The Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced four new members to be inducted in the Fall.
Alphabetically, Eddie Belfour. Doug Gilmour, Mark Howe & Joe Nieuwendyk will be enshrined at Hall in Toronto this year.
Ironically, three of the 4, Belfour, Gilmour & Nieuwendyk, all have ties to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not surprisingly, their greatest team accomplishments, came away from Toronto.
Gilmour & Nieuwendyk won the Stanley Cup at Calgary
Belfour & Nieuwendyk won the Stanley Cup at Dallas
And for good measure, Nieuwendyk won another Cup at New Jersey.
In Toronto, no Stanley Cups, not since 1967.
Now Gilmour, you could make the case, did everything in his power in the early 90’s, driving the Leafs to the Final 4 in both 1993 & 94, but….no Cup.
No Stanley Cup either for Mark Howe, although he did get to the finals 3 times, plus
he was a Memorial Cup MVP with the Marlies and won the Avco Cup with Houston in the old WHA.
To Howe’s credit, as the son of one of the greatest players ever to play the game, he distinguished himself as a terrific two way defender and anyone who ever played with him, speaks of Mark Howe in glowing terms as a teammate.
Belfour, Gilmour, Howe & Nieuwendyk, the latest to be chosen to join the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I’m Fred Wallace