THE PROJECT
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L'Affaire Eagleson
| Committee | Rules | Initial Thoughts
| New-Found Respect For the Chore?
  ELECTIONS
 
DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS
World Wide Hall of Fame vs.
Toronto Hall of Fame
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NEW-FOUND RESPECT FOR THE CHORE?

The committee was split in the area of whether they had new respect for the Hall's Selection Committee as a result of this exercise.

SIHR President Ernie Fitzsimmons expressed disappointment that the Hall of Fame has elected some above average players at the expense of some better players. This project changed his opinion.

"I can understand the problem getting a consensus when I could probably win a Stanley Cup with those I couldn't include on my ballot in many seasons," Fitzsimmons said.

Mike Wyman was at the opposite side of the spectrum.

"If anything, it has made me more aware of the HHoF's shortcomings when considering non-NHLers," Wyman said. "In 2002, they saw fit to enshrine Bernie Federko and Clark Gillies, who probably deserve to be in the Hall of the Very Good but who really ought not be in the HHoF. Then last year they go and induct Brian Kilrea, a career junior coach, just when I figured them as a pure Old Boys outfit. Mind you, they also put Mike Illitch in for buying a team and writing a mess of cheques. Go figure."

Larry Robertson said to compare the two Halls would be unfair.

"Those selection committees, as biased as they may have been, voted on participants of their time, and times previous. We, however, were taking an overview of the game back to its earliest beginnings, and trying at times to see how close we could come to matching our results with those of the selectors who had gone before us."

One area we differ from the real Hall is that we announce our voting results. Jim Gregory, the Hall committee's current director, has been quoted as saying that they do not release results because they wish not to offend or embarrass players who do not get in.

Said Committee Chair Morey Holzman, "The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has it wrong. There's no shame in gaining just one vote, unless the candidate happens to be a Jean Beliveau, and then the shame is on the committee. One vote means that you struck someone on the committee as a worthy member of the Hall, and that in of itself is an accomplishment."