building.
All I’m saying is we’ve had a bunch of 3’s lately, not many 2’s.
Jagr must be eligible soon, though.
Marcel Dionne best player to never win a cup.
Fair. I don’t have a list off the top of my head. Watching a lot of NHLN reruns, I realized that most great players of the 80’s and 90’s eventually found their way to rings.
I was hoping that Boris Mihailov would get in. I watched him play during his prime on a line with Vladimir Petrov and above all Valeri Kharlamov, and he’s the last of the three to still be alive. Mihailov deserved to be inducted. Maybe next year …
Hossa was one of the best defensive wingers that I’ve seen over the years. The offense was great, but he was one of the better two way wingers that ever played the game, IMO.
Yearly reminder Daniel Alfredsson would be a first ballot hall of famer if he played in a different market.
I won’t pretend to have seen a ton of Ottawa games in his peak era. What’s his case?
Very weak classes the last 3 years. There are many inconsistencies with the Hall Of Fame criteria that is no letting in borderline players in and leaving out players with better numbers. Pierre Turgeon should be in. Numbers alone is a slam dunk. Winning individual awards when he was playing meant outperforming Jagr, Lemieux, Yzerman, Sakic, Oates, Lindros etc who were all in their prime. The players after the great period after the 90’s had much lesser individual talent and look who won awards a ton of players with insignificant numbers. Turgeon had more points than Iginla and played 200 less games. Yet Iginla is first ballot?? Lowe the backbone of Edmonton’s defense although they had Fuhr?? Hossa 3 time Stanley Cup winner, he was the 6th best player on those Blackhawk teams if not lower. Turgeon was considered the best player on his team most of his career and is being penalized for not winning anything. Complete joke!!!
Pierre Turgeon was always the best player on teams that never won because he wasn’t a good first line center. Slow and one dimensional.
He was a good player but he piled up points in the peak of NHL offense.
Mogilny has a better case, even.
Kevin Lowe should not be in the HOF. A 2nd pairing defenceman who rides Gretzky and messier coat tails . If Lowe gets in why not Huddy and Randy Gregg? Both easily as skilled and versatile as Lowe. This selection should make Bernie Federko happy. He is no longer the worst HOF selection.
Continued lack of love for my boy Alexander Mogilny