Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Discuss the St. Louis Blues, the NHL, or anything hockey. (Formerly the Blues News Forum)

Moderator: LGB Mods

Post Reply
not_a_wings_fan
Hall Of Fame
Hall Of Fame
Posts: 3382
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:27 pm
Location: Anywhere but here

Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by not_a_wings_fan »

So I was just reading through this article from ESPN and they are talking about when Pronger will be eligible.

It seems it's "three years from last game" and has nothing to do with the fact that he's still under contract. As such, he could go in as soon as 2015 if selected.

But what really struck me was the tone of the article where everyone interviewed looked at him as a surefire, guaranteed HoF inductee.
Pierre LeBrun wrote: Scott Niedermayer and Chris Chelios were no-brainer, first-year Hockey Hall of Fame inductees as two of the greatest blueliners ever to play the game. And Chris Pronger will be the same, whenever his day comes.
Pierre LeBrun wrote:Pronger’s humility notwithstanding, it's clear he’s a first-year automatic inductee whenever his times comes, and if it is indeed in 2015, that would be the same year as the great Nicklas Lidstrom, so that would be a perfect 1-2 punch to put in.
Is his resume really that good? Is he really first-ballot, surefire HoF caliber?

Discuss
Official 2008-2015 LGB Sponsor of Barret Jackman

User avatar
AlsWoodenStick
2nd Line Scorer
2nd Line Scorer
Posts: 362
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:53 am
Location: Section 106

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by AlsWoodenStick »

Yeah, (Frank) Nicklas Lidström.
Image
Official LGB sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko.
Image

User avatar
Oaklandblue
All-Star
All-Star
Posts: 1423
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 11:20 pm

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by Oaklandblue »

Is Prongs HoF Materal?!


Well, let's see:

1. Wore a letter for pretty much every team he was a part of, including the C.
2. Been to the finals 3x, won the Cup once.
3. Won the Hart as a Defenseman which hadn't happened since this guy named Orr.
4. Two Olympic Gold Medals. Not one. Two.
And was a fairly reliable scorer/assistman

Quite possibly one of the best D of our time and is he First-String HoF material?! Seriously? Hell yes!

The one I'm curious about, when he finally retires and doesn't win a Cup, is Shane Doan. Now there's a guy who deserves to be in the HoF, hands down.
2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Alexander Steen
2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Jaromir Jagr, Calgary Flames
2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Brian Elliott, Calgary Flames
2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Ryan "Turn that leaf on the wind into a shrimp on the bar-bee" Reaves
2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Obviously Not Steve Ott
2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Steve "Chirps-A-Lot" Ott
2015 LGB Supporter of the New York Rangers
2014-2015 LGB Sponsor of Patrik "No-Timer" Berglund
2013-2014 LGB Sponsor of Derek "In The Middle" Roy
2012-2013 LGB Sponsor of Chris "NO SLEEP TIL THE CUP!" Stewart - Shhhhh!!!

User avatar
dmiles2186
Hockey God
Hockey God
Posts: 7288
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Selling Air Bombays--for kids who want to coach

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by dmiles2186 »

If you go to Hockey-Reference and look up Chris Pronger, they have 'Similarity Scores,' based on their career numbers and they compare them to players of equal output. Here are the names on Pronger's:

Chris Pronger
King Clancy
Chris Chelios
Larry Robinson
Brian Leetch
Sergei Zubov
Sergei Gonchar
Brad Park
Scott Niedermayer
Phil Housley
Red Kelly

That's a pretty good list, one with a lot of Hall of Famers on it. I know there are more factors than comparing players and saying, 'That guy is an HOFer, so this guy has to be.' But the type of guys Prongs compares to, along with his numbers, and like Oakland said, the first D-man since Orr to win a Hart, makes him more than qualified to be a first ballot HOFer.

If he was still playing, it wouldn't be a question. He's just be padding the stats. But because his career ended prematurely, I guess that's where the question comes in. But it's not a question for me. He's a first ballot guy.
Image

2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Not Ott, because he is a booger-eating dumb dumb

User avatar
ViPeRx007
LGB Booster - Yellow
LGB Booster - Yellow
Posts: 9765
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2003 3:08 pm
Location: Billings, MT

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by ViPeRx007 »

The answer to this thread is yes.

/end of discussion
2015-2016 Official LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz (IR) & The Hockey Gods
2014-2015 Official LGB Sponsor of T.J. Oshie
2013-2014 Official LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
2012-2013 Official LGB Sponsor of Ryan Reaves
2011-2012 Official LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
2010-2011 Official LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko

not_a_wings_fan
Hall Of Fame
Hall Of Fame
Posts: 3382
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:27 pm
Location: Anywhere but here

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by not_a_wings_fan »

I am not saying he isn't, just wanted to see what you guys had to say on the topic.

He finally got through in the playoffs after he left STL, but when he was here he was shitty in the post-season.

I think the idea that injuries have really limited him is a valid one, but does that factor in to the analysis?

He's well over 1k games played tho, and that's often a key indicator.
Official 2008-2015 LGB Sponsor of Barret Jackman

BlueNoteworthy
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:04 am

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by BlueNoteworthy »

I would say so. Every Hart winner who has been eligible except for 3 has been voted into the hall of fame. That's roughly 40 winners in the hall and 3 not. Of the three, one was a goalie who played for a god awful team and consequently had terrible numbers but was still given the trophy. One had a short career and the last was injury plagued. Add in that Pronger did it as a D, which is much more difficult in todays game. The last D to win it other then Pronger was Orr in '72. Pronger was the only D in 40 years to win the Hart (from '73 til now). He wasn't a one season fluke either, with 6 all-star games. That means auto bid for me. Only one Norris could be a knock, but you can hardly blame him as the writers auto-gave it to Lidstrom whether he derserved it or not for about 10 years. Also HoFers Niedermayer and Macinnis only have one each. His career definitely makes him a HoFer. His one great year and Hart win secures the first bid.

User avatar
cprice12
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 21530
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2003 1:26 am
Location: Center Ice
Contact:

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by cprice12 »

Is this even a serious question?

Of course he is.

One of the best all around defensemen of his era. If not for Lidstrom, he would be considered the best of his era.
Dude controlled the play on the ice better than anyone I have ever seen. Punished players in the defensive zone, put up very good numbers in the offensive zone, triggered long outlet passes (goal line to blue line) better than anyone...seemingly had a wingspan of half the width of the rink.
LETS GO BLUES RADIO
LIVE weekly broadcasts on YouTube & http://www.LetsGoBlues.com/radio!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curtprice
Lets Go Blues Radio Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgbradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cprice12/
Lets Go Blues Radio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lgbradio/

User avatar
F Keenan
All-Star
All-Star
Posts: 2293
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:10 am
Location: Kirkwood, MO

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by F Keenan »

HOF'er, yes. Worth Brendan Shanahan, no.
*I tend to only post on this site when I'm intoxicated.

User avatar
WaukeeBlues
Hockey God
Hockey God
Posts: 6163
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 3:00 pm
Location: Phi Alpha

Re: Is Pronger really a no-doubt HoF Player?

Post by WaukeeBlues »

In his prime, and for a long period of time, he was one of (and routinely THE) most dominant players at his position in the league.

Regardless of what sport you're talking about, that means HOF. First ballot. No contest.
Official 2021-2022 LGB Sponsor of Torey Krug
Official 2021 LGB Sponsor of Brayden Schenn
Official 2018-2019 LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz
2018 LGB Playoff Challenge Champ
Official 2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
Official 2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Scottie Upshall
Official 2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk

Post Reply