The start of the NHL season is almost a month away. Players are heading back to their home rinks in preparation for training camp, and at this point in time, it’s the calm before the regular season storm. Over at the NHL Networkthey discussed a fun offseason topic as they questioned whether it was too early to consider Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid for the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) at this stage of his career.
Former NHL player and current hockey analyst Mike Johnson said, “Connor McDavid, at this point, is a Hockey Hall of Famer. At 500 games. Absolutely. If he never played another game, he goes in the Hall of Fame. That’s how good he is.”
It’s a disputable take. Has he played enough games to be included in such a prestigious group of hockey players? One of the game’s most electrifying players, Pavel Bure, played only 702 NHL games and prior to his induction, there was a disagreement about whether he played enough NHL games. In the end, the 18-member selection committee at the time decided that his 702 NHL games, a Calder Trophy, and two Rocket Richard Trophies were enough to be inducted into the HHOF.
McDavid has played even fewer games than Bure but has accomplished much more. With everything he’s achieved in his seven seasons in the NHL, I’d have to agree with Johnson that even though he’s played less than 500 games, if he decided to hang up his skates right now, he’d be a surefire Hall of Famer. .
McDavid Has Already Become One of the All-Time Greats
To be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the selection committee analyzes the following attributes of a player: playing ability, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to his or her team or teams and to the game of hockey in general. That said, it’s important to remember that they look at a player’s contribution to hockey as a whole, and not just players that played in the NHL.