The NHL officially announced the seven latest Hockey Hall of Fame inductees on Wednesday. The 2020 class is headlined by Calgary Flames great Jarome Iginla, former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Kevin Lowe, former Chicago Blackhawks players Doug Wilson and Marian Hossa and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kim St-Pierre. Ken Holland will also be inducted as a team builder.
Each of these hockey figures are more than deserving of their spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But still, it feels like there’s something (or someone) missing.
Oh, yeah. How about former Philadelphia Flyers great Rod “The Bod” Brind’Amour?
Brind’Amour, current head coach of (and former player for) the Carolina Hurricanes, has been due for enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame for several years, and now he’ll have to wait at least another year for hockey immortality. Without a doubt, Brind’Amour has a Hall of Fame resume, and it’s puzzling that he hasn’t already been inducted.
In his first two seasons as an NHLer, Brind’Amour made an immediate impact for the St. Louis Blues, collecting 43 goals and 110 total points in 157 games. However, the next nine years of his career were arguably his best following the trade that sent him to the Flyers for Ron Sutter and Murray Baron. In 633 games in a Flyers sweater, Brind’Amour registered 235 goals and 366 assists. His 601 points currently ranks 10th on the Flyers’ all-time list, ahead of Jakub Voracek, Simon Gagne, Reggie Leach and Rick Tocchet, to name a few.
Oh, and he was also really good at beating up Devils players, which is always nice.
One of Brind’Amour’s best seasons as a pro came during the 1991-92 season. He posted 33 goals and 44 assists in 80 games, earning him a trip to his one and only All-Star Game. He set a career-high 97 points in 84 games during the 1993-94 season, but inexplicably was not named an All-Star that year.
After nearly a decade in Philadelphia, the Flyers landed Keith Primeau in a trade that sent Brind’Amour to Carolina, where he was not only awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in two consecutive seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07), but also won his first and only Stanley Cup as a player. Serving as captain of the Hurricanes, Brind’Amour helped carry the team through the 2006 postseason with 18 points (12 goals) in 25 games as they took out the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Brind’Amour would play four more seasons for the Hurricanes before officially retiring in 2010. Carolina retired his No. 17 in 2011, and he’s now continuing to make an impact for the team behind the bench.
So, what is it that’s keeping Brind’Amour out of the Hockey Hall of Fame? Is it because he won a Cup in a non-traditional hockey market? Is it because Rod’s bod is just too good and members of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee are jealous? It’s hard to say. But without Brind’Amour, the Flyers wouldn’t have been nearly as fun as they were in the ‘90s, and the Hurricanes probably would have never won a Stanley Cup. In fact, it’s fair to question if hockey would even still be around in Carolina had it not been for Brind’Amour.
The man has waited long enough. If Brind’Amour isn’t inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame next summer, then there is something seriously wrong with how inductees are selected.
