Ranking 2013 Hall of Fame candidates

The Hockey Hall of Fame is getting into this recycling thing, big time.

The trend the past few years with the Hall’s 18-member selection committee is to reconsider, then induct, previously passed-over NHL stars. Of the nine players enshrined over the past three years, only three made it on the first ballot – Ed Belfour in 2011 and Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin in 2012. The other six didn’t make induction first time around, but eventually got at least 14 affirmative votes from the committee.

Dino Ciccarelli was the lone NHL player inducted in 2010. He had been eligible since 2002. Inducted in 2011 after waits of varying lengths were Joe Nieuwendyk (one year after first being eligible), Doug Gilmour (five years) and Mark Howe (13 years). This year, Pavel Bure (six-year wait) and Adam Oates (five-year wait) rose to the top of the recycling bin.

With this growing trend in mind, here’s how The Hockey News is ranking the field for the 2013 class. A maximum of four NHL candidates get in after a three-year reflection period upon retirement.

1. Chris Chelios

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...daily_20121118

Slightly inaccurate list. No way for example is Owen Nolan or Claude Lemieux ahead of Alexander Mogilny who's not even on the ballot. Another notable player whom they've omitted from that ballot is Theo Fleury (the best undersized hockey player in modern hockey). None of those guys are getting in any time soon but they are ahead of a few of the others. Carbonneau and Kariya should be higher. Others hold Carbonneau in high regard (I personally don't consider him HOF and I'm very relaxed on my criteria but he was a perrennial winner and considered one of the game's best ever 2-way players). I would also guess that Rob Blake is below Lindros/Kariya and probably Makarov though imo he should go in. I would expect Niedermayer, Chelios, Shanahan, Blake, Lindros, and Kariya to all get in at some point. Makarov/Tkachuk/Fleury might get in later on. Makarov might get in sooner depending on the HOF looking at his int'l career or not.

I, for one, do not feel it is necessary that somebody gets inducted into the HOF every year. The HOF should be reserved for the elite, the best of the best, players who stood head and shoulders above all others. Players should not be inducted simply because they have to choose someone and he was "the best of the nominees".

That said, I do believe that Chelios and Shanahan deserve to be in the Hall. I believe Lindros should be inducted. he didn;t win a cup, but he was a dominant force and changed the game. However, I do not feel that Lindros should be inducted ahead of some other, more worthy, players.