*This archive was initially written by Colin Newby
13 members of the Hockey Corridor of Fame (HHoF) have performed for the Philadelphia Flyers in some unspecified time in the future throughout their careers. This record consists of legends like Bobby Clarke, Bernie Dad or mum, and Invoice Barber. Does yet another former Flyers legend belong on the record sometime? There may be plenty of disagreement concerning Claude Giroux’s Corridor of Fame prospects.
Associated: Flyers Failures Have Hindered Claude Giroux’s Profession
Giroux performed 1,000 video games in elements of 15 seasons in Philadelphia. He sits second in franchise historical past in factors, video games performed, and assists behind solely Clarke in all three classes. Regardless of a less-than-spectacular supporting solid at sure factors throughout his tenure with the Flyers, he scored 25 targets and added 48 assists in 85 playoff video games in orange and black. He completed within the prime 5 within the Hart Trophy voting thrice and spent extra video games as their captain than any participant of their storied historical past.
The 36-year-old isn’t fairly prepared to hold up the skates simply because he’s left the Flyers. He produced at a prolific tempo with 23 factors in 18 regular-season video games with the Florida Panthers after Philadelphia moved him in March 2022. His eight playoff factors in 10 video games have been adequate for second place on a Panthers crew that fell quietly within the second spherical towards the eventual Japanese Convention champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The previous Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) star signed with the Ottawa Senators in July 2022 to play near the city the place he’s spent nearly all of his offseasons throughout his NHL profession. Since becoming a member of them for the 2022-23 season, he has been one among their best gamers. On a crew with blossoming younger stars similar to Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk, Giroux has supplied a pleasant stability and added some veteran management.
What’s a Corridor of Fame Profession?
Contemplate the next resumes of two former NHL forwards:
Participant A: This participant eclipsed 500 targets and 700 assists and completed his profession with 1,216 factors. He was a seven-time 30-goal scorer and tallied over 100 factors thrice. His finest offensive seasons have been in 1992-93 and 1993-94 when he completed fifteenth and tied for fifth within the NHL with 107 factors, respectively. He was chosen to 9 NHL All-Star Video games. Although he by no means gained a Stanley Cup, he led his crew to the Stanley Cup Ultimate as soon as as their prime scorer. He scored 122 playoff factors over the course of 154 playoff video games, placing him among the many elite in that division.
Participant B: This participant recorded 319 targets and 378 assists for 697 factors in his 14-year profession. Although he was a six-time 30-goal scorer, he was often known as one of many hardest gamers within the NHL in his day. He recorded over 1,000 profession penalty minutes whereas defending his future Corridor of Fame linemates. He additionally helped lead his crew to 4 consecutive Stanley Cup victories from 1980 to 1983; was chosen to 2 All-Star Video games, and captained his crew for 2 seasons.
One in all these gamers is within the HHoF; the opposite will not be. Are you able to guess who’s who? Participant A is Jeremy Roenick, and Participant B is Clark Gillies. Roenick had the higher offensive numbers, however Gillies was the shoo-in hall-of-famer. Roenick is proof that offensive manufacturing alone often doesn’t assure a spot within the Corridor of Fame, so there have to be different components that decide a participant’s eligibility.
Evaluating the Standards for a HHoF Bid
The difficulty with hockey is that it doesn’t have a statistical threshold that equates to an HHoF bid. In baseball, except you violate MLB guidelines, recording 300 wins or acquiring 3,000 hits will get you a one-way ticket to Cooperstown. Hockey doesn’t have a direct parallel. One would possibly assume that 500 targets or 700 assists would do the trick, however Roenick retired across the identical time Giroux entered the league and has nonetheless not been inducted.
Associated: THW’s Corridor of Fame Worthy Assortment
The Roenick and Gillies examples present that typically, crew contribution is simply as essential as particular person achievement. After all, if a participant scores at a Wayne Gretzky or Jaromir Jagr fee, they are going to make the HHoF no matter crew contribution (for good measure, each additionally gained a number of Stanley Cups). Nonetheless, gamers like Gretzky and Jagr solely come about a few times a era. Due to this fact, most different gamers might want to make important contributions to their crew’s success.
Roenick helped get his crew to the playoffs nearly each season, doing so 17 occasions, however he by no means gained a Cup in his profession. Since he was a prime participant, his lack of Stanley Cup success primarily rides via him, moderately than his teammates. Regardless that he shouldn’t be blamed totally, not ever profitable a championship hurts his standing as a possible HHoF participant.
Alternatively, Gillies served a significant position throughout his 12 years with the New York Islanders. Although he scored 30 targets a number of occasions, he knew that he was not anticipated to be the first scorer. Slightly, he performed as a hard-checking energy ahead and enforcer. He would do the soiled work in order that his future HHoF linemates, Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier, might rating. Gillies made his teammates higher by doing the soiled work, and he was a necessary consider New York’s 4 consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. He was deserving of his HHoF nomination.
You might also like:
The best HHoF candidate could have sturdy particular person achievement and contribute to his crew’s success. For a ahead, factors, All-Star Sport appearances, and particular person awards are all essential. Management, crew success, and legacy also needs to play a job within the analysis course of.
What Does Giroux Nonetheless Must Do?
The excellent news for Giroux is that he’s already compiled spectacular particular person achievements in his profession. He has already recorded extra assists than a number of Corridor of Famers, together with Mike Bossy, Pat LaFontaine, and Eric Lindros. Within the 2010s, solely Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin had extra factors than the previous Flyer.
Though his days within the Hart Trophy dialog are behind him, Giroux performed at a excessive degree on a desolate Flyers roster limping via accidents and underperformance in 2021-22. His stint with the Panthers confirmed the manufacturing that might include a stronger supporting solid, and his time with the Senators has additional confirmed that narrative.
Giroux’s longevity and sturdiness will play in his favor when the voters look again at his profession after he lastly decides to hold up the skates. If he can proceed to compile stats with the identical unimaginable consistency as he has proven all through his prolonged NHL profession, he’ll give himself an excellent shot on the HHoF. We’ll simply have to observe how the final chapter of his already illustrious profession performs out.
