A Red Wings’ Foursome? by "The Prof"

This is a good year for NHL Hockey Hall of Fame player considerations. But, I am betting that all the inductees will have a Detroit Red Wing background. Here are my picks:

#1: Steve Yzerman is a shoo in. Not only was he a great player and a great leader, but he is genuinely well-respected worldwide. And, like the old days he has one thing going for him – at least in my mind. He played for the same team his entire career. That is almost unheard of in today’s market-driven (not fan-driven) economic market.

Too bad players have been talked into the belief that they should go for the gusto on each contract. Call me romantic, but I wish Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, and even Ryan Smyth started and ended their careers with the Oilers. I want the owners and players to love their fans as much as their fans love them.

#2: Luc Robitaille seems like such a good guy that I am really rooting for him. Although he had his best years with the Los Angeles Kings, he still played for Detroit from 2001-3 (two seasons). I am glad he finished his career with the Kings. I suppose I also like him because he never looks old – the last time I saw a picture of him, he looked like he was 25 years old. Again, here is a guy who seemed to like his fans in LA enough to end his career there. His jersey was retired a couple years ago – and good!

#3: Like him or not, Brett Hull deserves to be in the Hall. What a scoring machine – and I am pleased the Flames traded him away when they had him, or else the Oilers might not have dominated them those many years – well, they used to a long time ago. When Hull had a "feeder" who could get him the puck, like he did in St. Louis in Adam Oates, could that guy score.

#4: And speaking of Adam Oates, here is an under-rated player who also has a Detroit Red Wing background. Before he went to the Blues, he started his career with the Wings and, by the time he left, he was averaging almost an assist a game. His last career year was as an Oiler and, by that time, his skill had run out – but he sure had an impact on the Oilers’ face off success two years ago. Perhaps we should bring him back to teach the young Oilers something about winning that face-off that allows us to control or escape the zone.

#5: Finally, the last person eligible with a chance – perhaps not a good one, however, is Dino Ciccarelli. I remember meeting him in the airport one day when he was on his way back to the States – he had broken his wrist, I believe, and had to stay in Edmonton for treatment and was on his way back with a trainer. He seemed only like a little guy, but what a pest.

I know there are others who perhaps deserve a Hall of Fame vote -- Alexander Mogilny, Brian Leetch, Pavel Bure, Doug Gilmour, Steve Larmer, and Dave Andreychuk come to mind. But, the selection committee takes no more than four players per year, and I am thinking all four will have a Detroit Red Wings background. So, when this year's Inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame take place on Nov. 9 in Toronto, that is my guess.

What are your picks?