80's and 90's Hockey
...this talk about 80's and 90's hockey had me thinking a bit more about where some of these players rank. Going back to the dominant centers of that era - everyone knows that the likes of Gretzky, Lemieux and Yzerman are in a separate class. However, looking at Turgeon's stats compared to another center of that era, Mats Sundin, who was a first ballot fall-of-famer - it seems that Turgeon is just as deserving, maybe even more.
Mats Sundin:
Games Played: 1,346
Goals: 564
Assists: 785
Points: 1,349
Points Per Game: 1.002
100+ Point Seasons: (1) 1992-93
Playoffs:
Games Played: 91
Goals: 38
Assists: 44
Points: 82
Points Per Game: .090
Awards: (1) Mark Messier Leadership Award (2007-08)
Stanley Cups: (0)
Pierre Turgeon:
Games Played: 1,294
Goals: 515
Assists: 812
Points: 1,327
Points Per Game: 1.025
100+ Point Seasons: (2) 1989-90 and 1992-93
Playoffs:
Games Played: 109
Goals: 35
Assists: 62
Points: 97
Points Per Game: 0.89
Awards: (1) Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1992-93)
Stanley Cups: (0)
...can't get much closer than that. I know there's other things to look at besides the stats listed above - but how one is a first-ballot hall of famer, and the other may never be considered is quite perplexing. The knock on Turgeon was his refusal to participate in a major brawl while playing for Canada, before he even played in the NHL. With the way the NHL is trying to make fighting less of a factor - something like that may very well be looked at in a different light nowadays. The Positive Coaching Alliance would be all over that. Haha
...sorry for getting sidetracked. That lot of signatures is solid, now that I think about the skill of those players. Neat collection!
|