$43 Million PGA Tour Golfer Joins Rory McIlroy in Unfortunate News Entering the Weekend
$43 Million PGA Tour Golfer Joins Rory McIlroy in Unfortunate News Entering the Weekend originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto is in full swing, and it's already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic events on the PGA Tour calendar. After two rounds of play, it's Cameron Champ, a late addition to the field, who finds himself on top. With an opening round of 62 followed by a smooth 66, Champ holds a two-stroke lead and remains the only bogey-free player through 36 holes.
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Behind him are Andrew Putnam and a strong chasing pack including Victor Perez, Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Shane Lowry.
But while some are soaring, others are heading home early. The weekend field has been trimmed, and four big names won't be around, Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Luke Clanton, and David Ford all missed the cut.
Max Homa walks the ninth fairway during the third round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf ClubAdam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In PGA Tour events, the cut is used to reduce the field after two rounds, allowing only the top scorers (typically the top 65 and ties) to compete in the weekend rounds.
Max Homa, who came heartbreakingly close, finished one shot short of the cutline at 2-under. His missed 13-foot birdie putt on the 18th sealed his early exit. It's a rare misstep for the 34-year-old, who has earned over $43 million in career prize money and is one of the Tour's top competitors.
As for McIlroy, the missed cut is particularly shocking. This is the first time he's failed to make a weekend since The Open Championship last July. His second-round 78 included a disastrous quadruple-bogey on the 5th hole and a double on the 11th.
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'I think there's still learnings that you have to take from a day like today,' McIlroy admitted.
He now faces an unexpected break ahead of the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
Related: Last-Minute Addition Leads PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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PWHL draft ranking 2025: Casey O'Brien, Haley Winn highlight the list
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O'Brien was the No. 1 center on the best team in the NCAA last season and was 'the best player in college hockey,' according to Wisconsin Badgers coach Mark Johnson. She won the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award, was named WCHA Player and Forward of the Year, and led the NCAA in scoring with 88 points in 41 games, all en route to a third national championship. It was the highest-scoring season in almost a decade – since Alex Carpenter scored 88 points in 2016 for Boston College – and set a new Badgers' single-season points record, passing Meghan Duggan's 87 points in 2010-11. O'Brien is an excellent playmaker who reads the game at an advanced level and has phenomenal vision and hands as a passer – she had more assists last season (62) than most players in the country had points. O'Brien is defensively responsible, can play in all situations, is strong in the faceoff circle, and is able to make an impact on every shift. 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Kaltounková fits the pro mold and her physical style of play will likely benefit from the PWHL's rules. Gosling has been a top-pair defender at Clarkson alongside Winn, and one of the best defenders in college hockey over the last few seasons. She finished her college career as the highest-scoring defender in Clarkson Golden Knights history, and ranks second in points-per-game (.84) only behind 2024 PWHL Defender of the Year Erin Ambrose. The gap between Gosling and Winn isn't huge, as they're both elite two-way, point-producing defenders, but they go about the game a bit differently. Winn is the more dynamic skater, while Gosling plays a more cerebral, heads-up game and can control the pace of the game from the back end — similar to Ambrose. Gosling closes gaps well with her positioning and active stick, and can play with a bit of snarl and physicality when she's defending the net front or battling for pucks along the walls. She projects to be a good top-four defender in the PWHL. Guilday is an excellent defensive defender who projects to be a very good pro. As captain at Cornell last season, Guilday anchored the blue line on one of the best defensive teams in the nation (1.46 goals against). She also won three medals at women's worlds, including gold in 2024, as a member of Team USA. Guilday has good size and defends at an elite level. She plays good gaps, keeps stick-on-puck, and defends the rush well. She does well to take away time and space from opposing forwards and isn't afraid to play the body. Guilday doesn't offer a ton of offense, but moves pucks well enough and can contribute with a strong shot. Cherkowski is a versatile forward who can play center and both wings and was an impact player at Clarkson. She's a good penalty killer, could play the net front or flank on the power play and finished fifth in points among college players in this year's draft, with 45 in 40 games. Cherkowski's game does not lack dimension. She skates well and can get up and down the ice in transition. She's smart on and off the puck and can handle physicality in the tough areas of the ice. Cherkowski could be a Swiss Army Knife-type player for a PWHL team, with the ability to play a top-six role or be a reliable third-line checking center. Mlynkova is a gifted goal scorer with big-time international experience, having represented Czechia at six women's world championships and the 2022 Olympics. After four solid seasons at the University of Vermont, she transferred to the University of Minnesota for her fifth year of eligibility and proved herself at the WCHA level with 16 goals and 34 points — good for second and third on the Golden Gophers. Mlynkova and teammate Ella Huber are pretty close on the ranking, and will likely come down to a general manager's preference. Mlynkova is a talented goal scorer who is agile, slippery with the puck and can escape small areas. She's a smaller forward, but isn't afraid to go to the net and get bumped by larger defenders. She plays hard and smart off the puck and would fit well on a team that needs a top-six scoring winger. Huber is a versatile 200-foot forward and the third-highest scoring college player in the draft after scoring a career-high 48 points this season. She might not be a star herself but she can be a reliable center beside one, which she's shown over almost a decade playing beside Abbey Murphy. Huber has good speed and finish to her game and has no problem going to the dirty areas of the ice to gain possession and make plays. She's a smart player who reads the game at an advanced level and knows how to play off of her linemates. Huber is strong on faceoffs and should be able to play up and down the lineup in the PWHL. Cooper's offensive ability, at least for some teams, could push her ahead of Rory Guilday, who only scored nine points last season, but they would be giving up some size and shutdown ability in return. Cooper, the third-highest scoring college defender in the draft, isn't quite as dynamic as Winn or Gosling, but has decent individual skill, walks the line well and is willing to jump into the rush. She gets her shots through from the offensive blue line and makes a good first pass out of the zone. She can defend well and uses her stick to break up a lot of plays. Cooper projects as a solid two-way depth defender. Karvinen is one of the best European forwards of all time, and will add a (skilled) veteran presence to a team's top nine. She became Finland's leading scorer at women's worlds, ahead of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Riikka Sallinen, and remained highly productive in the SDHL with 21 goals and 35 points in 32 games this season. Where most players slow down noticeably as they get older, Karvinen skates well enough for the PWHL level, playing with pace on the forecheck and in pursuit of the puck. She's a smart, heady player with a nose for the net and good hands in tight. She could be drafted anywhere in the first few rounds as teams look to fill holes at the top of their lineup. At 35, she won't play as long as the majority of 2025 draft picks, but general managers will know exactly what they get in Karvinen, unlike some of the depth players coming out of the NCAA. Buglioni is a cerebral player and a hard-working center who can be relied upon in all three zones. She won two national championships with the Buckeyes and leaves OSU as the program's leader in game-winning goals and tied for the record in shorthanded goals. Her numbers didn't always pop on deep teams, but she broke 40 points twice and finished her college career right around a point per game. Buglioni plays with pace and is a competitor who finds ways to make things happen, despite being on the smaller side. She should be able to play up and down a PWHL lineup. Hustler was named a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award after a breakout 2024 season, where she led the Saints in goals (24), assists (31) and points (55) — and outscored Toronto Sceptres first-rounder Julia Gosling. This season, Hustler led the team in scoring by 14 points (39 to her nearest teammate's 25). She has good size, protects pucks well and should be able to play through the extra contact in the PWHL. She's got a pro shot and good feel around the net. And while she's not the quickest skater, it's not a major concern. Hustler projects as a middle-six power forward. Zanon started her college career at Penn State, where she was the 2021 National Rookie of the Year and became the first Nittany Lion to be named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She finished her career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning a national championship in 2024, and as a more than point-per-game player. She also played for Team USA at the December Six Nations tournament, and scored two massive goals to get to the gold medal game. Zanon is a crafty player with evasiveness on the puck and a deceptive release. And though she's not the biggest, she plays a determined game and should be able to contribute in the PWHL. Webster is easily a top-15 player based on merit, with two national championships and an NCAA tournament MVP under her belt. But she's also an elite field hockey player and a member of the U.S. National Team with her eyes on the 2028 summer Olympics. If she were to play in the PWHL, it could be for as little as one season before fully committing to field hockey training, which could move her down some draft boards. On the ice, though, Webster has high-end speed that helps her track, get to pucks, win foot races, and create off the rush. She plays on strong instincts, jumps on opportunities, works hard and can catch your eye when she's bursting around the ice. After Guilday and Cooper are off the board, there won't be a ton of top — pro ready — defenders remaining. Jobst-Smith is one of them, though, which could make her a riser on draft-day. She's a smart, well-rounded defender, puck moving defender who can skate and has top-level international experience, playing for Germany at women's worlds and Olympic qualifiers. Jobst-Smith walks the line well and can make plays on outlets or zone exits. She's not super physical but she defends hard and smart. Irving was the Huskies' No. 1 center and leading scorer in each of the last two seasons, putting together back-to-back 30-plus point campaigns. She's a strong skater with an ability to drive down the ice and attack, win races, and track pucks inside the offensive zone. She can score in the slot with a good mid-range shot and can finish plays with good hands around the net. Irving is a hard-worker and could be an elite bottom-six checking forward who could add valuable secondary scoring in the PWHL. Van Wieren is a physically imposing center, fiercely competitive and coming off a career-high 17 goals and 40 goals as a fifth-year, tying for the UMD lead in scoring. She's poised with the puck, has a heavy shot and wins a lot of puck battles. Van Wieren was a huge part of both of Minnesota-Duluth's special teams this season, and was first over the boards in moments that mattered most, playing 24 minutes a night. Her size and well-rounded toolkit gives her a solid bottom-six profile in the PWHL. Murphy has been one of the cornerstones of Colgate's program for the last four years and was named co-captain of the team this year. In her first three seasons, she challenged Kayle Osborne, who was drafted 28th overall in last year's PWHL draft, for starts and turned the depth chart into a tandem. This year, the starters crease was hers, and she was outstanding with a .939 save percentage that is consistent with Murphy's career .937 save percentage. Murphy is a good sized, athletic, and technically sound goalie who plays sharp angles, controls her rebounds well, and can go post-to-post or low-to-high with her quickness. Goalies are hard to project, but with the expansion goalie shuffle, Murphy could be a solid mid-round pick — and is our No. 1 goalie in this class. Hjalmarsson went undrafted last season, but with so many holes on original six rosters after the PWHL Expansion draft, she's more likely to hear her name called this time around. She was Linköping's captain as a rookie in 2023-24 playing to above a point per game and centering their top line. This season, she was less productive in the SDHL but had her best showing at women's worlds scoring five points in six games while wearing an 'A' for Sweden. Hjalmarsson is good at the net front with an ability to take pucks on her forehand or backhand and quickly put them upstairs. She handles and protects the puck really well for a taller player and shows good offensive instincts. Hjalmarsson should get picked up and we could see her having a good career in the PWHL. Mobley had an interesting college career. She spent her first three seasons at Quinnipiac and led the Bobcats in scoring as both a sophomore and junior. She then transferred to Ohio State, won a national championship in more of a depth role, and transferred again to play her fifth year of eligibility closer to home at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. At UMD, she led the Bulldogs in with a career-high 19 goals, which is tied for fourth (with Hustler) among college players in the draft. Mobley has good size, speed and a good shot. She wins battles and protects pucks well and could fit in nicely as a bottom-six secondary scorer. Gentry is a pro-sized two-way center with a nose for the net and a knack for banging home chances around the crease. She plays to her identity as a physical competitor, with a hard game that should be well suited for the PWHL. She gets to the net front, battles for pucks, and is a reliable defensive player who can take a lot of draws. Her feet are a little heavy but she's strong on her skates, she outmuscles opponents on the cycle, and she plays a simple, effective game. Gentry could find herself in the top-20 mix in this relatively shallow draft class, given her skillset fits a desirable depth mold in the PWHL. And if teams want someone who can bang around in their bottom-six, they probably won't find anyone better than Gentry. Hemp was a consistent top-six forward at Minnesota and a two-year captain, averaging around 30 points per season. She played all situations for the Golden Gophers and generated offense while mostly playing without the dynamic Huber-Murphy at five-on-five. Hemp is a natural right-shot, but can play both wings and take faceoffs. She's a smart player and tied with Mlynkova — a potential top-10 pick — with 16 goals last season. She played on the U.S. collegiate team and could move up closer to Tier 3 if GMs see her as a comparable forward to Buglioni, Zanon and Co. While Newhook's production at BC doesn't jump off the page, she was one of their three leading scorers in four straight seasons, was a successful linemate of Boston Fleet star Hannah Bilka early in her college career, and was a co-captain of the Eagles in her final two seasons. Newhook is a really smart player with good skill. She was a prominent penalty killer for the Eagles and plays a committed two-way game at the center-ice position, though the faceoff circle isn't a major strength. She projects as an effective bottom-sixer. Wallin is the third in a trio of forwards from UMD last season and finished tied for the team lead in scoring with Van Wieren (40 points). She might be the most natural goal scorer out of the UMD forwards, with a nice shot and ability to find pucks in the slot, but there's a bigger question mark on how she might progress at the next level than her teammates. Still, she's a good player who worked to get into her scoring positions last season and could be a pro. Upson is only 21 years old and had four very productive years at Mercyhurst, registering 147 points in 148 games. She led the Lakers in scoring with 43 points in 38 games last season, which is sixth among college players in the draft and more than Tier 3 players — such as Buglioni and Hustler — above her. The AHA conference is on the weaker side compared to the WCHA, but Mercyhurst and Penn State are solid programs, and she was one of the top players in the conference during her time with the Lakers. Upson's game is all about two-way smarts. She's excellent in the faceoff circle. She sees the ice really well with and without the puck. She's got a natural release and very good feel as a passer. She was consistent shift-to-shift and game-to-game in our viewings. She's not a burner as a skater, but she can play with pace. Neitzke put up good numbers on a bad Lindenwood team and is one of the more intriguing forwards in the bottom 15. Her 26 points in 32 games led her team in scoring by 12 points last year — her nearest teammate had just 14 points, the same number of goals she had. Neitzke can create her own offense at a high rate and has a big-time shot — and should benefit from playing with a better cast around her where she can focus on getting open and going to the net as a secondary scorer. She's also got the competitiveness and the jam needed to play in the PWHL. Ross is a good defensive defender coming out of a strong St. Cloud system that prioritizes being hard on pucks and a pain to play against. She's an ultra-competitive, physically involved and effective right-shot D who has been one of the country's top shot blockers. Ross is strong for her size and wins a lot of battles with her strength and power. She can also, at the very least, chip in on offense thanks to a very hard point shot. Ross projects as a sturdy third-pairing defender who can be relied upon in all three zones. Wozniewicz's stats don't stand up against the other NCAA players ranked here but she was one of the best checking forwards in college hockey and played that role so effectively that there's some belief out there that she can be a good fourth-liner in the PWHL — similar to Gentry but with slightly more skill. Wozniewicz can skate well and uses her size and feet to be an effective, high-energy forechecker. She wins battles, can play the physical game and has a hard shot. Wozniewicz scored the game-winning goal with 24.5 seconds left in the WCHA Finals for the Wisconsin Badgers, which proved not only her finishing ability, but also the trust her coaching staff had in her in a massive moment. Her game lacks dimension and playmaking, but she's effective at what she does and could be worth a mid-to-late-round selection. Reilly did not play hockey last year, but was one of the most productive defenders in the country in 2023-24, and was among our favorite players before realizing she didn't declare for the draft. She's in the mix this year, and should be considered now that she's ready to return to her playing career. Reilly wore the 'C' for Quinnipiac, played big minutes and scored a career-high 10 goals as the team's leading scorer in 2023-24. Her 39 points in her final year were more than double her previous career high (19) in college. So, whether it was a new trend for Reilly or just one highly productive season is a fair question. But she's a hard worker with good offensive instincts and a big one-timer, which gives her some offensive upside at the next level. Her play defensively isn't as strong as some of the other defenders in this tier and comes with some leaks. She projects as a depth defender and potential second-unit power-play type in the PWHL. Labad was a consistent producer for Quinnipiac over the last three seasons and played for Canada's national collegiate team at Six Nations. She's a good skater who is fast in straight lines and can win races and capitalize on opportunities to attack down ice. She protects pucks well and can put the puck in the net with a natural and hard release. She's probably not going to be a penalty killer at the next level and she's not a natural playmaker, so she'll have to carve out a niche as a secondary scorer if she wants to play in the PWHL. But she has the tools and the makeup to be that type of player — a bottom-six shooter who can provide depth offense as a scorer and play well off of a pass-first linemate. Brengman won two national titles with the Buckeyes and was a veteran leader on the team as a fifth-year senior after eight teammates were drafted in 2024. Brengman scored a career-best 19 points in 40 games and averaged around 24 minutes per game, including more than three minutes per game on the penalty kill, which led all Buckeyes. Brengman is a strong skater, especially going forward, which helps her get up into the play in transition. She doesn't have a ton of skill on the puck, but plays a smart two-way game that should make her a capable third-pairing D option in the PWHL. Baskin was a go-to player in all situations for the Bulldogs over the last two years. She was a top penalty killer for the team and led all UMD defenders in points as a junior and senior. Baskin is a smooth skater and comfortable puck handler who can side-step pressure and play on her toes in the offensive zone. Defensively, while she's not the strongest or most physical player, Baskin has a good stick, uses her edges to maintain a good gap and plays a smart all-around game. She should be in the mix to get picked and has several pro qualities. Lobdell leaves the Nittany Lions as the program's all-time leader in games played (168), goals by a defender (20), points by a defender (84) and penalty minutes by a defender (139). In her final year of eligibility last season, she led Penn State in plus-minus (plus-36) and blocked shots (46), and set a new career high with 21 points in 38 games. Lobdell averaged 22 minutes a night, was first over the boards on the penalty kill and contributed on the power play as the team's second-most productive D. Lobdell plays a physical, competitive, hard-nosed defensive style, playing the body and challenging opposing players in battles. She also has a hard shot and is comfortable attacking past the first layer into the zone. Her feet could stand to be a little quicker, but she's an average skater who could be a sturdy depth defender. A star in Russia, Shokhina has led their top level in scoring six times, has been named league MVP once, and led their regular season and playoffs in scoring again this season with 30 goals and 73 points in 42 games. She's a bit tricky to evaluate due to the varied quality of the ZhHL and the PWHL, so there's a question about how her game might translate to North America. She also hasn't played at a best-on-best international event since Russia's last international competition at the 2022 Olympics. Shokhina played in three U18 worlds, racking up 14 goals and 19 points in 16 games and once led the tournament in goals as a 15-year-old. But that was also 12 years ago. All that said, Shokhina looks like a skilled attacking winger, who plays quickly, skates well, has great hands and can really shoot it. Drafting her comes with some risk but her talent level makes her a worthwhile late-round bet. After four years at Bemidji, Hunt transferred to Minnesota Duluth and led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 goals and 34 points in 39 games in her fifth year of eligibility in 2023-24. She started 2024-25 on a tear with Lulea in the SDHL, ripping off five goals, 21 shots, and eight points before tearing both her ACL and MCL in just her sixth game to end her first pro season. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see a team take a late-round flier on Hunt. She's a strong skater who can round corners quickly, attack into space, and really shoot the puck. She plays quickly and intentionally on offense and can push pace and challenge defenders. Hunt should be ready for next season and is worth a look as a potential up-and-down-the-lineup player who could be a shooter on a team's second power play and a potential contributor at five-on-five. Ahola has been Finland's No. 1 goalie at women's worlds the last few years and won back-to-back bronze medals. She looked human this year, but was unbelievable at 2024 worlds, making the third-most saves (169) in the tournament to get Finland back on the podium. She was named WCHA Goalie of the Year in 2023-24 after posting five shutouts and a .935 save percentage. Ahola had a down year at St. Cloud this season, with a .917 save percentage, but she leaves the program as its all-time wins leader and should be a solid pick for a team looking to shore up its goalie depth chart. Poniatovskaia's numbers on a low-scoring Yale team don't tell the full story of her skill level. She's an individually skilled defender who is confident with the puck on her stick, has slick hands, likes to take opposing players one-on-one, and can attack into the slot and make plays around the net. She's more of an individual playmaker than a facilitator, but she's got legit skill and offensive instincts. Defensively, she also has good size, breaks up her fair share of plays, and can move well. Her challenge at the pro level is going to come down to opportunity. She's probably not going to quarterback most teams' top power plays over the stars in the PWHL. And she's not a natural penalty-killing type, so she may just have to be a depth five-on-five defender who can make some plays with the puck. Bargman, Yale's captain this season, is a two-way forward who can be counted upon in all situations. She works, she's reliable defensively, she plays the net front well and scores a lot of goals right at the top of the crease. She doesn't have dynamic skill, playmaking or speed, but Bargman is a smart, well-rounded player who could play a bottom-six role. Segedi was captain of St. Lawrence as a fifth-year senior this season and has international experience playing for China at women's worlds and at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. She's an extremely smart center who makes her linemates better and is elite in the faceoff circle — she often took 20-25 faceoffs a game in college and won upwards of 60 percent of them. She has good hands and touch on the puck. And while she lacks size, Segedi uses her smarts to anticipate and support the play at a high level off the puck. She warrants draft consideration. After four seasons and two national championships at Wisconsin, Wheeler played her fifth year of eligibility at Ohio State and lost in the national championship to her old school. Her production in college doesn't leap off the page at you, but she has been an important player on deep teams and still finished her NCAA career with four consecutive seasons above 20 points. She played on both special teams for the Buckeyes and Badgers and was a consistent game-to-game contributor at five-on-five who logged 19-20 minutes per game as a forward. Wheeler is on the small side, but she's more skilled than her point totals indicate. She's got quick feet, she tracks pucks and she plays a smart, heady game. She could be a decent depth option worth a late-round pick. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos: Chris Tanouye, Gil Talbot / Getty Images)
New York Times
44 minutes ago
- New York Times
Longevity vs. peak: The Hockey Hall of Fame debate and 5 players who define it
What kind of Hall of Fame fan are you? With the Hockey Hall of Fame committee meeting tomorrow to pick the class of 2025, and a stellar crop of first-time candidates added to some impressive holdovers, it's time to have the annual debate. After all, half the point of a sport having a highest honor is for fans to argue over who deserves it and who falls just short. Advertisement When we talk about which kind of Hall a fan wants, we usually default to the old 'small hall' debate, which basically amounts to just how high you want to set the bar and inevitably ends with a fight over Bernie Federko. But there's another way to look at it, and it's the one we'll focus on today: Which matters more, a player's short-term peak or their long-term consistency? Obviously, the ideal answer is 'both.' But the players who are truly great for an extended period aren't the ones we typically argue over. Joe Thornton and Zdeno Chara had MVP/Norris peaks to go with long careers of sustained excellence. Both are also getting in on the first ballot, so there's no debate to be had. It's the fringe cases that usually force us to pick one side or the other. So, who you got? Let's look at this as a sliding scale, with five stops along the way. You want: Career numbers. The bigger the better. And if those numbers are the result of a 20-season career built on consistent production, even better. The point here is that having a few great years is nice, but you're just as impressed by someone who can contribute year in and year out. You don't need to see a bunch of individual awards, or even any at all. But you'd better see the big milestones — 500 goals, 1,000 points, that sort of thing. Current HHOFers: Pierre Turgeon, Dino Ciccarelli, Mike Gartner But not: Vince Damphousse Today's poster candidate: Patrick Marleau His case: These candidates are often slapped with the dreaded 'compiler' label, which in sports is usually a derisive way to say that somebody stuck around forever to produce numbers that look more impressive than they really are. Well, nobody compiled more that Marleau, whose 1,779 career games were enough to break Gordie Howe's once unbreakable record. Over that time, Marleau racked up 566 goals and 1,197 points, which would be enough to get any player into the HHOF consideration. Advertisement But … he never won an award, or was a postseason All-Star, or finished higher than ninth in Hart voting. He was rarely in the conversation as the best player on his own team. And to a certain type of fan, Marleau just never 'felt' like a Hall of Famer. Should that matter, when the numbers are so high? Yeah, actually, there's a good case that it should. Odds he gets in: Good. He's o-for-1 since becoming eligible last summer, and he feels like a long shot this year given how strong the new candidates are. But eventually? I think it's more likely than not. You want: Big career numbers, same as the first group. But while you're not focused on a player's short-term peak, you'd like to at least see a few personal accolades. You don't need to see a Hart Trophy or a bunch of first-team All-Star honors. But you do want to see at least a few standout seasons, preferably with some awards balloting love, if only to reassure you that this player was in the conversation as being the best at something, at least for a while. After all, consistency is crucial, but just hanging around forever isn't enough — let's see some flashes of true greatness. Current HHOFers: Mark Recchi, Mike Vernon, Phil Housley, Joe Nieuwendyk But not: Bernie Nicholls Today's poster candidate: Rod Brind'Amour His case: He got to 452 goals and almost 1,200 points over a 20-year career, despite never being an All-Star, hitting 100 points or getting any Hart votes at all aside from one year where he finished 10th. That's pretty compile-y. But unlike Marleau and others, his trophy case isn't empty. Brind'Amour won two Selke Trophies for his two-way game, taking home the trophy in 2006 and 2007. That's one more Selke than guys like Jonathan Toews, Doug Gilmour or Steve Yzerman. Advertisement In Brind'Amour's case, those two Selke years are a bit weird because they were the only two seasons where he was given serious consideration. Not only was he not a finalist any other year, he only had one other year where he was even in the top 10 (he finished ninth in 1999). Is that enough to turn a guy who was rarely the top center on his own team into a Hall of Famer? I've mentioned this before, but the evolution of the Brind'Amour bandwagon has been fascinating. Ten years ago, I pitched him as an underrated comparable to (assumed sure thing) Marian Hossa, and people thought I was nuts. But over the years, he's gone from a virtual afterthought to a sneaky dark horse to a guy some of you are willing to go to battle for. Meanwhile, he's carving out a career as a very successful coach, which isn't supposed to help his case — players and builders are supposed to be completely separate categories — but can't hurt. Odds he gets in: I think I'm with HHOF maestro Paul Pidutti, who suggests Brind'Amour eventually gets in on the strength of his coaching success, as the committee bends the rules just a bit to get a solid candidate over the finish line. He wouldn't get my vote, but I won't complain too loudly if (or when) he gets the call. You want: Everything. Or at least long-term consistency and a strong peak. You want the major milestones, sure, but you're also going to need at least a couple of seasons where a guy was in the conversation as the very best at this position. He should have an All-Star honor or two, and ideally would have led the league in something important along the way. In theory, this is the easiest slot to settle into, because you're covering all the bases. After all, most of the true legends would fall into this category, mixing longevity with a high peak. Hey, that's what Wayne Gretzky and Joe Sakic and Nicklas Lidstrom did, right? But it gets tricky with guys whose cases aren't as strong, and they often seem to be the ones who get overlooked by the committee. Current HHOFers: Michel Goulet, Jean Ratelle, the Sedin twins But not: Henrik Zetterberg Advertisement Today's poster candidate: Keith Tkachuk His case: He got over 500 goals and over 1,000 points, so he checks those boxes. He was also a second-team All-Star twice, in 1995 and 1998. In between those seasons, he had back-to-back 50-goal years, including one where he led the league. All told, there was a roughly four-to-six season stretch where he was considered one of the best power wingers in hockey. And while he wasn't dominant after that, he stuck around for another decade, playing well enough to get those career numbers into Hall-worthy territory. Odds he gets in: Strong. In fact, with Jeremy Roenick going in last year, I'd expect Tkachuk and his arguably better case are now a question of when and not if. You want: A sustained peak, with multiple All-Star picks. One or two won't cut it — you want to see something more like four or five years of 'best at his position' conversation. As long as you see that, you're not too worried about whether the player's career lasted long enough to rack up big lifetime totals. If anything, you view those late-career 60-point seasons as empty calories that don't mean much. Instead, you just want to know that a player was among the very best, for an extended period. That's what a Hall of Famer looks like, even if they don't add another decade of stat-padding. Current HHOFers: Cam Neely, Pavel Bure, Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya But not: Tim Kerr The poster candidate: John LeClair His case: From 1995 to 1999, LeClair was a first- or second-team All-Star every year. He also had back-to-back-to-back 50-goal seasons, in an era where barely anyone was hitting that milestone. The All-Star streak ended in 2000, but not by much, as he still put up 40 goals and finished third in All-Star voting. But after that, injuries and age caught up with him. Mix in the fact that he was a late bloomer, and his career totals don't really look HHOF-worthy; he just barely cracked 400 goals and 800 points. Advertisement Still, you could make the argument that LeClair was the single best left winger in the league for a six-year stretch. Good luck finding anyone at any position who can say that and isn't in the Hall of Fame. Odds he gets in: Low, presumably, since he's been eligible since 2010 and hasn't made it yet. You still see his name when we talk about potential candidates, but you rarely meet a fan who's adamant that LeClair has been snubbed. Still, who would you rather have for one season, or one game — peak LeClair, or peak Marleau? It's not a hard call for fans who remember watching both guys. You want: The best of the best. That's it. That's what you're looking for. You want a candidate to be truly and inarguably elite, even if only for a little while. What did this player look like at their very best? How high do they rank on the 'you have one game to win and your life depends on it' draft board? You don't care how many seasons a player had where they were the seventh or eighth best in the league. The Hall of Fame should be for guys who were the absolute best, at least for a while. Current HHOFers: Are there any? I'm not sure there are, which maybe isn't surprising given how rare this player is. I could see some fans trying to put Alexander Mogilny here when he eventually gets inducted, although I think his case is strong even without his legendary 76-goal year. But not: Reggie Leach Today's poster candidate: Tim Thomas His case: I mean, if you have to play one seven-game series for everything you own, how many goalies would you take over 2011 Tim Thomas? That was the year he went .938 with a 2.00 GAA in the regular season and won the Vezina, then was even better in the playoffs to the tune of .940 and 1.98 to add the Conn Smythe and a Stanley Cup ring. If you wanted to call it the single greatest season any goalie has ever had, I'm open to hearing the case. And I'm almost certain you couldn't find a full season that beats it from anyone who isn't in the Hall, probably as a first-ballot pick like Dominik Hasek or Patrick Roy. Advertisement Thomas only played four NHL games before turning 30, wasn't a regular until he was 32, and his entire career spanned fewer games played than part-time starters like Petr Mrazek, James Reimer and Jake Allen have today. But that legendary 2011 season, combined with another Vezina win in 2009, means he can clearly claim best-in-the-world honors, if only briefly. Odds he gets in: They don't seem especially high. But maybe they should be? (Top photo of Tim Thomas and Keith Tkachuk: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
