While I might be a huge Leafs fan, I try to remain as unbiased as possible (proof: We have one forward on our team right now that is above 3rd line potential...sometimes....), and I understand WHY Gilmour did not get in the HHoF right now.

But I swear that if Bure (injury laden, short a** career) or Cicerilli get in before a 1400 point, all-round great leader, there is a problem that I might just have to write a very poorly grammared letter for!

Posted by 41 Long Ones from Edmonton on 06/18/08 at 10:34 AM ET

I think that Larionove and Anderson were well deserved of getting the not, but I also think its a shame that Dougie didn’t get in.  I know that people have made a lot of arguments why he shouldn’t get in, but I’m hard pressed to think of a player who poured his heart and soul into the game night in and night out as Dougie did.  Hopefully one day he gets in, but I would’ve thought this was his best shot!

Posted by Mac from Canada on 06/18/08 at 10:41 AM ET

Gilmour carries a stigma of being a bit overrated because he happened to play on several Canadian teams, one of which was the Leafs and thus he was hyped like crazy.  He’s going to have to somehow break through that if he wants in, and I doubt he will to be honest.

Bure didn’t get in because he won’t and shouldn’t. 

Dino has great numbers and longevity… but I don’t think he’s HHoF material still.  Though if Cam Neely can get in, there’s no reason Dino shouldn’t IMO…

Adam Oates… belongs.  He’s the one that has an argument.  I never cared much for the guy, but his numbers with a wide variety of teams bear out his being one of the greatest set-up Centers of all-time.

And Larmer… no.  Just… no.

Posted by Primis on 06/18/08 at 12:37 PM ET

Cam Neely is the argument for Bure more than Ciccarelli.  The argument for Ciccarelli is...numbers, really.

Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary, AB on 06/18/08 at 02:34 PM ET

The other argument for Ciccarelli is that he was Tomas Holmstrom before there was Tomas Holmstrom--he was one of the best players ever at screening goalies, though he hacked and whacked defencemen right back.  He was a guy who made up for his lack of skating speed with an ever-present willingness to skate to the front of the net, lurk behind defencemen, and tip pucks, retrieve rebounds, and jam in “dirty” goals with reckless abandon.  That kind of play endears you to your teammates, but when you add in the fact that Ciccarelli was a “shift disturber,” while Neely was more than willing to drop ‘em regularly, you’ve got a very unpopular but successful player on the ballot.

Add in the off-ice character issues, and I’d argue that Dino and Claude Lemieux will get in at the same time, which would lead to an exciting induction ceremony.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 06/18/08 at 03:55 PM ET