This week, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted seven new members. Headlined by a Teemu Selanne–Paul Kariya reunion, this year's ceremony truly pulled out all the stops as far as emotions go, and was a delight to watch, as usual.
Mark Recchi, one of the most illustrious Atlanta Thrashers Flyers to take the ice, was also a key part of this year's class. Since his retirement after a legendary 22-year career in 2011, Recchi's case for the Hall of Fame has been heavily discussed, but ultimately, he (justly) earned hockey's highest honor.
Recchi has also been the latest in a growing line of Flyers personnel to earn the honor. Since 2011, at least one Flyer has been enshrined every year, with Mark Howe, Adam Oates, Fred Shero, Peter Forsberg, Chris Pronger and Eric Lindros earning them along the way. Several longtime Flyer killers, namely Martin Brodeur, Martin St-Louis and Daniel Alfredsson, are speculated to headline next year's class, while Alexander Moginly, Sergei Zubov and Chris Osgood are names that have been kicked around as well.
If the trend of ex-Flyers in the Hall continues, who could find themselves inducted? Here's a look at seven candidates.
Danny Briere: Having last laced the skates up with Colorado in 2015, Briere is in his first year of eligibility next year. With 696 career points in 973 games, Briere's certainly not a first-ballot inductee, and his chances at induction are a longshot at best. His playoff numbers, though, have been the stuff of legend, with 53 goals and 116 points in 124 career games. Briere's story quite captivating during his time in the league, and he overcame a lot to make it, especially earlier in his career when size won out. Certainly a shot for the Flyers Hall of Fame, but as far as the Hockey Hall of Fame is concerned, I don't see it. Then again, he's overcome more significant odds before.
Kimmo Timonen: One of Briere's contemporaries, Kimmo Timonen is still considered one of the greatest defensemen in Flyers history. He was the glue that held defense cores together during his tenures in Nashville and Philly, and is one of the more prolific Finnish defensemen to take the ice. Regarded for his offensive prowess, he turned in 117 goals and 571 points over a 1,108-game career that spanned 16 seasons. He also won four gold medals with Team Finland, and helped earn three bronze medals as well. Unfortunately, one thing that eluded Timonen was a Norris Trophy — certainly one of the negatives when you play during the same timeframe as Nicklas Lidstrom and Pronger. It may take Timonen some time — certainly not getting inducted in his first year — but he'll get his due.
John Vanbiesbrouck: The Hall is always a little tougher on goalies, having inducted just four since 2006. Vanbiesbrouck, having been eligible since 2005, won the Vezina Trophy in 1986 (dedicating his win to the late Pelle Lindbergh, to boot) and backstopped a third-year Florida Panthers club to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. The all-time leader in wins for American-born goaltenders (374), Vanbiesbrouck was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. While he spent two seasons as a Flyer, having not won the Stanley Cup he and the organization both coveted, the best of his career was spent with the Panthers and Rangers. He likely will not get inducted next year, or even in the coming years, but his time will come at some point.
Eric Desjardins: His 2015 induction into the Flyers Hall of Fame was cool and well-earned, but the fact that Desjardins isn't in the Hockey Hall of Fame yet almost blows my mind. One of the sturdier two-way blueliners of his era, Desjardins helped lead Montreal to a Stanley Cup in 1993 thanks in part to a Game 2 hat trick. When he was traded, along with John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne for Recchi, it had reverberations across the league, and solidified the Flyers into a bona fide contender. Like Timonen, he doesn't have a Norris Trophy to his name. He does have two gold medals with Team Canada, though. Having been eligible since 2009, he can surely wait it out some more, but the Hall of Fame should enshrine him sooner rather than later.
Jeremy Roenick: Since becoming eligible in 2012, Roenick's been one of the more controversial discussions — only fitting, given that controversy is one thing he thrived on during his 20 NHL seasons. His numbers are there, with 513 goals and 1,216 points in 1,363 games. His big hurdle, though, is a lack of individual accolades or Stanley Cup rings — just ask Patrick Roy about the latter. One of the faces of American hockey throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Roenick will surely get his due within the next few years.
Bill Clement/Jim Jackson: Make no mistake, though he turned in a steady 12 seasons, Clement will not make the Hall of Fame as a player. As a broadcaster, though, his case for the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is quite strong. His broadcasting work has spanned across NBC, ESPN, ABC, Versus and TNT in addition to his current work with NBC Sports Philadelphia, while Canadian audiences have seen him on CBC/Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet and CTV. He's also announced the NHL video games across multiple publishers throughout the 2000s and 2010s, helping grow the game to plenty of young hockey fans. He's due for the Foster Hewitt Award.
Jackson, on the other hand, is also a worthy recipient. It may seem hard to believe, but Jackson has been doing play-by-play for the Flyers since 1993. He's been the consummate professional along the way, and has been there for plenty of significant moments in Flyers history — from the Legion of Doom era, to the oh-so-painfully-close teams of the late 90s/early 2000s, to the magical 2010 run, to the 50th anniversary season and everything in between. His style as a broadcaster isn't too over-the-top — he manages to bring the right emotions to any game, and serves as an exemplary voice that fans of any club could appreciate. His due will surely come.
