Super Joe played his entire 20 year career with the same franchise, the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, winning two cups with the club in 1996 and 2001. During his brilliant career he registered 100 points in a season six times, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2001, and 2007. He scored at least 50 goals in a season twice, 1996 and 2001, ironically enough both years his Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. During his career, Sakic holds the Avalanche franchise records for goals with 625, assists with 1016 and points with 1641. Those 1641 points is good for 9th place all time in NHL history. Aside from being a prolific scorer during the regular season he also added 84 goals and 104 assists for 188 points in 172 career playoff games. He holds the record for career OT playoff goals with 8. By far his most prolific seasons scoring in the playoffs was 1996 when he had 18 goals and 34 points in the Avs cup run that spring. Joe has also picked up quite a bit of hardware during his career. Besides two cups he also has won the 1996 Conn Smyth Trophy as Playoff MVP, the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the Ted Lindsey Award and the Lady Bing Trophy in 2001. and First Team All Star in 2001, 2002 and 2004. What made Joe Sakic great was not only his offensive talents but his leadership ability as well. He was Captain of the Avalanche franchise from 1992 all the way up to his retirement in 2009. So Super Joe was a leader on and off the ice.
Mats Sundin had a nice long career of his own, becoming the first European Player EVER to be drafted #1 overall in the NHL entry draft when the Nordiques took him in 1989. he spent his first four seasons in the League playing in Quebec, adn set his career high with 14 points in 1993 playing for the Nordiques. When the NHL came back to business during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season, Sundin was now in Tronto playing for the Leafs where he would spend the next 11 years of his career. His career high in points with the Leafs was 94 points which he hit in 1997. His final NHL season was in Vancouver playing for the Canucks during the 2008-09 season, and called it a career after that season was over. When all was said and done, Sundin had set a few milestones during his great career. He was and still is the only Swedish player to score 500 goals in the NHL, he ended his career with 546. He has the most career points, goals and assists by a Swedish hockey player, was the first Swedish player to reach 1000 points, is one of two players (Marcel Dionne) to record at least 20 goals in his first 17 NHL seasons, and has the most games played by a European born-and-trained forward at 1346. He also ownes the Maple Leafs records for goals with 420, assists by a forward with 567 and points with 987. Although he wasn't able to get his name etched on the Stanley Cup Sundin has indeed left a great mark on this game.
Pavel Bure, the Russian Rocket, electrified croweds from coast to coast during his career. He began his career in 1992 with the Canucks and played 7 memorable years with the team, in which he had back to back 60 goala season in 1993 and 1994. Both those years he recorded 100 points. He would register one more 50 goal season with the Canucks and that was in 1998 when he had 51. Then the Rocket got traded to the Florida Panthers, and for four years he would re-write the panthers record books. He would hit the 50 goal mark in the middle two seasons with Florida, scoring 58 in 2000 and 59 in 2001. He spent his final two years in the league playing for the New York Rangers, but by that point injuries had gotten the best of the Russian Rocket and he called it a career after the 2003 season. During his career Bure picked up a few individual awards. He won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1992, played in the NHL All Star Game in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001. He was a first team all star in 1994 and was selected to the second team in 2000 and 2001. He also won the Rocket Richard trophy which is awarded to the NHL's top goal scorer in 2000 and 2001. Bure also holds a few Canucks and Panthers records as well. While playing in Vancouver he set team records for most points by a rookie - 60 in 1991–92 (tied with Ivan Hlinka, 1981–82) most goals - 60 in 1992–93 and 1993–94, the Canucks all-time playoff records for most goals - 34 (tied with Trevor Linden), most shorthanded goals - 24. He also holds Florida Panthers' single-season record, most goals - 59 in 2000–01 and most points - 94 in 1999–2000. Sadly the Russian Rocket never got his name on the cup, but during his time in the league he left a big impression on everyone who saw him play.
Finally Adam Oates. Oates was know for the most part as Brett Hull's set up man with the St. Louis Blues, but still carved out himself a pretty good career. His career began in 1986 with the Dertoit Red Wings where he spent four seasons and had put up pretty good numbers in Detroit. It was his trade to the St. Louis Blues that really took off Oates career, as he was paired up with Brett Hull for three seasons. His first two years in St Louis he cracked the 100 point plateau. Then after three years there, he was traded to the Boston Bruins where he spent the next six years. Twice while in Boston he hit 100 plus points in back to back seasons including a career high 97 assists in 1993. Half way through 1997 Oates was traded from Boston to Washington where he would spend the next five and a half years and helped the Capitals to th8e 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. During the 2002 season Oates was traded from Washington to Philly then amde two more stops in Anahiem and Edmonton before calling it a career. Although Oates never won a Stanley Cup, he was able to have a great career, which saw him register 1079 assists and 1420 points in 1337 career games. Thanks to the brilliant passing of Adam Oates, it allowed Brett Hull, Cam Neely and Peter Bondra to win scoring titles, and Hull won mutiple scoring titles thanks to the great passing of Adam Oates. Many consider Oates to be the 2nd greatest playmaking center in the 1990's right behind Wayne Gretzky.
There were a few notable snubs from the Hall voting this year. Brendan Shanahan, who was considered by many to be a favorite for induction in his first year of eligibility due to his 656 career goals, will instead have to wait at least another year or more. As will Jeremy Roenick, Curtis Joseph, Eric Lindros, Dave Andreychuk, Phil Housley and a number of other Hall hopefuls. Shanahan getting snubbed again came as a big surprise. He and Dave Anderychuk are the only two retired players to have over 600 career goals and not be inducted into the Hall of Fame. the two active players with over 600 goals are Jaromir Jagr and Teemau Selanne. Housely is the 2nd highest scoring American of all time, behind only Mike Modano and its a shame he isn't in the hall yet. Roenick is another in the top ten of american born scores, he's actuall 3rd on the list. Eric Lindros is an interesting case for me. He did have good numbers during his prime with the Flyers and had a lot of potential to be a great star in the league but there are two things I feel are currently keeping him out. One is the fact he had too many injuries and concussions, and that limited his playing time. I also feel the way he started his career wasn't exactly the greatest way to start off. He refused to play for the Nordiques, the team that drafted him, and forced them to trade him to the Flyers. I think that may have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and that is playing a factor as to him not being in the hall of fame at this point.
The induction ceremony for this years class of Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates, and Pavel Bure will be taking place on Monday November 12th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto!
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