Quite the impressive list of Hockey Hall-of-Famers, and future Hall-of-Famers. These players, are the only players, who have more National Hockey League goals than Dino Ciccarelli. However, Dino has been retired for ten seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, and has yet received his call to hockey's shrine.
Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware the game of hockey is about a lot more than goals. But when a player like Ciccarelli, who scored over 600 goals (608) is certainly deserving to be a Hall-of-Famer one day.
Ciccarelli first became eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. Certainly, I would not expect Dino to be voted in during a year like 2007 when Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Mark Messier and Scott Stevens are honoured. Or 2004 when Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey and Larry Murphy are inducted.
In Ciccarelli's first year of eligibility, Clark Gillies was one of the honoured memebers. Gilles was an intrical part of four Stanley Cup titles for the New York Islanders in the 1980's, but only ended up with 89 more points than Dino did goals. It's tough to be considered a first-ballot hall-of-famer, and I think in this case, Ciccarelli is not.
However in 2005, 2006 and 2008, I felt Dino was worthy of a call. In order to get inducted, one must receive 75% of the votes of the 18 member voting committe. In each of these years, Ciccarelli failed to get enough votes. 2005 saw Russian legend Valeri Kharlamov inducted. It is the HOCKEY Hall of Fame, and this vote was certainlty earned. Cam Neely was also inducted, and while his career was cut short, he did have a tremendous career. Ciccarelli might compete with Neely for a spot in the Hall. Again, 608 goals is nothing to snuff about. 2008 saw Glenn Anderson and Igor Larionov inducted, and while Anderson's 6 Stanley Cups trumps Ciccarelli's zero, Anderson failed to crack 500 goals, let alone 600. Again, I am still stressing that goals are not everything in hockey, clearly. If Ciccarelli was on the Edmonton Oilers of the 80's though, I am sure he'd have a cup too.
It was 2006, when alongside sure-thing nominee Patrick Roy, that Dick Duff was inducted. This was the year, I feel Ciccarelli was truly shafted. Nothing against Dick Duff, he was a great player who had a great career, but he had been passed up 31 times for induction. His highest point total as a forward was 53 points. Ciccarelli surpassed 53 points 12 times, including two 100-point seasons and two 50-goal seasons. Surely, the 16th highest goal scorer of all-time was strongly considered for the nomination that season.
Why did he not get it? Well, Ciccarelli has had a reputation as not being a great person to deal with the media. He is also the only NHL player to serve jail time for an on ice incident, as he spent one day in prison in 1988 for attacking Luke Richardson with his stick. He was even sentenced to probation in 1987 after pleading guilty to indecent exposure. The guy took out his garbage in a robe or something, and it flew open revealing Dino's peen-o. Accidents happen, it's not the Putting Your Garbage Out Clothed Hall of Fame. It's the Hockey Hall-of-Fame. The reality is, Ciccarelli was one of the best players at getting the gritty, garbage (had to) goals. So he didn't win a cup. So he was not Saint Peter off the ice. The man had a nose for the net and found it 608 times. I hope that one day (and don't make him wait 10 more years) that 3/4 of the voting members of the Hockey Hall-of-Fame put whatever differences aside, whatever preconceived notions about Ciccarelli they possess, and put Dino where he belongs - alongside some of the best goal-scorers in National Hockey League History.
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